T he  opening of the Hawk's Prairie golf complex in 1995 was much anticipated by local golfers.  It was a bold move to construct a 36 hole facility in a relatively rural area (between Tacoma and Olympia) with greens fees significantly above anything that existed nearby.  This was in the relatively early days of South Sound golf: before Washington National, Trophy Lake, The Home Course, and of course, Chambers Bay.  And while the two rather different tracks have held up well against their newer competitors, location has kept the crowds from over-powering the place.  But that is good news for us -- greens fees are very reasonable.

In fact, one of our most popular offerings is the Hawk's Prairie "Play All Day" option where you play one course in the morning, one in the afternoon with a hot lunch provided between rounds.  Even with cart and range balls included, the cost is usually less than $100!  It's a steal -- but  the quality of golf at Hawks Prairie is far from bargain basement.  Designed from the get-go as a complimentary pair, these two courses can provide a memorable, full day of golf, or a great second round, if you only have time for 18.

Designed by Peter L.H. Thompson, the front nine of the Links Course lives up to its name, with playing conditions exposed to the wind and weather.  Starting off with an tee shot that sweeps down from the clubhouse to a relatively large green set at an angle to the fairway.  You get a sense right away of what lies ahead.   And while the back nine holes move into more heavily forested land (there's a spectacular Puget Sound View on #14), landing areas on the Links Course are mostly generous, with large greens and just enough sand to hold your attention.  Water is the main hazard here, though there are only a handful of forced carries, but you'll need to take the wet stuff into account on 10 of the 18 holes.

The challenges presented by the aptly named Woodlands Course at Hawk's Prairie are quite different than those on the Links Course.  Course architect, Bill Overdorf, was given a gorgeous piece of second-growth forest land with which to work, and the course has an intimacy to it that is quite different from the Links routing.  This perception is reinforced by the smallish heavily-contoured greens you'll encounter on many holes.  Like the Links Course, water is often factor, but staying out of the woods is every bit the challenge that the water is.  The rolling terrain is another feature of the Woodlands Course, and on many holes there are huge elevations changes or few flat lies to be found.  The result is a beautiful and memorable routing with each hole truly having a personality of its own.

All in all, whether you visit Hawk's Prairie for the second round of the day or choose to Play All Day, your visit is one that likely will be remembered for years to come.