Community Strong

Different Feel

I had just putted out on the fourth hole when the deer who had stepped aside to let us hit our

approach shots to the green had returned to their spot to continue grazing on grasses along the historic Native American thoroughfare.  There was a short walk past the protected acre of Camas Prairie, which is home to the Camas Bulb, a prehistoric flower once a food source for the previously mentioned Native Americans.  At the 5th tee box you have to hit your tee shot past the “Hanging Tree”, a local historic mark, and yes, it’s a bit bleak, but it holds significant importance for the local community.  The fifth and sixth holes are fairly straight and are on slight slopes going down and up respectfully, offering great views of a nearby mountain range and lake.  The perfect place to put houses, wait what!!  Yes, houses.

This trip had a little different feel to it. 

In an effort to help promote the blog I reached out to a few community outlets in the Port Townsend, Washington area letting folks know I was coming to play their course and I would be happy to share my golf journey with anyone who would be interested in hearing about it. You know, tell a little story here and there, promote the blog, and of course I get to play the oldest golf course in Washington, Camas Prairie Golf Course. 

The response was fantastic and before I knew it I was part of a foursome and playing with 3 members of the Friends of the Port Townsend / Camas Prairie Park, the non-profit organization set out to save Camas Prairie from closing .

Camas Prairie Golf Course is a nine hole track located in the coastal artisan town of Port Townsend, Washington, and the non-profit group who is out to save the golf course and the 56 archer park it resides in have found themselves in a modern day David and Goliath fight

Hole 1

I walked into the pro shop and checked in for the 9:00AM tee time, and I was met with a mix of enthusiasm and pride.  It was refreshing, what a great start to the day and the round.  Some of the employees, scratch that, volunteers, showed me around the club house, which was warm and welcoming. Once I was introduced to the group I was playing with I was bombarded-in a good way- with stories, historic tibbets, and coffee. 

It wasn’t hard to pick up on a real sense of community, and I didn’t know it at the time, a feeling of defiance, in a way that told me whatever they were trying to achieve here they would succeed with their mission.

The first hole was just a short walk to the right of the pro shop, and by the time we strolled over to the tee box I met the volunteer course photographer Mark, and the Grandson of George Welch who was  the founder and first president of the Port Townsend Golf Club, which became Camas Prairie Golf Course.  Mark’s roots run deep in this town and his historic knowledge showed.  **And special thank you Mark for all these great photos!!

I was paired up with Tim, who while in high school about 30-ish years ago, was part of a community program that helped refurbish the sand traps here at Camas Prairie.  And I learned in 2023 this non-profit group leased the 56 acre Camas Prairie Park from the City of Port Townsend for 22 years in an effort to save the historic park grounds and golf course from suburban sprawl, which by the way, the suburban sprawl is being led by the same people they leased Camas Prairie Park from.

Hole 2

Coming off the first green I was still wrapping my head around the fun fact that Tim shared with me. A young, like in high school, Fred Couples shot a 67 in a high school match against Port Townsend High School right here at Camas Prairie.  Now I had something to strive for, I'm pretty sure I’ll shoot better than a 67 for nine holes. I'm thinking I will crush that number by shooting something like a 45.  I know he was in high school, but I can still claim I beat Fred Couples score…that is until I was reminded that he scored a 67 on 18 holes, of course he did, he’s really good at golf.  I put all that golf math behind me and headed to the 2nd hole.

As we came around a short turn heading toward the second hole, Bob-the President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Port Townsend Golf Park non-profit-pointed out to me that the normal tee box was getting a little improvement.  At that moment I was introduced to Maisie who was working on the tee box.  It turns out she is helping with course refurbishment though a college summer program.  She was cutting out old growth and re-planting native plants that will thrive in the area.  This is a great example of how the non-profit is finding ways to incorporate community and course improvement, Maisie is doing important improvements to the course, gaining college credit, and the course environment becomes more sustainable with little cost.  

Hole two was a par three with a large pond on the right of the temporary tee box.  Bob informed me that this area offers a tricky challenge because they have to be careful not to harm the growth to the right, but keep the vegetation from encroaching into the fairway.  I learn that they are looking into natural deterrent alternatives versus cutting back the natural grasses, I'm thinking this research might find it's way to Maisie's growing summer “to do” list.

Hole 3

At the third hole I got to meet Tim’s cousin who happens to live right behind the 2nd green. They helped the course by agreeing to a land swap of a small portion of their backyard property.  During a recent golf course improvement effort they had to move the tee box back a few feet into their backyard, in turn they got a few feet of new backyard to the right of the house.  We chatted briefly and then we went about teeing off and moving into the fairway.  In that moment I felt welcomed into the Port Townsend community, yes it was a brief meeting, but you get a gut feeling in those short exchanges.  Combined  with the group I was playing with, the energy in the pro shop, and taking in Camas Prairie’s story, it felt right.

