Photo: Patrick Oien REPORT The enduring appeal of Sahalee Country Club – where in the late 1960s Ted Robinson carved 27 holes from evergreen forest just east of Seattle – is a reminder that great golf design is not a one-size-fits-all exercise. With its single-file fairways framed by towering firs and cedars, Sahalee exemplifies a style of course – where each hole sits in natural isolation – that some decades ago was considered the ultimate golf experience. It stands in celebratory defiance of the modern movement to extreme width, and as one of the best of its kind retains a lofty position in rankings; Golf Digest places it third in the state of Washington. At the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which was played over the South and North nines, Sahalee was met with glowing praise. “It’s almost majestic; very peaceful and amazing,” said Brooke Henderson, who won the PGA the previous time it was held at Sahalee, in 2016. Once a tee peg is in the ground, that majesty defines the golfing challenge. The extreme height of the trees appears to further narrow chutes that set out a very precise requirement for the drive, which on most holes requires fearless accuracy. Negotiating the tee shot successfully brings a sense of relief and maybe a moment to breathe in the glorious natural environment, albeit knowing the sound of urethane on cedar is never far away. Sahalee’s trees are central to its appeal, character and challenge – so their management must be carefully considered. This is not the place to get too cavalier with a chainsaw. Out of the woods Sahalee Country Club prepared for the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with a programme of sensitive renovation work. Toby Ingleton reports. 80 The newly bunkered closing hole of Sahalee’s North nine
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