It seems like just yesterday when the national media largely ignored the Northwest as far as premier golf courses are concerned. If it wasn't somewhere in California, a western course was unknown. The creation of Bandon Dunes in Oregon brought much attention to this part of the country golfwise, and the latest new course rankings seem to continue the trend of recognizing great NW golf.

Golf Digest and Golf magazine both gave Best New Course honors to Chambers Bay in Tacoma, and the praise keeps coming. Home to the 2015 US Open, Chambers Bay is a testament to having golf as a vision... turning an unsightly quarry on Puget Sound into a top golf course takes vision like few have these days. Having played it this summer, all I can tell you is get there before 2015, so you can still get a tee time, and bring extra balls. This is not your typical public course, and certainly not a resort layout that pampers you while stroking your golf ego. Chambers Bay is more of a golf mugging. It's big, tough, rough around the edges... and you have to walk. Period. Bring good shoes and a good knockdown shot into the wind, but you won't be bored.

Top new private honors went to Gozzer Ranch on lake Coeur D' Alene, and with some heavy competition, this is a huge honor. With competition from Black rock across the lake, and the venerable CDA resort course in view, how does Gozzer Ranch compete? With Tom Fazio doing some of his best recent work, on an incredible piece of property. Add to that incredible amenities, like "comfort stations" that are quaint log cabins filled with anything your heart desires (espresso, homemade elk jerky), and top-notch service top to bottom, this place has it all. Mostly though, it has a golf course that may possibly be the best in the Inland northwest... time will tell if Gozzer or the Engh course at Black Rock will hold that honor.

Honorable mention went to another new NW layout, the Home course in Dupont, Wa. Where?? Dupont is just south of Tacoma, so you could hit Chambers Bay and the Home course back to back. It is also a reclamation site, built on an old dupont manufacturing site, the only reminder are the sticks of dynamite that mark the tee boxes. Is the course a blast? I haven't played it yet, but I'll report back later.

With new golf options close to home and on the coast, it's looking like 2009 might be the time to take a Northwest golf tour. Although... the courses in Seattle are wet, but open. Maybe I'll start the tour early.

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