With the pond still on our right as we worked our way around the fairway Bob shared with me that all the bird houses placed around the pond came from a recent high school project to encourage various birds to nest and breed locally.  It was very clear to me, the friends of Port Townsend were very focused on not only saving the course, but also bringing the entire park back to the natural state it once was in.  The effort isn't so much about how do we minimize the natural and wild environment to save the course, but more like how do they increase and sustain the natural environment and wind a golf course through it.  

Hole 4

It was inevitable that politics popped up during the round.  After all this is a David and Goliath story between the non-profit group and the city, and I won’t go into much detail about it, but... it’s a classic case of both sides agreeing to a plan, and then unrealistic demands and revisions to said plans created by Golith-The City have sent the grand plan sideways.

You never like hearing about these things,

but like always, we are not surprised when they come up. 

The good news for team Camas Prairie Park is they are in constant motion, calling for support on issues brought up at the City meetings, finding proof cases to support their findings, and always reaching out to the local community for support.  It’s early, and this non-profit group knows it’s going to be an uphill battle, but so far they have been able to adjust to the changing course conditions, hit solid approach shots to the green, and putt for birdie every time. Ok, maybe a golf idiom doesn’t work so well there, but you get it, bottom line, they have been able to hit any curve balls thrown at them so far. Yeah, a baseball idiom works better.

Holes 5 and 6

If you ever needed a visual of what the Friends of Port Townsend are fighting for just take the short walk between the 4th and 5th holes.  You walk on the same grounds that the local Native Americas tribes traversed so many years ago. 

At arms length you walk right by an persevered acre of prehistoric Camas Prairie, which once was everywhere.  Then you see the 5th and 6th fairways and the way they contoured down and up with views out to a lake and the mountains.  If you squint and use your imagination you can see the rows and rows of houses the city wants to put on those two fairways. 

And in the simplest terms that would destroy the golf course and in turn the entire park.  I was told the city’s solution would be to re-route the 5 and 6th holes, which could be done in theory, that is if you over look lack of space in the park for the revision. Plus the amount of landscape re-design would destroy all the significant historical landmarks this group is trying to preserve.  

Holes 7, 8, and 9

Community, Community, Community, did I mention community.  Moving through the 7 and 8 hole Tim shared a story about not having enough money for a ball picker tractor for the driving range.  The range is a source of revenue for the course so they need the driving range, but they also have to pick up those balls…what is a non-profit strapped for funds do…enter the "Range Wranglers.”  This group of individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities volunteer every Thursday afternoon and pick up the balls. The "Range Wrangler's" are just part of a volunteer network that averages one thousand volunteer hours a month. How about that for community effort.

Two other efforts are in the works to bring the strong hiking community and artistic community to the golf course for other reasons besides playing golf.  Hiking trails that weave throughout Port Townsend are being extended through the golf course to meet other hiking trails. For movie lovers the driving range creates a natural amphitheater like bowl, and it could be the site of the annual Port Townsend film festival.

As I mentioned earlier, this trip had a little different feel to it.  I realized I have not talked much about golf.  We did play, and the course is holding up nicely.  It’s got some really fun holes, some with “run forever” sloped fairways, blind shots that you will need some local knowledge to navigate, and there's an abundance of wilflife to gaze upon

.

This round wasn’t a scoring round for me, however Tim, who has played here since he was 9 years old, was trying to break his own personal course record, I don’t remember what score that was, but he didn’t get it on this day.  Bob, and I’m sorry I have forgotten Bob’s playing partners name, were sharing with me so many course projects, plans, and potential, that I hope they had a chance to enjoy the round.

The round took about 3 and half hours to play 9 holes.  And like Foxburg Country Club, this had nothing to do with pace of play.  I was being led on a real golf journey, with historic context mixed with future goals. 

We stopped to meet people, fellow volunteers, neighbors along the way, we lingered in areas to appreciate the views and wildlife..  I have yet to see an effort like, this to bring the community to the course, to inform the locals of this park, and their willingness to share the effort needed to keep Camas Prairie Park open for years to come.

Oh, I forgot one last thing.  First Sunday in the Park is a monthly community service where the golf course closes at noon and opens to the community to come out and explore the park, take in some music, get some food, and if you want to, hit a few golf balls at the range.  I can’t think of any golf course that would close a course to golfers and let people come and just hang out, I wish more would do that.  Imagine the increase of parklands we would have available to us, maybe some day we could have a picnic on the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach. well, maybe not there…but for now, go to Camas Prairie Park on the first Sunday of the Month and grab some food. 

Stroll along the golf course, you might pass Maisie working so don’t forget to say hi, take a nice walk down the fairway, and enjoy the view.  You won’t regret it.