Yes, we are barely into 2026 but it’s difficult not to look ahead to late 2027 when David McLay Kidd’s new Washington design is unveiled.
River Ranch Golf Resort, which sits along the Snake River near Pasco in the southeastern part of the state, recently announced plans for Kidd’s work.
Closing in on 60 years old, McLay Kidd has gotten to a point in his career where he more selective in his next work.
“With probably more courses behind me than ahead, I look even harder for those unique sites and opportunities,” he said. “When I first set foot on the site for River Ranch, I knew I’d found another unicorn.
“Set high on a bluff overlooking the last reaches of the Snake River before it joins the Columbia, this site has breathtaking views, great contour as well as sand on which to plant my favorite grass, fescue. That fescue will give the firm, fast bounce and roll that makes golf the game we Scots intended.”
The vision for River Ranch stems from a local ownership group, one that grew up boating along Snake River, but also were passionate about golf, architecture and that sense of community. In addition to McLay Kidd’s design, River Ranch will feature a clubhouse that overlooks the Snake River, guest cottages for extended stays and, eventually, real estate offerings.
Grassing of the course is scheduled to begin in May. 2026, with a target opening of August 2027.
McLay Kidd is no stranger to or success in the Pacific Northwest. Included in his design portfolio are Bandon Dunes’ original course that opened in 1999, and Gamble Sands, which is located some three hours north.
