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A thin shroud of fog obscures the view down the first fairway at North Bellingham.[/caption]
In preparation for providing some advice on where to play golf during Whatcom County’s wet season—OK stop—I could hear you snicker and mutter, “There’s a dry season?” Um, yes… have you heard of September?
Regardless, in rigorous and diligent preparation for this article, striving as always for journalistic excellence, I ran over to North Bellingham Golf Course since it is pretty legendary in these parts for being one of the best courses to play in wet conditions. Sitting in the little café was a foursome of intrepid senior golfers… my kind of guys… all geared up with everything to keep them dry except for hip waders (which were probably sitting on the stoop outside the door). Each of them was nursing a cup of steaming coffee sweetened with Brandy to warm up after their round. I introduced myself and asked the simple survey question… what are the driest courses to play in the county when it gets soggy out.
Since I wasn't asking for money, they perked right up and not surprisingly given where we were all sitting, North Bellingham Golf Course was at the top of their list. The course drains remarkably well into the ponds and wetlands that line many of the fairways and the greens are consistently good; using your green repair tool to extract a plugged ball in the fairway or putting through standing water is almost never an issue.
In years gone by, Lake Padden Golf Course had a reputation as one of the soggiest courses in the county, but after years of sanding and drainage work, it is now considered one of the top choices for winter golf and being a city park, is also a very affordable option not to mention outrageously beautiful.
Raspberry Ridge Golf Course was another layout they readily agreed on. This dandy little 9-holer out on Hannegan Road provides a great way to get in a quick round and keep the rust off your swing through the winter months.
Homestead Golf & Country Club in Lynden was next on the list. While they did point out that there were certain fairways and spots that did create some problems, for the most part, it plays consistently well in the winter.
Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club also rated pretty high on my “team of experts” list. This fabulous resort course is offering some great winter rates and is definitely worth your consideration. Take note that they are semi-private so only open to the general public on odd days of the month.
So there you have it; a very scientific survey with almost no significant margin of error. However, if you disagree with any of their recommendations or have another course to add to the list, bring it on in the "Leave A Comment" section below. The more we can spread everyone out around the county, the more of each course we’ll have to ourselves all winter long.
Go. Play. Dry. Golf.
