Bandon North? A new golf destination is coming to the Pacific Northwest

The unicorn, a creature once confined to fairy tales, has moved into the real world of adults. It’s long been a household name in tech, shorthand for a private startup worth more than a billion dollars.

Recently, the “unicorn” has found a place in golf design, too.

David McLay Kidd used the term earlier this week when talking about his latest project, announced Wednesday: River Ranch Golf Resort, an area under construction in southwest Washington. “The moment I first set foot on the property of River Ranch, I knew I had found another unicorn,” he said in a statement accompanying the news.

Of course, no architect has ever spoken negatively about the site they were hired to design. But this seems legitimately interesting.

Perched on the bluffs of the Snake River near Pasco, the property has features that are the catnip of architecture buffs: ample movement, sweeping vistas and sandy soil perfect for fescue. Ancient floods carved the landscape and winds around the river’s channel – elements McLay Kidd said he plans to factor into his route, which is scheduled to begin in August 2027.

The project comes amid developments in the golf course, particularly high-end resorts and private clubs. It also deepens the Scottish-born architect’s ties to the Pacific Northwest, which began building more than a century ago with the Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast. That property was a unicorn in itself. Many in the business thought developer Mike Keiser’s plans for a wilderness resort were too far-fetched to stand a chance. McLay Kidd then put down roots in the Pacific Northwest, settling in Bend, Ore., where he added Tetherow to his resume. Now, he’s back in a rare location four hours north.

Behind River Ranch stands a group of home owners. Their concept of the collection includes overnight accommodations in guest houses, a clubhouse with river views, and a residential section. KemperSports, which has owned Bandon Dunes since the beginning, will handle operations.

Like most architects these days, McLay Kidd has been busy. Among his other duties: attending the new course at Streamsong, a yet-to-be-named facility that will sit next to the Black Course and open later this year.

“The older I get, the more selective I get,” McLay Kidd said this week. “With more studies behind me than before, I’m looking more at those unique sites and opportunities.”

Unicorns, that is.

3 Things I think about

50 songs to stream: Actually, not 50. But with the 18-hole fourth course in the works at Streamsong, I can’t help but wonder what color will be chosen as the name. It has to be the color, right? That would make a lot of sense, given that the other three biggies of the resort are Red, Blue and Black. Again, when I expressed as much to the Kemper manager (who owns Streamsong), he smiled and said: “Who knows? Maybe we’ll go with something completely different.”

It is possible. But I doubt it. Like swinging a golf club, naming a course leads to overthinking. But in the end, it usually comes back to the basics. For example, consider what Pinehurst honcho Tom Pashley told me when I asked him how the resort names its courses: “I always joke that we hire expensive pros and decide to name the next courses in that order.”

In its latest course, Pinehurst went with “No. 11.” With that in mind, it seems reasonable to predict that at the ribbon cutting later this year, we will be presented in Streamsong Green.

What is in this word? With the PGA Tour in the California desert this week, I’ve been scrolling for golf news in the Palm Springs area. This thing caught my eye: Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta, former host of the Skins Game that was renovated last year has a newly launched restaurant, Kitchen Ten Eleven. Do they think they’re Pinehurst, naming an amusement park after a number? Actually, it’s not. The name has local roots. It’s a nod to the 1,011 homes within the Trilogy community, whose owners overwhelmingly voted in favor of the building’s redevelopment.

PGA Show No Show. Again. The PGA Merchandise Show is in its 73rd year. I am in my 58th year, more than half of which I have spent in the golf industry. Odd, then, that it’s a big shindig and I never went over. I’m not sure if this should be a source of pride or embarrassment, but I’m a PGA Show virgin. I’ve never been there, done that. And this week, as another meeting takes place in Orlando, I continue my non-play. Some colleagues tell me that I am lucky; others say I miss it. In any case, I have spies at the convention center this week who will be scouting for a vacation spot for me. I will share any news from their reports.