Thoughts of Winter, Looking Forward to Spring
Kevin Chang
President, WA Golf
I was introduced to golf on the original nine-hole WSU Golf Course in Pullman, Washington, and the winter months forced me to suspend playing the game I had grown to love. If I simply could not endure another indoor putt, I would plead with my parents to see if we could spend an afternoon in Colfax or the Lewiston/Clarkston valley, where the lower elevation allowed carpets of grass to remain, and a golf ball to be driven, chipped, and putted. Such a round usually satisfied my cravings for at least a couple of weeks.
After high school, when I realized that my golf talent would be best realized in the company of other weekend golfers, I spent the next two decades in the greater Seattle area, where I attended the University of Washington (insert Apple Cup comments here), earned a couple of degrees in civil engineering, and began my professional career as a transportation engineer.
Winter golf in Western Washington was much different from its colder Eastern Washington counterpart. While all the golf courses stayed open year-round, I had to accept the fact that perfect drives down the middle might encounter the embedded-ball rule. Nonetheless, I could usually find a tee time wearing my head-to-toe rain gear with smaller crowds sharing the fairways and greens.
When I returned to the Palouse to take an academic position at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, over a decade ago, I found solace on days when I could play a round at one of my old stomping grounds.
While Palouse Ridge Golf Club had replaced my childhood golf home, the views of the rolling hills of the Palouse were unchanged. Today, with two young kids, the pull of playing a December round isn’t nearly as strong as in years past. Instead, snowy winter days take on a much different tone, as the undulating fairways of the local courses now turn into exciting black-diamond sled runs that leave the kids grinning from ear to ear, and their parents out of breath while serving as dedicated sled-pulling mules.
In the four decades that I have played golf, advancements in technology and science have shaped our ability to play uninterrupted in the winter. The advent of golf simulators allows diehards who yearn to swing a club to play a round at Pebble Beach or St. Andrews just 30 minutes away from home. Golf course superintendents have adapted through vigorous sanding programs and irrigation strategies that allow their guests to experience a January round often comparable to one enjoyed in June or July.
As this year draws to a close and the new year approaches, please know that the WA Golf team is diligently working behind the scenes and walking with you every step of the way. In the coming months, you will find staff hosting golf tournaments that cater to low- and high-handicap golfers alike, attending regional golf shows, and planning next year’s course-rating and member-education services.
After all, WA Golf’s mission is to enrich lives through the many benefits of golf by leading, supporting, and promoting the sport in our region. As a board, we will continue to provide oversight by setting strategy and nurturing WA Golf and the golf community at large. Our actions will always protect the best interests of you, our WA Golf members.
Here’s to regularly finding the middle of the fairway, or sinking that three-foot putt, in 2026.