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		From Teeing Ground To Green Reprinted from June 2006 Issue -by JOE MADAY Course Review: Canyon Lakes Golf Course, Kennewick, WA Their ad offers the question, “Why play the rest, when you can play one of the best?” Sound arrogant? Well, this isn’t trash talk and Canyon Lakes has the credentials to back up the advertising. Since it’s opening in 1981, Canyon Lakes has ranked as one of the top ten public golf courses in the Pacific Northwest and is the only Golf Digest 4 STAR rated golf course in the Tri-Cities area. Golf Digest ranks Canyon Lakes as one of the top 200 value golf courses in the United States. And, if that isn’t enough, Golf Northwest Magazine listed Canyon Lakes signature hole, hole #9, among its “Dream 18.” As in previous years, the Sun Mart Tri-City Amateur will be contested here again July 18th through July 20th. Canyon Lakes is the work of Kennewick resident and golf course architect John Steidel. Steidel has quite a portfolio to backup his credentials as well. Besides Canyon Lakes, Steidel has designed several extraordinary golf courses, including Apple Tree in Yakima, Wildhorse near Pendleton and The Highlander at Raven Ridge in East Wenatchee. Also on his design table are the Connell Municipal Golf Course and Badger Mountain. It had been quite awhile since I had played the cours—far too long. I was immediately impressed by the amount of building, home construction, taking place around the course. Eighty-six condominiums are under construction adjacent to the course and some have a spectacular view of that #9 fairway and hole. Wanting a better view of the construction, I drove my shot off the #9 tee out-of-bounds. I must say, I have never seen Canyon Lakes in anything less than spectacular condition. A “No Metal Spike” policy certainly contributes to the smoothness of the greens. Understand, when I say smooth, I’m not talking baby bottom smooth, I’m talking bathtub smooth. Canyon Lakes has some of the slickest greens going. Take that speed and add John Steidel’s demonic contouring and you have greens that will make Tiger’s knees shake. Consider hole #8. This 500 yard (from the whites), Par 4, may be considered one of the finest holes in the Northwest, but the three tiered green is nothing short of amazing. Mr. Steidel must have been having a real bad day when he designed this one. Hope the course superintendent is feeling compassionate when he locates the hole or you could be walking off with a double bogey. This course is a fair test of the skill levels of all manner of players. Although the course sits in the middle of a housing community, you don’t feel cramped. The fairways are generous and the rough is not insurmountable. Water can come into play on as many as eight holes however. One of my favorite holes is #12. When they say this is a “thing of beauty,” they are not understating it’s magnificence. This is the largest green in the Pacific Northwest—12,000 square feet of the sweetest turf grass you could ever imagine. Taking this one in regulation and snuggling it up to the pin – priceless. Canyon Lakes is a full service facility with driving range, practice bunker, practice putting green, an 18 Hole Championship Putting Course, and a full service cafe’. Canyon Lakes Golf Club is located at 3700 Canyon Lakes Drive in Kennewick. For more information check out their web site at www.canyonlakesgolfcourse.com, or to book your tee time (7 days in advance) call (509) 582-3736. During your visit, be sure to tell Matt Mandell or Mike Lundgren you read about the course in The Entertainer. Whether you’re playing “one of the best” or some of the rest, remember your golf etiquette. Replace your divots, repair your ball marks, rake the bunkers, and love the game. I’ll see you here, next month, in The Entertainer. About the author - Joe Maday is a member of The Northwest Golf Media Association. He is also the Co-Founder of The Brotherhood of The Dimpled Orb‘, b.o.d.o.‘ Golf, and the b.o.d.o. Tour‘. He has completed his sixth year as a regular player on the b.o.d.o. Tour‘ and is the Commissioner of the Tour’s august body of brethren. If you have any comments about this article, questions on where to play, or problems with your game, you can reach Joe at his e-mail address: bodogolf@televar.com.