The trio of Salish Cliffs, Chambers Bay and The Home Course create an emerging golf destination south of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest

SHELTON, Wash. – Discovering a great new golf course is a rare find these days.

Nobody in their right mind is building them. But, trust me, Salish Cliffs Golf Club (see photo above) is one welcome addition to the Pacific Northwest.

Playing the Gene-Bates-designed course, which opened late last summer, has made my latest trip to Seattle-Tacoma a memorable one.

In 2009, I got my first taste of Chambers Bay, the pseudo links by Robert Trent Jones Jr. on the shores of the Puget Sound. On that trip, I reviewed both Chambers Bay and The Home Course, the two sites for the 2010 U.S. Amateur. This week, I got a second crack at The Home Course, which is much improved. When I last visited, the course was still tinkering with its sod-wall bunkers. Today, they’re just as good as the new pots I encountered on Ballyliffin’s Glashedy Course in Ireland the week prior. The view of the snow-capped Mount Rainier is nothing short of breathtaking on a sunny, clear day (yes, Washington does have clear days. No snide remarks about the weather, please).

It’s hard to imagine that just five short years ago this emerging golf destination wasn’t even born yet, let alone on the radar for golfers. Chambers Bay and the Home Course both opened in 2007. Both courses are within a 45-minute drive of Salish Cliffs. Combining the three would make a great golf weekend for anybody. They’re all so different.

While Chambers Bay and The Home Course offer some links characteristics, Salish Cliffs is pure Pacific Northwest. It’s loaded with views of majestic evergreens and pines. The turf is lush and green. The natural setting is void of man-made intrusions. I’ll save the rest for my upcoming story on the course, but a stay at the Little Creek Casino Resort would be a great idea for buddies who love golf. There are several fine restaurants at the resort, a new cigar bar, the casino, a spa that just opened this week and the convenience of a strong new course just a short shuttle ride up the hill.

Not bad for a golf destination still in its infancy.