- The Turn
- Posts
- Best New Golf Course of 2025
Best New Golf Course of 2025
This one has to be the winner...
Noah Miller
August 19, 2025
Gamble Sands in Brewster Washington is a MUST VISIT. Earlier this month we flew into Spokane and drove 2 and a half hours East to the small town of Brewster. A gas station, a McDonalds, and two world class golf courses (and a 14-hole par-3 course) surrounded by orchards are all that are present there. But that’s all you’re going to need.
Gamble Sands
The entire course overlooks the Columbia River
I am just going to come right out and say it, Gamble Sands has been my favorite golf course that I have played this year, and I have played some pretty dang cool courses.
There aren’t many places that let you walk off 18 and feel like you want to run it back immediately. Gamble Sands is one of them.
From the first tee, it feels wide open. Like the course is inviting you to take the driver out and just swing. Miss a little left? You’re fine. Push one right? You’ll probably still find it. That forgiveness, paired with greens that roll beautifully and views of the Columbia River around nearly every corner, makes it one of the most fun golf experiences we’ve ever had.
It’s the kind of course where your buddy who shoots 95 and your friend chasing 70 can both walk off smiling.
Scarecrow
Scarecrow has a different feel
Walking onto Scarecrow, you can tell right away that it isn’t Gamble Sands 2.0. The front 9, I would argue, has 0 resemblance. A true links style layout where at some parts we didn’t know which flag we were going for right away.
I would also say Scarecrow is a bit tougher. There are more spots to miss, greens are a little smaller, and recovering from a bad tee shot isn’t as forgiving as Gamble. All that being said, fairways are still wide and this track is very scoreable.
The back 9 is some of the best stretch of golf we’ve played anywhere. Additional views of the Columbia River with valleys and canyons added that just give additional depth and personality to the sister course. The two 9’s feel like entirely different courses themselves.
Gamble Sands itself was arguably worth the travel to Brewster alone, with the addition of Scarecrow, it makes it a no-brainer. While I did put the OG course #1 on my list for the year, scarecrow is nipping at it’s heals at #2. It will be no surprise when it wins best new golf course of 2025.
We couldn’t recommend a Trip to Gamble more. They have fantastic accommodations and food on-site as well, so when you arrive, there’s really no reason to leave.
