With a name like Blue Boy West Golf Course, you just have to check it out. Like the song says…
What a difference a day makes
24 little hours
Brought the sun and the birdies
Where there used to be rain (and bogeys)
Standing on the blue tee box (have to play the blues here) at Hole #1, all I saw were two long rows of parallel trees as far as I could see down the fairway. A quick glance at the scorecard showed a sharp dogleg right at this 321 yard par 4. If you are looking for a good score to start your round, it is imperative to reach the bend in the fairway. So choose your tee box accordingly. Even if you expertly execute your first shot, there are a few small trees and bushes that could cause an issue with your second shot. And if you are wild right, there is a cattail-filled pond that I’m sure has spoiled a good start to many rounds.
When was the last time you saw a par 3 ranked as the number one handicap hole? Today may have been my first time at the second hole. It’s 160 yards with tree trouble left; bunker front right; and…a bush in the middle of the green – you read that correctly…a bush. This par 3 has some character! Hole #3 can be a slicers nightmare. The 147 yard par 3 has a pond, trees, and a road to the right. I like it – consecutive, fun par 3s!
224 yards! That’s the distance of the par 4 fourth hole. However standing on the tee box I would need a perfect shot (and I mean perfect) to find the green with my drive. That perfect shot would be a low screamer that found the ground as it approached the trunk of the protruding tree at the turn, then climb the hill to find the front part of the green. A more powerful, low-handicap golfer “might” be able to take a lofted iron to find the green, but the more prudent play is to find the fairway (its narrow); chip on in two; and putt for birdie. Or in my case putt for par.
Hole #5 has a slight curve to the right and if you hit the mound at the turn it might help accelerate your ball toward the green. The terrain by the green has a defined right to left slope. If your ball settles too far left, you will be playing your shot from a deep crater. The passageway to Hole #6 takes you through a corridor of bushes to an elevated tee box. Just follow the curve of the fairway to the left and you’ll eventually find the green at this par 4. However if you are too far left, you might find the pond that is next to the putting surface.
Hole #7 is 301 yards with a slight curve to the right. If you take the time to study the scorecard (I didn’t), you’ll see that they have given you the yardage to the pond – 233 yards. The green is well guarded by bunkers to the left and behind, and trees to the right. You’ll find another first-rate design at Hole #8. There is a blind tee shot, so just take aim at the 150 yard marker. Once over the crest of the hill, it’s all downhill to a gully (252 yards) that you can play from if you can find your ball – I could not! Another fun hole! The ninth hole finishes with an uphill, over a reed-filled gully, par 3 of 134 yards.
Rating – Ace (50 out of 60): It’s not a long course, but it is a fun one. The staff was welcoming and friendly; the course was in good shape; and the routing and design is excellent. You can understand why Washington is called the Evergreen State. The course is filled with large green trees. And the name? It is named after the prize hog (Blue Boy) in the 1945 movie State Fair. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
This was the last stop of the Golfing the Islands of the Pacific Northwest trip. The aforementioned song, What a Difference a Day Makes, had the perfect lyrics to the last two days of the trip.
27927 Florence Acres Road, Monroe, WA 98272; 360-793-2378; www.blueboywest.com
