The Gebbers family, which owns an apple- and cherry-farming empire based in Brewster, Washington, had little connection to golf before founding Gamble Sands a decade ago. However, from watching the rapid success of Mike Keiser’s Bandon Dunes, they understood the power of a core-golf experience to draw wealthy clientele to a remote location. In the early 2010s, the Gebberses hired David McLay Kidd, Bandon’s first architect, to jump-start their own resort on a sandy bluff overlooking the intersection of the Columbia and Okanagan rivers. Kidd was at a turning point in his career, aware that his work in the late aughts at Tetherow and the Castle Course at St. Andrews had earned him a reputation as a designer of difficult, overcooked courses. At Gamble Sands, he reinvented himself as a purveyor of fun and straightforward golf: forgiving fairways, clear-cut risk-reward options, and large greens with helping contours. The design delighted many average golfers, including Keiser himself, who soon tapped Kidd to build the second course at Sand Valley.
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Take Note…
Make an entrance. David McLay Kidd’s first decision at Gamble Sands was where to put the entrance road. Climbing straight up from Highway 17 was the shortest and cheapest option but would have cut through some appealing golf terrain. Ultimately, Kidd advised the Gebbers family to construct a four-and-a-half mile road looping up from the highway and around the back of the property. The extended drive is an appealing part of the Gamble Sands experience today; it builds anticipation and saves the best views for when you exit your car and walk toward the course.
Traffic. Initially, Kidd wanted Gamble Sands to be walking-only, but after spending a few hot summer days on site, he saw that carts would be a necessity. The resort opened with a limited number of carts but quickly found that this small fleet couldn’t accommodate guest demand. Today, according to an employee I spoke with, about 85% of players choose to ride.
Right-hand man. Nick Schaan, who played a key role on the Gamble Sands project, first worked for Kidd during the construction of Huntsman Springs, now known as Tributary, in Idaho. That course opened in 2010, and Schaan has been a fixture on Kidd’s construction sites ever since. Today he is a partner in the firm—the Wagner to Kidd’s Hanse.
