KINGSTON — While driving between Kingston and Indianola on South Kingston Road these days, motorists can get a sneak peek of what is expected to be North Kitsap’s first golf course.
At the 90-degree corner, adjacent to Mahoney Lane, an opening in the trees allows curious onlookers to view a dirt road that will likely become the main entrance to the White Horse Golf Course in about a year.
And on any given day, one may see a big, green SUV slowly driving down this road past various cleared areas that will be established for greens or fairways. The person behind the wheel is Bob Screen, the owner and developer of White Horse, checking on the latest developments on his property.
While Screen is waiting for site development activity permits from Kitsap County for the complex’s 224 single-family home lots, the golf course is quickly being created, as the holes are in the process of being shaped.
“The course is coming along great,” Screen said. “(I’m) getting more excited with every little bit of progress.”
Screen hired golf course architect Cynthia Dye-McGarey, one of the few women in her field and of the famous Dye family that has developed courses around the world, to create what will be a primarily densely wooded and forest-like golf course. Because of the unique shape and hills of the property, she has taken on this project with a particular fondness.
“It’s totally non-manufactured,” Dye-McGarey said about how it easy it has been to work with the natural grade of the land. “If you go to Palm Springs, it all has to be manufactured.”
By manufacturing, she means bringing in dirt to create bunkers and various “natural” challenges on the course. But with White Horse, after the vegetation was cleared, Dye-McGarey was thrilled to find the property was practically a natural golf course already, based on the existing curves of the land.
“It’s just all right there. It’s so fun because you can be so creative,” she said.
While it usually takes one week to create a single hole, a par 3 at White Horse only took about six hours to grade, she said.
“There isn’t any mass grading,” she said. “It’s really a very natural golf course.”
Because Dye-McGarey was so impressed with the beauty of the natural vegetation, she is keeping as many trees as possible and taking advantage of existing open spaces within the property, thus creating a diverse course.
“We’re trying to blend everything into what is already here,” she said.
While the typical challenges of a course are being incorporated, such as holes that veer to the left and others that head to the right, Dye-McGarey is staying away from water challenges, such as lakes, except for the drainage pond near the clubhouse. Generally, she said she doesn’t believe lakes are necessary to a course like White Horse.
“It doesn’t seem to have the need to have a cosmetic lake out here,” Dye-McGarey said.
If she were to create the same course, yet bring in all the vegetation and trees “Bob’s budget wouldn’t be able to afford it,” she said. “This place will look like he spent four times as much money. This is an affordable golf course.”
The course spreads throughout the valleys of the 450-acre parcel, while the housing lots are located on the ridges. The lots are spaced out, she said, so it doesn’t feel like residents are living on the golf course or the players are surrounded by homes.
“You’ll feel like you’re part of a natural forested area,” Dye-McGarey said.
The facilities are being crafted for all levels and all types of play. There will be tees established for ladies, seniors, juniors and average players. The clubhouse facilities will include a double-ended driving range, where teaching, driving and pitching can all take place at the same time, Dye-McGarey said.
There will also be golf lessons and a kids program in the summer. A public hiking trail will connect White Horse to its northern neighbor (Kingston) and southern neighbors (Indianola and Miller Bay).
The course will be public but there will be opportunities when the club opens to purchase a limited number of founding, charter and youth charter memberships.
“To give people who become a part of the golf club early a financial incentive (who) know they want to play there — a chance to buy so many years of golf at a discount,” Screen said about the memberships. “In turn, we use that money to help improve the golf course.”
Screen said the response from the community has been positive, especially from North End golfers who normally have to travel to South or Central Kitsap to hit the links.
“Most of the people we talk to are more than enthusiastic that we’re going to have this in the community,” Screen said. “The recreational opportunities in North Kitsap are pretty slim and there is no golf course in North Kitsap.”
