Hey, in Walla, I’ll See You in Walla Walla

Walla Walla used to mean five hours in a charter bus filled with sweaty, stinky athletes a couple times a year. We’d make the trek from Wenatchee - seemingly at a snail’s pace - to take on the Blue Devils of Walla Walla, usually making for looooooong days and late nights, especially after basketball games. Just my luck that I’d meet, date, and marry a girl with ties to the area (her mom lives in the town so nice they named it twice). But I’m actually glad to be here right now - and even more glad to be on a course.

I haven’t played a ton east of the mountains since moving to the Seattle area (save for rounds at Gamble, Palouse Ridge, and Wine Valley) - but Veteran’s Memorial in Walla Walla is as close to the golf I played growing up as I’ve had since my days at Three Lakes. Firm and fast, pretty good shape for a course that it seems is always death watch, and quirky - it has a railroad line running through the middle of it (think it’s most disused, though).

Moving to Walla Walla this summer while we renovate our house in Woodway is something I’m really glad we’re doing - not just for the sake of not living in a torn apart house - but because I’m excited for spending more time with the kids in a place that sort of like where I grew up (Wenatchee, WA).

The clubhouse is a long, low, unassuming building with a great veranda (it’s a deck… but veranda sounds so much cooler) overlooking the 9th, 18th and practice greens. Rates are incredibly well priced compared to what I’m used to on Seattle munis. Today (Tuesday), they had a guy with a fire truck turned mobile pizza oven outside firing up pies in the 85° heat (Turns out Murray’s is there for an extended time).

The round was, to be frank, unremarkable… I walked up to the first tee after only deciding to play 9 while literally standing at the register in the shop and cold topped one that somehow rolled out to like 150 down the dry slope. My second shot, a 7iron from about 160 out clipped the top of the tree between me and the green, landing it short and in the giant bunker guarding the green. My shot from the sand flew the green and I had to chip back on before burying a 6 foot putt for bogey. And things stayed about the same for the remainder of the round, until about the 7th hole where I was finally feeling warmed up. Ended with pars on 8 and 9 and got the heck out of there and into the air con as I’m just not used to this heat (it was only 85°).

Luke - finally - was taking full-on swings at the ball, which is awesome to see. We’ve been working on quieting his feet and when he puts it all together, it’s really cool.

While there will be many rounds at Wine Valley and Walla Walla Country Club this summer, I’m especially stoked for the rounds at Veteran’s Memorial with Luke and hopefully the rest of the fam.

It might be hundreds of miles from “my” muni, but it felt like home… and that’s all that matters.

Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/track/4Kk6O5Q7UAgxP0QwyES72F?si=5BW9_pZfTBSeP6DQLj2yYw