Gamble Sands earns award as top new golf course for the 2014 season

When golf course designer David McLay Kidd first walked the hills and valleys that is now Gamble Sands Golf Course in Brewster, Wash. he knew he was on special land.

Kidd was a guy who had designed Bandon Dunes Golf Course and others like Tetherow Golf Club in Bend and the Castle Course at St. Andrews, but there was something about this land high above the Columbia River in Northcentral Washington that he really thought was special.

And now, Kidd has been rewarded for his work. Gamble Sands has been named as the Best New Course for 2014 by Golf Digest Magazine. Gamble Sands opened in August and was a hit right away with Pacific Northwest golfers – and for good reason.

With its wide fairways and spectacular scenery Gamble Sands quickly earned a reputation as a course that is user-friendly and plenty of fun for all levels of players.

“I wanted to put the idea of fun back into the game,” said Kidd.

And he did just that with Gamble Sands. Hired by owner Wade Gebbers to put together a first-class golf course, Kidd did just that. With the wide fairways, golfers can enjoy their rounds without worrying about hitting shots that will roll into the desert. The course measures 7,100 yards from the tips, not long by today’s standards, but long enough for the low handicappers to work.

“This is a place for golfers to have fun,” said Kidd. “That’s what we wanted.”