As a general rule, family farmers are known to be prudent. Because they are constantly investing their own money, family farmers must be prudent. Each dollar spent, whether for new equipment, additional workers or more land, must be justified. Does it improve the bottom line?
The Gebbers Family, who are now in their second century of running the family-owned Gebbers Farms, Brewster, Wash. decided to venture into a new business, golf, more than 10 years ago.
The Gebbers family opened a golf course in 2014, named a href=”https://www.gamblesands.com/”>Gamble Sands/a>. Kidd designed it on two hundred pristine acres of sand high above the Columbia River. Kidd created a golf course that was incredibly entertaining. The Gebbers Family opened it in 2014, and named it Gamble Sands. The Gebbers family complemented the course with a small and unpretentious clubhouse. They are proud farmers who work their land. They don’t build obscene 50,000-square foot clubhouses, with valet parking or an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the back.
Gebbers gestures toward the land surrounding him, saying “It starts here.” In a beautiful video tribute for the late Danny Gebbers – perhaps the most significant figure in the history of the family – Gebbers says, “It begins here.” This anchors you right here. … No salesman, no advertisement, no guy on a cellphone, no tweets. Here is what determines everything.”
Gebbers Farms is a global company that grew out of the fertile land in the region. It turns out that the same fertile land produced a golfing adventure. Danny Gebbers passed away a few months before Gamble Sands was opened.
Gamble Sands was a “must-play” course that attracted golfers across the Pacific Northwest, and even further. It is currently ranked No. Golfweek’s Resort Courses ranking currently places it at No. 18 and the public-access list, no. 22. The public-access list places it at No. 22.
Rob Jordan, a Florida-based Golfweek course rating expert, said that Gamble Sands reminded of Pennard in Wales – the so-called “links on the sky”.
Jordan said, “It is a really impressive setting there on the bluff.” He played the course three times at the Golfweek Rater Cup in 2021. The course became more interesting the more you played. There were many different ways to play the course. You could bounce and run up the ball, or take different routes from tee-to-green.
It’s an excellent match-play course due to all of the options that it offers.”
Gamble Sands customers have a great appreciation for its first golf course. In fact, the Gebbers family has had a difficult time keeping up with the demand for new courses. The resort will open the par-3 QuickSands course in 2021, which has a 14-hole layout. It is ranked as the No. Golfweek’s list of short courses ranked the resort at No. 17.
Jim Gibbons, who rated the course for Golfweek in June, said: “It was a wonderful experience!” QuickSands was a welcome afternoon destination for Gibbons and his 20-person group following their six-hour journey from Portland. “I’ve never had so much fun on a par-3 course for a long time. It was delightful. “Everybody had a great time with that.”
The resort is still buzzing with activity, even though it has just closed for the winter. The Barn is a new restaurant with a capacity of 250 people. The opening of 40 double king rooms will take place next year, more than doubling the number of available beds.
All of this is necessary for the opening in 2025 of Kidd’s second 18 hole course. Kidd has said that he has finished shaping the course and grassed five of its holes.
Blake Froling is the resort’s General Manager. He noted that the links-style terrain and fescue grass distinguish the golf experience at the resort from other regional competitors.
There is enough consumer demand for Kidd to build a second 18-hole course on the property. Bookings for groups are usually made at least 10 months ahead of time, with an average stay of two nights. Froling stated that they fully expected the number of guests to rise by a full night once the second course opened.
Kidd says the second course is built on land that he had originally hoped to use for the first. At the time, however, it was still being farmed, and there was an overhead powerline. Gamble Sands was so successful that the family decided to relocate the farm and bury the powerline underground.
Kidd praises the land with an architect’s high praise. He said that the course was a “cool piece of dirt” with sand terrain and more drama along the waterfront than his first course.
Kidd’s philosophy of design is centered on playability, and that will not change with the new course. However, he does expect scoring to become more difficult.
Kidd stated, “We knew that Gamble’s confidence on the tee was a trademark for them. We worked hard to keep that.” It’s a totally different style of bunker. The sand is not arranged in long, linear lines like on the first golf course. The sand is more scattered throughout the course. The courses are smaller, more complex and probably more guarded.
“I would say that the second shot is harder, and the greens smaller. There’s also more contour. You can miss the greens and still recover. “But I’m expecting people to say that the second course is harder.”
Danny Gebbers, in his tribute video recalled an earlier time when the land around Brewster was sold for 50 cents per acre. It’s now almost worthless, thanks to the family’s agriculture and golf businesses. Gebbers’ philosophy is similar to that of Ben Hogan who once said, “the secret lies in the dirt.”
Gebbers say: “It starts here (on the Land). This is why we do it. “End of story”
