Sands Course at Gamble Sands
Big, bold, fun, unique…there are literally so many adjectives that can be used to describe the majesty that is Gamble Sands.
This resort has one major asset that continues to make it one of the best locations for a golf vacation in the country, and that is the resort’s owners, the Gebbers Family. They are owners of the family-owned Gebbers Farms, which is a mass producer of some of the world’s freshest apples, cherries, and pears, while the family also owns thousands of acres of land in Brewster, Washington. What that meant for the development of Gamble Sands was that land was not going to be a problem, and it gave the team here the ultimate playground to create the unbelievable product — with plenty of room to grow in the years to come.
Gamble Sands
The Golf at Gamble Sands
It all began at Gamble Sands with The Sands Course. As the initial design that launched this project, The Gebbers family partnered with OB Sports’ founder Orrin Vincent (OB is now a part of the Troon family) and brought in the talents of a certain well-known architect who may have had some similar success at another resort in the Pacific Northwest in the form of David McLay Kidd who famously built the Bandon Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes Resort.
When it came to Gamble Sands for Kidd, it all started with the land.
“This is the once in a lifetime site every golf designer dreams of, rolling sand dunes overlooking a large body of water, a developer willing to build golf just for the love of the game,” said Kidd. “It’s just golf on sand, golf as it was truly meant to be.”
And in that vein, Kidd and his team created a visually stunning golf course that is very playable with ample landing areas and magnificent backdrops of the surrounding mountains without a home in sight. Almost all the greens provide an ample area to run the ball up for golfers who find it difficult to take on the forced carries, and with massive putting surfaces you’ll quickly find that just because you may be hitting greens in regulation doesn’t mean that you cannot be a victim of a three putt or two.
The next addition to the golf portfolio at Gamble Sands came in the form of the QuickSands Course, a 14-hole par-3 course located only steps away from the clubhouse that embodies everything that you’d want in a short course.
“Historically short courses were often after thoughts, squeezed into useless corners for non-golfers to go try their hand,” says 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.” And at that, he succeeded. The course features holes that range from 60 to 160 yards with unbelievably contoured greens that feature tucked pins making this an absolute blast to play. You can play in groups of up to 8 golfers, and with good tunes jamming on the speakers throughout your round you’ll quickly see that the team here knocked it out of the park with this fun little design.
And now, the eye is on the future at Gamble Sands as a third course is under construction with David McLay Kidd again at the helm of this new project that is scheduled to open in 2025. Early indications on this course is that Kidd will be “sharpening his pencil” so to speak here, and that they challenge level is going to be a little higher than the original Sands Course while utilizing a more dramatic piece of the property a little to the north of the Sands Course that will feature majestic views of the Columbia River Valley and the surrounding mountains.
We will be keeping a close eye on this project, and we’ll be sure to report back on it as things get closer to the opening date.
QuickSands
The Inn
The Inn at Gamble Sands was added to the property in recent years, and this 37-bedroom facility is the perfect location to set up camp during your visit at Gamble Sands. The rooms are large and well-furnished, and each room includes a fireplace which provides the perfect way to stay warm and cozy inside after a long day on the course. Another nice addition to the Inn is the Cascade Putting Course, which is located on the backside of the building, so your group can open a few beverages and extend your golfing day here making sure all bets are settled before you head to bed. The Inn is scheduled to undergo an expansion when the new course comes onboard as well so we’ll be sure to keep you up to date on this as well.
The Inn was the perfect addition here as it has turned this incredible Brewster destination into a must-visit, stay-and-play resort that you and your crew are sure to love.
Gamble Sands