Jeff Marsh
Brian Oar
Patrick Koenig
Brian Oar
Brian Oar
Brian Oar
Gamble Sands: Scarecrow
Gamble Sands: Scarecrow
200 Sands Trail Road
Brewster, WA 98812
United States
Telephone
Overview
The second course at Gamble Sands, called Scarecrow as a tribute to the figures warding off scavengers from the resort’s apple orchards, was designed to be a little more frightening than the original Sands Course that opened in 2014. The first course is rife with thrilling diagonal drives across ravines and sand caverns, but the greens and fairways play mostly on a level grade, albeit one with alluring views across central Washington State’s vast Columbia River Valley. Scarecrow’s holes slalom up and down over significant elevation changes of up to 70 feet. Two-thirds of the layout was routed across flat agricultural pivot circles so those elevations were created by David McLay Kidd’s crews imagining what an authentic broken landscape might have once looked like. The all-fescue course plays with considerable speed and the greens and surrounds show aggressive contouring, and the best way to achieve a good score is to be proficient at controlling the ball along the ground.
About
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Scarecrow is the newest addition to the Gamble Sands resort. Opening in August of 2025, the course has not yet matured in terms of turf conditions particularly the fairways and especially the greens. However, it is expected to be as well conditioned as Gamble Sands in a few years, which is in excellent shape. The course has numerous blind shots both off the tee and on approach shots. The course is difficult to navigate without having a caddy or having played it several times before, both of which are unlikely for resort/destination play. There is GPS on the carts, but nothing is available for walkers. It is a roller coaster experience compared to the friendly temperament of its older brother Gamble Sands and I’m not sure the extreme contrast is completely successful, but it is definitely worth the ride."
Read More2025
Review
“The Gamble Sands property is difficult to get to, but worth the trek! Two great courses plus a fun 14-hole par three course. The accommodations are nice, but food options are limited. Make sure to check out the 18-hole putting course as well!"
Read More2025
Review
“Scarecrow is a nice addition to the Gamble Sands property. Interesting holes, great views, and good routing with a lot of variety. The conditions are fast and firm, but the grass is thin in spots due to the newness of the course. As the course fills in, the conditions will improve and be similar to the Sands course. The course as several blind tee shots, so playing it more than once will benefit the golfer."
Read More2025
Review
“BEST NEW COURSE: Mr. Kidd has done it again by crafting an exceptional layout from an undulating landscape that takes advantage of the topography but while providing the player with unique hole designs and challenges. Surprisingly - or maybe not so much - is that Scarecrow is decidedly different from the Sands course, but also ascribes to some of the same design principals used by the architect. Overall, Scarecrow offers the player a plethora of opportunities and challenges from the very first to the last hole and it is known by players to want to identify a "signature hole" for courses that they play, but one would be hard pressed to name one for this course as there are at least 12 and maybe more that one might call the hole by that name. The long and the short of it is this - traveling to Scarecrow is a bit of a challenge in that it is located about as far into the NW corner of country that one can be, but it is well worth the trip as Mr. Kidd has once again proved himself to be one of the best in the business."
Read More2025
Review
“Scarecrow is a new course at Gamble Sands from David McLay Kidd Design. Some really good shot options both off the tee and into greens e.g. Hole 2 Par 3 either fly onto the green or run up from the bank on the right, Hole 5 Par 4 drivable but off tee waste area is angled to make carry longer closer to the green, Hole 10 Par 4 downhill, you can challenge the right and the waste area to get the speed slot, Hole 12 Par 5 reachable in two but if brave enough can cut distance to second part of fairway on right surrounded by waste areas. In terms of fun, this is a very fun golf course with drivable Par 4s and reachable Par 5s, it is more challenging than the Sands course so maybe less fun for higher handicaps. Challenge is certainly higher than the Sands course, greens have some pretty severe slopes but fairways are wide and ball runs a long way off the tee, and some Par 4s are drivable, so for a single digit player that lowers the challenge a bit. Layout variety was high, no two holes were alike, plenty of uphill and downhill and left or right doglegs. Aesthetics is very high, this is a unique peice of land with dramatic elevation changes and some outstanding views of the Columbia River that add pleasure to the round e.g. Hole 11 Par 3 is on a saddle peninsula over-looking the river. This is a new course that only opened 2 months ago, therefore some of the turf is still growing in places with a few bare spots on fairways and greens, however the fairways rolled very fast and firm, the greens were fast and true but as expected for a new course greens were very hard and not receptive( e.g. there were no pitchmarks!)....so conditioning was judged on on the well grassed areas and assuming that next year the greens with play more like the sister Sands course. The course had high character and had many unique characteristics e.g. big elevation changes on Hole 14 a Par 4 that plays 500 yds, slightly uphill from tee then down a massive slope to the green that would not be out of place at a ski resort. Overall, the unique land gives it character, and it has the feel of Bandon Dunes but with more elevation changes. Overall, the Scarecrow course is a great addition to the Gamble Sands Resort with increased challenge compared to the Sands course, great views and a couple of spectular Par 3s e.g. Hole 11 on a saddle peninsular over-looking the Columbia River and Hole 16 which is 205 yds over a huge waste area - well worth a golf trip to experience Scarecrow."
