Play the Rope Rider golf course, the latest addition to Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington
CLE ELUM, Wash. -- With the challenging Prospector Course already in play at Suncadia Resort, located 80 miles east of Seattle, PGA Tour pro-turned-architect Peter Jacobsen and design partner Jim Hardy built something different, a more playable and walkable loop for all ages and abilities.
The result is the intriguing 7,271-yard Rope Rider Course, a layout capable of challenging single-digit players, yet still lenient and patient with higher handicaps.
Generous fairways accept sprayed tee balls, while open greens allow balls to bounce in and roll toward the hole. Built along the site of historic Roslyn Mines no. 9 and no. 10, Rope Rider is named in honor of the miners who precariously balanced themselves on the roped coal cars that maneuvered the steep mine shafts.
The towering Tipple Hill, a 120-foot pile of coal tailings, frames the tee shot of the long par-4 seventh hole that bends left to right. Jacobsen and Hardy's routing accommodates families with youth tees on every hole and shorter three- and six-hole loops. Couples will especially cherish the end of the round inside the magnificent Swiftwater Cellars. Past the pro shop, there's a winery for tasting and fine dining at the Hoist House.