Sun Willows Golf Course

Sun Willows Golf Course sits in Pasco, the largest city in Washington's Tri-Cities region, where the Columbia and Snake Rivers converge in the semi-arid Columbia Basin. Designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened in 1966, the course represents the architect's work during a period when he was establishing municipal and daily-fee layouts throughout the Pacific Northwest and California. Graves, who trained under Alister MacKenzie and practiced extensively in Northern California, brought his understanding of strategic design to public golf facilities that needed to serve a wide range of players. The layout occupies relatively flat terrain characteristic of the Columbia Plateau, with the design relying on strategic bunkering, water features, and mature tree plantings to define holes and create interest in the absence of significant elevation change. The course plays through an irrigated landscape that contrasts sharply with the surrounding desert environment, a common feature of golf in this part of Washington where water management and maintenance practices differ considerably from courses in wetter climates west of the Cascade Range. Sun Willows serves as Pasco's primary municipal golf facility and functions as an accessible option for local golfers in a region where public course options are limited. The course reflects the mid-century approach to public golf design, emphasizing playability and maintenance efficiency while providing a straightforward test that accommodates daily play from residents and visitors exploring the Tri-Cities area.