Read More2025
Review
“Scarecrow is a new course at Gamble Sands from David McLay Kidd Design. Some really good shot options both off the tee and into greens e.g. Hole 2 Par 3 either fly onto the green or run up from the bank on the right, Hole 5 Par 4 drivable but off tee waste area is angled to make carry longer closer to the green, Hole 10 Par 4 downhill, you can challenge the right and the waste area to get the speed slot, Hole 12 Par 5 reachable in two but if brave enough can cut distance to second part of fairway on right surrounded by waste areas. In terms of fun, this is a very fun golf course with drivable Par 4s and reachable Par 5s, it is more challenging than the Sands course so maybe less fun for higher handicaps. Challenge is certainly higher than the Sands course, greens have some pretty severe slopes but fairways are wide and ball runs a long way off the tee, and some Par 4s are drivable, so for a single digit player that lowers the challenge a bit. Layout variety was high, no two holes were alike, plenty of uphill and downhill and left or right doglegs. Aesthetics is very high, this is a unique peice of land with dramatic elevation changes and some outstanding views of the Columbia River that add pleasure to the round e.g. Hole 11 Par 3 is on a saddle peninsula over-looking the river. This is a new course that only opened 2 months ago, therefore some of the turf is still growing in places with a few bare spots on fairways and greens, however the fairways rolled very fast and firm, the greens were fast and true but as expected for a new course greens were very hard and not receptive( e.g. there were no pitchmarks!)....so conditioning was judged on the well grassed areas and assuming that next year the greens will play more like the sister Sands course. The course had high character and had many unique characteristics e.g. big elevation changes on Hole 14 a Par 4 that plays 500 yds, slightly uphill from tee then down a massive slope to the green that would not be out of place at a ski resort. Overall, the unique land gives it character, and it has the feel of Bandon Dunes but with more elevation changes. Overall, the Scarecrow course is a great addition to the Gamble Sands Resort with increased challenge compared to the Sands course, great views and a couple of spectular Par 3s e.g. Hole 11 on a saddle peninsular over-looking the Columbia River and Hole 16 which is 205 yds over a huge waste area - well worth a golf trip to experience Scarecrow."
Read More2025
Review
“David Kidd gives you plenty of opportunities to use the lay of the land to move your ball around the Scarecrow course. Generous fairways and punch bowl surrounds makes the course very playable. Vistas around the property are as good as a course can get without being on the ocean."
Read More2025
Review
“This course is new to review and has a lot of growth and maturity upcoming. The views are unreal and could easily snap a hundred pictures as each hole was very appealing to the eyes. Because there were no caddy's and no yardage books or maps it was tough at times to understand where we were going as there were shots that look different from the tee vs to the green. I do think playing it a second time really helps you understanding the shots!!! The par three 11th was awesome, and the 12th and 13th holes were fantastic. The 14th had such a severe downhill i actually putted my second shot 143 yards which was crazy. The craziest hole was the drivable 18 as it is a true risk reward hole and a great way to finish!! This course allows you to play with a ton of imagination and you need to bring a lot of creativity around the greens. The reason I graded it higher than normal for a new course was the way the course plays and the fun people will have with it. If Gamble Sands is a walk in the park this is the much stouter and tougher brother to it. Good shots will get rewarded but you cannot let up. As this course matures it will be better and better!!!"
Read More2025
Review
“Massive wide open fairways are very driver friendly. Few risk reward holes allow for ease of scoring. Severe slopes funnel many shots to the same areas. Firm condition on fairways and greens. Resort focus is purely golf."
Read More2025
Review
“David McLay Kidd produced another super-fun, playable, golf course loaded with shot options. Scarecrow is more of a frollicking adventure than its sister course at Gamble Sands. When conditions are firm several par 4s and par 5s can be reached for an eagle attempt."
Read More2025
