By Chuck Miller, “The Traveling Guy”

Whenever I leave sun drenched Southern California to play golf in other areas of the county I am always thrilled with the lush greenery and beautiful courses that are so prevalent in areas where rain is more plentiful. Such was the case recently on a visit to the Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington, 80 miles east of Seattle.

Driving from Seattle's SeaTac International Airport to Cle Elum was a scenic delight and a wonderful change from the busy, noisy bumper to bumper traffic on our Southern California freeways. The tall pines, the majestic mountains, the lakes and the cascading waterfalls along the way made for a quick hour and a half drive. The drive seemed even quicker because my golfing companions and I were absorbed in discussion about the prospects of two days of golf at Suncadia's championship course, The Prospector.

Playing The Prospector, which was created by the Arnold Palmer Design Group and opened in 2006 to rave reviews, was a real treat. It was easy to understand why in 2007 Golf Digest named it "One of the Best New Golf Courses" and Golf Week Magazine named it to its list of Top 50 New Golf Courses.  The Prospector is a beautiful mountain course which can be played from 5300 yards from the forward tees to 7100 yards from the tips. 

Carved through a forest of tall pines, it will test your course management as it has numerous deep bunkers around its greens and on its wide receptive fairways, and has water that comes in to play on six holes.  Prior to playing The Prospector, I asked Head Professional Wade Iacolucci for his description of the course. He described it as a course that is "open off the tees but narrows down to well bunkered greens".  He was right on.

No matter what your skill level, The Prospector is a fair course, although as on most mountain courses, a stray drive or fairway shot is libel to find you searching for your ball among the pines or looking longingly into a shimmering pond or lake. My skill level had me on the White tees which at 6159 yards offered plenty of challenge.

My favorite holes were the 342-yard Par 4 ninth, the 375-yard Par 4 tenth, and the 496-yard Par 5 eighteenth. I loved the ninth hole as its design has a great risk/reward option. The hole is a slight dog-leg right with a large lake that runs along the right side of the fairway. Depending on your drive, you are faced with a second shot along or over the lake to the well guarded green at the end of the lake. I hit a good drive that left me a few yards short of the lake. 

Not being in a tournament, which would have required a bit more course management, I decided to go for the green.  I hit a solid six iron into the stiff wind that was with us all day and was thrilled as my ball headed right at the pin. Thrilled that is until it fell two yards short of clearing the lake.   I reloaded and hit a five iron that landed my ball about 15 feet from the pin. So much for under estimating the wind.

The tenth hole, Suncadia's signature hole, is a thing of beauty.  Standing on the tee you look down at a zigzagging fairway, strategically placed fairway bunkers and a green that sits on a sloping hill.  It took more than a couple of minutes to actually tee up my ball as the view of the snow capped peaks of the Cascades in the distance was spectacular.  Standing on the tenth tee and viewing the scene in front of me was very special.  It was truly what you would describe as a "Kodak Moment".

The eighteenth hole was a favorite because I like par 5's that make you think…not just hit. It requires both a straight tee shot and a well placed second shot in order to be in position for a third shot to the green, a green that is partially guarded by the lake on the bordering ninth hole. My third shot, played directly into the wind hit the green and rolled past the pin. I thought "what a great way to finish". I then proceeded to three putt which once again made me realize once again why I play golf with friends on the weekend and not in a tour event on TV.

After golf we headed to "The Canary", the casual bar restaurant in The Inn at the resort. There I enjoyed a quick lunch and a few liquid refreshments prior to touring the resort with Buzz Korth, Suncadia's real estate broker. We visited the Glade Spring Spa which offers a wide variety of massages, facials, and body therapies as well as an outdoor garden with four outdoor mineral pools of varying temperatures; the privately owned Swiftwater Cellars winery and restaurant located but moments from The Lodge; and the Swim and Fitness Center which houses an indoor pool, dual covered water slides of 218 feet and 271 feet in length, and an exercise facility which has state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength-training exercise equipment.

Following my tour I was joined by my significant-other Shirley and my cousin Peg and her husband Paul, for a wonderful dinner at Portals, the Lodge's outstanding restaurant which looks out through floor to ceiling windows at the Cascade Mountains in the distance. I choose the Alaskan Halibut which was outstanding and had several bites of one of the most unusual dinner specialties I had ever heard of….Lobster Mac and Cheese. It was absolutely delicious, made with Cavatappi noodles, cold water lobster, aged white cheddar cheese, truffle oil and fontina bread crumbs. All this along with a bottle of wine and a view of the Cascades…breathtaking.

The Prospector is being joined on August 26th with the Grand Opening of Suncadia's second public course, Rope Rider, a Peter Jacobsen-Jim Hardy design built alongside the site of two historic coal mines which closed in 1963. Named in honor of the coal miners who carefully balanced themselves on the roped coal cars that wound their way up and down steep mine shafts, the course will be 7300 yards from the tips. However, it will also be family friendly as it will have youth tees on every hole and shorter three and six-hole loops for quick sessions with the kids or beginning golfers.

Suncadia is a resort not to be missed when planning a golf vacation in the Pacific Northwest, or for that matter a winter ski vacation, as it is a four season destination resort community. The resort's accommodations offer all the comforts of home as well as service of a first class hotel. The Lodge, which has been named one of the Top 100 Real Estate Developments in the World by Travel and Leisure Magazine, has 254 guest suites and penthouses as well as deluxe guest rooms and one and two bedroom units.

 It also offers spacious meeting rooms for conferences and conventions. Because of its amenities and its short proximity to Seattle, Suncadia has become a favorite location for meetings for both Boeing and Microsoft.

When planning a vacation at Suncadia, make sure you save time for a visit to the nearby small hamlet of Rosalyn where many of the 110 episodes of the quirky TV show Northern Exposure were filmed. There you can check out Northern Exposure's KHBR Radio Station and hardware store, and have a drink at The Brick, Washington's oldest continuously run tavern/bar. 

When you mosey up to the bar at The Brick, check out the spittoon at your feet that runs the length of the bar and is continuously washed by running water.  While in Rosalyn you can also visit the Rosalyn Museum which houses an extensive collection of coal mining items which will give you insight into the town's past history as an important coal mining town. 

Another Cle Elum golf option in the area is the 5715-yard Sun Country Course which is minutes away from the Sun Country RV Park. Originally opened in 1970 as a 9-Hole course, it is now 18 holes having expanded to 18 in 2009.   

For complete information about the Suncadia Resort and The Prospector and Rope Rider golf courses, visit www.SuncadiaResort.com or call the resort at 866-904-6301. For information on Suncadia Resort Properties, contact Buzz Korth or Jeff Lau at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  For information on the Sun Country Golf Course, visit www.golfsuncountry.com.