Canyon Lakes Golf Course - One of Northwest’s Finest Courses

Taking advantage of 300 days of sunshine annually, southeastern Washington state offers some of the best golf in the country. One of its star attractions is Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, which is consistently ranked as one of the top courses in the Pacific Northwest.

Designed by course architect John Steidel, Canyon Lakes opened for play in 1981. This beautiful par 72 links-style course measures 7,026 yards from the tips, and has a course rating of 73.8, with a slope of 129. “The first thing you notice about the course is the extremely fast greens,” said first-time visitor Michael Robel, of nearby Yakima. “It’s also very scenic with lots of elevation changes.”

Year Round Golf

According to Jordan Youngs, Director of Marketing & Public Relations for the Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau, Kennewick, along with Pasco and Richland, make up the Tri-Cities. “This part of the state is a desert region with an average annual precipitation of less than seven inches. Thanks to winter temperatures hovering at an average 44 degrees and with little to no snowfall, our golf courses are open year-round.”

The Largest Green in the Northwest

Canyon Lakes has several spectacular holes, with the par 5, 527-yard 9th the signature hole. “The 9th was selected as one of the Northwest’s Dream 18 Holes by Northwest Travel Magazine a few years ago,” said Youngs. “The par 3, 181-yard 12th hole has also garnered lots of attention: It’s famous for having the largest green in the Pacific Northwest – a 12,000-square-foot thing of beauty!”

The 10th hole is a picturesque par 4 that measures 438 yards. The tee boxes are set on a hill with the landing area a healthy three-wood away. The dogleg left adds to the excitement of this challenging hole. The 18th, a 440-yard par 4, is a great finishing hole. It features a wide open fairway that runs downhill, with a slight dogleg to the right. The clubhouse towers over the green, providing a nice venue for an after-round beverage.

Visitors come from around the region, especially during the winter months as Canyon Lakes is open 365 days a year, weather permitting. It’s equal distance from Seattle and Portland – about 200 miles from each city to the Tri-Cities, while Spokane is about a two-hour drive.

Slick Greens and Great Rates

In addition to fast greens, locals share that the key to a good round at Canyon Lakes is all in the reading of those slick greens. Almost all putts, they insist, break towards the Blue Bridge on the nearby Columbia River, which can be seen from many vantage points on the course.

Green fees on this public course are under $40. Other amenities include a driving range, practice bunker, practice putting green, 18 hole championship putting course, and a full-service cafe. Canyon Lakes Golf Course also features GPS on all carts.

Apres Golf – Over 160 Wineries

The Tri-Cities region of Washington is the state’s epicenter of wine growing. With more than 700 wineries statewide, Washington is the country’s second-largest wine-producing region, after California. More than 160 wineries can be found within a one-hour drive of the Tri-Cities. Most of the wineries are open year-round and have pleasant tasting rooms and gift shops. A few wineries worth a visit include Tagaris Winery, Preston Premium Wines, Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard, and Hogue Cellars.

A must-visit when in the Tri-Cities is the Country Mercantile store in Pasco. What began as a small produce stand in 1996 has blossomed into an eclectic collection of the Northwest’s finest gourmet foods, and the most decadent handmade chocolates and fudge.