Gamble Sands breaks ground on second David McLay Kidd course

Gamble Sands, in Brewster, Wash., recently broke ground on its second course, dubbed Quicksands. The 14-hole route is the first short course designed by David McLay Kidd, and will be the first of its kind in Washington. The course is expected to be completed and open for limited preview rounds this fall.

McLay Kidd’s award-winning course designs include Gamble Sands, Bandon Dunes and his latest creation, Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. McLay Kidd and partner, Nick Schaan, were hands-on in the creation of Quicksands, working with the crew, running equipment and shaping with hand tools. Quicksands sits east of the Gamble Sands clubhouse, between the range and the entry road, on a 25-acre parcel of heaving and rolling sand dunes of which the team took full advantage.

“Historically short courses were often afterthoughts, squeezed into useless corners for non-golfers to go try their hand,” said McLay Kidd. “Today short courses have become a serious addition to world-class golf resorts. The best land is sought, the best talent is brought to bear, expectations are high, and we don’t plan to disappoint.”

Quicksands’ holes vary wildly from 60 to 160 yards. Every hole offers a unique challenge to a golfer’s skills and imagination. The working names of holes gives some sense of what awaits, including Plinko, Crater, Donut and Boomerang to name a few. View the Quicksands preview video prepared by McLay Kidd here.

Quicksands will have an emphasis on fun. Guests will enjoy the course-wide sound system – some days golfers will play along to the Eagles, and other days it may be Metallica.

“We expect a lot of whooping and hollering throughout the course, giving it a strong social vibe,” said Brady Hatfield, general manager, Gamble Sands. “Plus, Quicksands will not be an overly stern test of one’s golf game. With limited force carries and tons of turf, golfers will have lots of shot options.”

The 18-hole, 7,169-yard Sands Course opened for play in 2014 with the 100,000 square foot Cascades putting course following shortly thereafter.