TREE
| APPLE
TREE |
INFORMATION | |
| Location | Yakima, Washington | |
| Date Opened | July 1992 | |
| Date Played | Various | |
| Review Date | 09/11/2002 | |
| Phone Number | 509-966-5877 | |
| Web Site | www.appletreegolf.com |
| Introduction |
| I have played Apple Tree a couple of times during the heat of the summer
and it was hot All pictures
were taken with a Olympus D-460 Digital Camera in 1280x960 SHQ mode. Some
minor editing cleanup was done. The pictures were sized down/compressed
to 640x480 for web display purposes. If anyone wants more full blow pictures
of any of the shots feel free to drop me an email. This page may be tweaked over
the next few days but I wanted to get something out there now.
Apple Tree is a fairly open course with not a lot of trees, as typical of courses in Eastern Washington. Situated slightly south of Yakima main, Apple Tree has over 50 sand bunkers and 8 water holes, as well is the famous apple shaped island green 17. There is starting to be some housing development on some of the holes, but this is not a course lined with houses at every turn. The course can play as long or as short as you want. Ranging from about 5428 yards from the red tees up to over 6892 from the blacks. There is a nice clubhouse facility/restaurant which even has showers, which after a hot summer day you may be happy about. They also have rooms upstairs to handle tournament banquets and the like. There is also a beverage/snack cart that drives around in season selling eats and drinks. The practice range is way across the street, not especially close to the clubhouse and is grass. |
| Greens |
| The greens can be fast and slick if cut down and dried out, which is often the case in summer. When I played the greens were slower than I would have expected, yet in good shape. Some of the greens are pretty good size. None of them are very small. |
| Hazards |
| Bunkers are present with about 60 spread around. There is a good mix of fairway and green side bunkers. There are various places you can go OB on the course boundaries or where some of the newer developments are taking place, but OB is not a major feature of the course. There is no in course OB. Water or marked red or yellow hazards come into play on many holes and I'd have to say besides sand, water is the major hazard at Apple Tree. The intermediate rough isn't too tough, but there are a few places of deeper stuff if you venture too far off the beaten track. |
| Fairways |
| The fairways were in good shape and reasonably close cut. If the course isn't over watered you can get some decent roll. The fairways are also somewhat generous in width but you still can't be totally wild. |
| Lost Ball Factor |
| Water hazards are the main way you will lose balls here so bring a few extra. |
| Terrain/Elevations/Walking vs. Riding |
| Terrain is basically flat with a few hills, elevated tees and such. This is definitely NOT a mountain goat type of layout however nearly everyone rides, not only due to the heat, but also due to the fact that there are some long distances between some of the greens and next tees. |
| My favorite aspects |
| The apple hole is cute. The layout is good, but nothing really stands out for me. I guess the greens are pretty true and putt well. |
| Negatives |
| Long walk from some greens to tees make this not a good walking course. A few holes are gimmicky, in
particular number 17 the apple hole (gimmicky but harmless) and the somewhat goofy 18 a par 5. Also if
playing in summer drink plenty of fluids. One day we played it was 105
degrees. Also houses have/are continuing to be built on some holes, in
particular on the back nine. The course is a bit on the pricey side as well, costing $60 on the weekend not including a cart ($75 with a cart).
