WHITE HORSE — Now that we’ve seen Herald sister newspaper Port Orchard Independent sports editor Jeff Wilson’s take on the 18 best holes in Kitsap County, the question that must be asked is: where are the best in North Kitsap?

Unfortunately for golfers, there is no 18-hole course in NK (lest we forget Kitsap Country Greens’ Driving Range on West Kingston Road).

Soon, however, there will indeed be a place to hit the links at the brand new White Horse Golf Club, set to open in June 2006.

Developer Bob Screen, a Bainbridge Island resident, has been working for more than 15 years to make the course come to fruition. Screen, formerly in the marketing business, decided to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Frank Clark, who designed and help build a course in Ottumwa, Iowa in 1900.

Screen was also spurred into the course development when he was visited by avid golfer, engineer and equipment designer Karsten Solheim, who informed him that the White Horse location had, “marvelous soil, phenomenal topography and fantastic vegetation,” among many other things.

“I said, ‘Man, I better take this seriously,’” Screen said of their meeting.

At this point, the course has its permitting and has been cleared and mostly graded. The irrigation system is being installed and at the end of August, Screen said grassing will occur.

The semi-private course is designed to meet a variety of golfer’s needs, Screen added. Each hole will include five sets of tees, so that high-level golfers can have a longer challenge and those more on the beginner side can enjoy a shorter hole.

“It enables golfers of all skill levels and strength levels to play the course,” he said. The difference in length is certainly expansive — from the short tee, the course is 5,900 yards and from the long ones, 7,200 yards.

Added bonuses — or treacheries, depending on one’s view — will be 100 sand traps and two holes with water. An equal number of dog legs to the right and left, four par 3s, four par 5s, and a 12-acre driving range will be featured as well.

The course was designed by Cynthia Dye McGarey, relative of legendary course architect Pete Dye. The family has designed more than 300 courses.

Green fees have not yet been set, and neither has a signature hole for the course.

“There’s a lively discussion on that but we can’t decide,” Screen said. “We’ll wait until after grass grows in.”