Golf courses in Brewster, WA.

Brewster, WA

Gamble Sands opened in 2014 near Brewster, Washington, on a sandy bluff high above the Columbia River in the state's apple-growing country. David McLay Kidd designed it, and he built it deliberately wide after criticism that some of his earlier work was too difficult. The fairways are enormous, the greens are large and open in front, and the ground runs firm, so the course rewards golfers who use slopes and bounces instead of aiming at flags. The views stretch across the river valley from nearly every hole, and there are no trees and no housing anywhere in sight. It is comfortably walkable despite the elevation. The resort has since added QuickSands, a 14-hole short course, and Scarecrow, a second Kidd-designed 18 that opened in 2023 on adjacent land. All are open to the public, with lodging on site.

Brewster, WA

Scarecrow is the second 18-hole course at Gamble Sands Resort in Brewster, Washington. David McLay Kidd designed it with his longtime design partner Nick Schaan, and it opened for public play on August 1, 2025, more than a decade after Kidd's original Gamble Sands course opened on the same property above the Columbia River. The course sits on 300 acres of steeper, more rumpled ground than its sister course, built where cornfields once stood next to the resort's apple and cherry orchards. Fescue turf is kept firm and fast, fairways are wide, and the holes run closer together than at the original course, giving Scarecrow a tighter, more layered feel while keeping sweeping views of the river valley. Scarecrow plays to a par of 71 and stretches to about 6,921 yards from the back tees. It is open to public play as part of Gamble Sands Resort, alongside the original Gamble Sands course and the short Quicksands course.

Brewster, WA

QuickSands is a 14-hole, par-42 short course at Gamble Sands Resort in Brewster, Washington, designed by David McLay Kidd. It opened for resort and daily-fee play on May 1, 2021. All 14 holes are par 3s ranging from 60 to 180 yards, set on rolling sand dunes next to the resort's main 18-hole course. The design favors ground-game shots over standard wedge play, with large sloped greens, no formal tee markers, and a course-wide sound system. It is walking-only and open to the public.

Last verified 2026-09-17