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| Final Thoughts |
| I play in a weekly golf league. We have often over the past 4 years had our end of the season tournament here. It is fun/different that what we usually play. There is good hole variety, but the course is overpriced and the lack of being able to walk the course realistically is a problem for me personally. |
| Apple Tree Scorecard | ||||
| Tee | Yards | Par | Rating | Slope |
| Black | 6882 | 72 | 73.3 | 129 |
| Blue | 6618 | 72 | 72.0 | 127 |
| White | 6311 | 72 | 70.7 | 124 |
| Gold | 5857 | 72 | 68.0 | 118 |
| Red | 5428 | 72 | 72.0 | 124 |
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The 1st hole is a pretty straight forward. You tee from a highly elevated tee to a fairly flat fairway which starts to go slightly uphill to the green. There is a fairway trap in the left elbow of the slight dog leg left and greenside bunkers guarding the left and right. |
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The 2nd hole is and uphill par 3 and do anything but go left. The green is large and deep and there are a couple of bunkers off on the left side. Pin position on this hole can make a lot of difference. |
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Number 3 is a fairly routine par 5 with an apple orchard down the left as well as a fairway bunker down the right. Two more fairway traps come into play on the 2nd shot and the green is guarded by two more traps. |
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Number 4 is probably the toughest hole on the course. A rather pronounced dog leg right with a bunker in the right arm pit. If you drive too good straight you could go through the fairway. Approach is over a valley up to a green guarded by bunkers right and left. |
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Number 5 is a medium length par 4 where you tee off out of a chute of trees. The fairway kicks right to left. There are fairway bunkers left and right as well as a pond way down on the left, which depending on your length and choice of tee box may be reachable off the tee for the long hitters. The water also extends all the way down the left side to the green and behind the green. Fortunately no bunkers guard the green. |
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Number 6 is a medium length par 3 over water. This hole tends to play longer than one may think. Don't under club and favor the left side. There is also water over the green and a bunker left, but anything is better than getting wet. |
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Number 7 is a shortish par 4 but there is water to contend
with potentially both off the tee and on your approach. From the white tee the
water creeps in somewhere around 270 off the tee. There is also a fairway
bunker on the right which is 237 to carry from the whites. Approach is over
the water to a wide but somewhat shallow green.
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Number 8 is a decent length par 4 with a couple of fairway bunkers out in the landing area. There is a small ditch down the left side as well as OB further left. The green is bunker less however so if you get by the initial trouble the approach is not too difficult. |
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Number 9 is a par 4 dogleg right over a big lake. Bite off as much as you dare. To further make it interesting there are two fairway bunkers out to the left. The approach is uphill to a green guarded by bunkers right and left. |
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Number 10 is across the road north of the clubhouse. The wind seems to blow more on holes 10-15 until you return over by the clubhouse for the last 3 holes. Nothing fancy here. Blast away and avoid the fairway bunker on the right. On the approach there is a pond to hit over guarding the front left of the green. There is a small bail out area to the right. |
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Number 11 no nonsense straight away par 4. The only real hazards to contend with are two fairway traps to the left and a green bunker on the right. If you botched the last hole, this is a good chance for redemption. |
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Number 12 is probably the easiest par 5 on the course. A fairway bunker guards the right tee shot area. . The green itself has two fairway bunkers in the approach area on the left and one guarding the right of the green. |
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Number 13 is pretty much what you see is what you get. Tee over a small pond to a longish/wide green with a bunker guarding the rear. |
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Number 14 is a rather mundane par 5 with a fairway bunker off to the left, and another one off to the right in the 2nd shot landing are. A new pond not shown clearly has been built off to the left which makes the lay-up area more challenging. There is plenty of room to the right over the last bunker. The green is guarded by a bunker on the left. |
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The last hole on the back 40 before crossing back to the clubhouse, the 15th is decent length par 4 with a fairway bunker off on the left as well as the driving range/OB boundary. The hole is a very slight dog leg left. The green is guarded by a bunker on the left. |
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The 16th is an dog leg right from and elevated tee uphill to the green. The bunker in the middle is about 227 to carry from the white tees. The bunkers on the left definitely come into play if you get pull happy. The approach is uphill to a green with bunkers left and right. for those going wild way right there is out of bounds. |
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The 17th is the hole everyone talks about. A shortish par 3 to an island shaped apple green. The green area is quite large, so this is not a difficult of a hole as it could be. A lone bunker guards part of the back. You do not want to be short or over as balls over don't have much room before plunking down wet. Just pick the right club and forget about the water and this hole is a piece of cake. |
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Coming home on 18 is a rather odd par 5. You look out and see water everywhere in front of you and the green up on the hill in the distance. There are as many ways to play this hole as there are balls in the lake. The safe alley is a mid iron up the right side, lay-up in front of the water, and hit your third on. If you dare challenge, you can get inside 200 yards for your 2nd shot. Just don't go left, or hit weak right or you will be wet or sandy. The approach is uphill to a green with an apple shaped dark sand bunker on the left. |
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This Page last updated August 18, 2006
