If you’ve been to The Cedars on Salmon Creek in Brush Prairie since the end of summer, you may have noticed big changes occurring.
Where the first and second holes and the driving range used to exist, landscape construction is now taking place. About a year ago The Cedars management sold about 30 acres to a real estate developer. Eventually 117 lots will be built there. As for the 18-hole golf course, management is currently in the process of a significant remodel. At the moment only nine holes are open for play. By January The Cedars expects to be back to 18 holes.
“We’re in the design process of a lot of new stuff here,” said Joe Cain, manager and head golf professional for The Cedars.
Cain said a new driving range will be put in next to the clubhouse, nearby where the old one was. He said the new range will only be 60 yards long, but there will be a large net fixture to catch the practice balls in flight.
“You’ll still be able to hit on it like a range,” Cain said. “It’s such an important aspect of training, we’re making sure people will still be able to use it for distance practice.”
Cain said a nice benefit of the new range is that the hitting bay will be enclosed and heated.
As for replacing the first and second holes of the course, Cain said rather than build two new ones, holes six and nine will simply be divided in two.
“Hole six was a par five, but it’s now going to be split into a par three and par four,” said Cain.
Cain said hole nine is currently a par four, but its green will be moved back a bit so that the current green can become a tee box area followed by a new par three hole. The new par three’s route will be steeply uphill toward the current chipping and putting practice area which is being converted into the new hole’s green.
Although those changes aren’t too difficult to understand, what makes The Cedars remodeling project a bit complicated is that once complete around January, the course is flipping its route.
“The front nine is becoming the back nine,” said Cain. “No construction is going on with those holes though.”
Ultimately when the course re-opens for a full 18 holes it will be shorter than before. Originally the course was a par 71 and it will now be a par 68. According to Cain, a shorter course will better serve a wide variety of players.
“It will increase the pace of play and that’s probably the biggest complaint people have in the golf industry — that it’s too long,” Cain said. “A shorter course is going to cater to kids and older folks struggling to get distance on their hits more but still be a great place for everyone else.”
Cain said once the 30 acres of the course were sold, scheduling construction became mostly out of The Cedars hands. He said, however, they and visitors are fortunate with the construction company’s (Tapani Inc.) timing.
“It’s worked out almost as best as it could that they’re doing the work now as it’s getting colder and wetter,” said Cain. “They started in late August so it didn’t really disrupt our busy season much. If we could have picked an ideal time for the work to be happening, this would be it.”
For some neighbors of the course though, an ideal time for big changes at The Cedars would be never.
“I’m disappointed in what’s going on,” said Mike Kramer who recently purchased a home next to the current third hole fairway. “I wouldn’t have bought it if I knew this was going to happen. I liked how it was rural.”
Kramer said he’s in the process of rescinding the sales agreement of his home because of the changes.
“My beef isn’t with The Cedars, it’s with the seller not saying what was going to happen. I do think it (the course) would have been better off the way it was though. It was beautiful, but now it’s just a big construction site. I’m sure they’ll get it looking good again, but it’s just a mess right now and I don’t think all the new homes are necessary.”
Gary Kasters has lived near the course since 1984. He said his biggest issue with the change is the expected increase of traffic.
“There’s only one road (NE 152nd Avenue) to service this area around the course and they’re going to be adding over 1,000 new trips per day on it with all those new homes,” he said. “It’s going to cause serious congestion and safety issues.”
Cain said he and the rest of management at The Cedars understand change and transition is hard, but believe it will be best for the community long-term.
“Expansion in Clark County is inevitable, there’s expansion everywhere,” Cain said. “I think these changes are going to expand The Cedars as a central place for people in this area with more surrounding homes. Once everything is set and established I think the potential it has to be a great gathering place will show and it will be a win-win for everyone.”
