Interviews

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Gamble Sands opens short course designed by David McLay Kidd
Richard Humphreys
/ Categories: News

Gamble Sands opens short course designed by David McLay Kidd

David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.

QuickSands is laid out on a 25-acre parcel of rolling sand dunes to the east of the Gamble Sands clubhouse, between the range and the entry road. It has holes varying between 60 and 180 yards, each designed to offer a unique challenge to a golfer’s skills and imagination. The holes carry names such as Plinko, Crater, Donut and Corkscrew.

The layout joins the resort’s 18-hole Sands course, which opened for play in 2014, and the 100,000-square-foot Cascades putting course that followed shortly afterwards.

“Short courses are all the rage and so they should be, golfers love short holes, it’s a chance for success, it’s immediate gratification,” said McLay Kidd. “QuickSands, however, has a different twist, wild holes, impossible to replicate on full course. If you ask for the yardage, you’re not getting the concept, it’s about reading the ground and imagining a shot, maybe it’s a chipped seven iron or a low checking wedge, it might even be a putter off the tee, it could be every one of those shots in the same group.”

Construction began in winter 2020, with grassing taking place in June. McLay Kidd and partner Nick Schaan were both on site working with the construction crew, running equipment and shaping with hand tools.

A sound system has also been installed on the course.

“The Gamble Sands family is truly excited to begin play on QuickSands,” said project manager Tory Wulf. “We know that our guests will enjoy the golf experience that DMK and our crew has produced. We can’t wait to see and hear how much fun folks will have!”

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