Course Review
Esmeralda Golf Course
Spokane, Washington
Affectionately Know as Ezzy
AMW Faves List
Favorite Par 3 – #12 – a little elevation is always a welcome to sight.
Favorite Par 4 – #18 – a fun finishing hole to a nice walk in a park.
Favorite Par 5 – #3 – with swales and valleys there is a bit of texture to this par 5
Favorite Hole Design – #12 – a beautiful dogleg to the right.
Easiest Hole – #12 – short and sweet par 3 that won’t cause harm.
Hardest Hole – #15 – a good par 5 that requires a good drive, fairway metal, and approach for a thought of par.
Favorite Extra Sighting – colors in the fall
Favorite Après Golf – walk along the Gonzaga campus.
Where to Stay – Davenport Hotels (Historic or Grand).
Where to Eat –Flying Goat, Mizuna, Iron Goat, Wild Sage, Wooden City, Rüt (Vegan), Rockwood Bakery.
PLAN AHEAD
Course Details
Address: 3933 Courtland Avenue, Spokane, WA 99207
Telephone: +1 (509) 505-4170
Website: my.spokanecity.org
Director of Golf: Rob Sanders
Architect: Frank James
Year Open: 1916
Greens Fees: ⛳️
Yardage: Blue – 6293; White – 5987; White/Gold – 5796; Gold – 5627; Gold/Red – 5258; Red – 5105
What You Need to Know
The Course Uncovered
Discover the story behind the course—from its history and design to the experience of playing it today. Tap the + to expand each section, journey through time, and explore the course one hole at a time.
Beginning in Hillyard at the edge of town,
A Spokane course a part of the crown.
Ezzy is the nickname the locals use,
Teeing off here you win, you never lose.
Near to downtown and Gonzaga too,
A design for to play for me and for you.
Tournaments days have a place here,
History that turns year after year.
Hillyard began not as a neighborhood, but as a necessity.
In 1892, the Great Northern Railway chose a stretch of flat prairie northeast of Spokane for rail yards, machine shops, and a roundhouse to keep trains moving across the northern United States. What had once been known as Horse Plains quickly transformed into something louder, faster, and purposeful. A town followed.
They called it Hillyard, “Hill’s Yard”, after James J. Hill. From the start, everything about the town was tied to the railroad. By 1895, it already held nearly 500 residents, along with hotels, churches, and saloons. It was called a suburb, but it lived like a working town built on long days and steady labor.
As the yards grew, so did Hillyard. Immigrant workers: Italian, Japanese, and others arrived for opportunity and built communities of their own. Neighborhoods formed, cultures took root, and life unfolded alongside the tracks.
But growth has a way of stirring unrest. The clang of steel and hiss of steam did not drown it out, but it carried it. Strikes came like sudden storms. In 1911, union men drew a hard line, refusing to work beside immigrant strikebreakers. Years earlier, Japanese laborers had been housed in boxcars during another labor dispute reducing human lives reduced to cargo, waiting on the edge of someone else’s decision. The yards kept moving, but something beneath them shifted.
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Let’s Play the Course…
Hole 1
Starting at Esmeralda Golf Course, or “Ezzy,” as it’s affectionately known, is as welcoming as a first tee shot can be. It’s a straightforward par 4 that invites you in rather than tests you. Nothing forced. Nothing overthought. Just step up and let it go.
A solid drive sets the tone immediately, leaving only a short iron into a green that appears generous at first glance but subtly crowned at its center. That’s the only real defense here, miss your spot by a little, and the ball will remind you that the surface has its own ideas. But even then, there’s no panic in this opening hole. No need to force anything heroic. The short game is your friend here. A simple bump-and-run, played cleanly and confidently, will bring you right back into position.
It’s the kind of hole that doesn’t demand respect but earns it anyway, quietly, by letting you decide what kind of round you’re about to have.
Hole 2
The second at Esmeralda Golf Course is a touchy little par 3 unassuming at first glance, but just honest enough to keep you alert. It plays slightly uphill, and that elevation is where it quietly earns its bite. The yardage doesn’t look like much on the card, but the climb can steal a bit of distance and confidence if you’re not paying attention. The smart play is simple: take at least one, sometimes two clubs more, especially if the pin is tucked.
There’s room to miss, which is part of its charm. Short is safe, and there’s a little forgiveness left and right, enough to keep the hole from feeling unfair. But like many of the tighter holes at “Ezzy”, it has a shared boundary feel so wayward shots from neighboring lines can find their way into your space. Keep your awareness and be mindful!
Get the number right, commit to the swing, and it becomes exactly what it looks like it should be: a scoring opportunity. Miss the details, and it quietly reminds you that even “simple” holes have a way of asking questions.
Hole 3
Esmeralda Golf Course may not claim the title of Spokane’s most picturesque layout, but what it offers runs deeper than scenery. Steeped in history, it feels like a walk-through time as much as a round of golf.
The course unfolds like a peaceful stroll through a park; comfortable, familiar, and inviting. There’s a quiet challenge here, one that doesn’t overwhelm but instead lingers, leaving lasting impressions shot by shot.
It’s the kind of place where the memories aren’t just made in dramatic moments, but in the rhythm of the round itself; steady, thoughtful, and unmistakably its own. Thank you, Ezzy, for your fortitude and integrity. You are always a joy to experience.
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