Sahalee Country Club

27-Hole CourseOpened in 1969. Design: Rees Jones.

Technical difficulty: Moderate – Hard. Straight shooting is at a premium here, and though there aren’t a lot of bunkers, the diminutive greens are a real challenge.

Not long afterward, the club attracted the 1998 PGA Championship, in which Vijay Singh beat out Steve Stricker for one of his first big wins. At less than 7,001 yards from the tips, the course is relatively short; it is also quite tight, an effect that is amplified by the evergreens that tower over most of the holes.

The original layout by Ted Robinson was renovated by ReesJones, who beefed up the length and the bunkering. The South / North Course was a cooperative effort by two Seattle establishments that were becoming over-crowded in the Sixties.

In addition to making more holes available, the aim was to create a course with the quality and room for large tournaments. That didn’t happen until the original layout was renovated.