Salish Cliffs Golf Club … the latest amenity of the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Little Creek Casino Resort … has named industry veteran and Washington native Bob Pearsall as Head Superintendent.
Pearsall, born and raised in nearby Olympia, officially started his new position last week at the par-72, 7,300-yard Gene Bates-design that is scheduled to open next spring. Selected among top talent in the Western Washington area, Pearsall has a reverence for Bates and the Squaxin Island Tribe’s reputation in the community. “There’s no place I’d rather be,” said the 43-year-old Pearsall. “It’s a dream come true to be part of something special like this right in my own backyard.”
Pearsall comes to Salish Cliffs from The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie in Lacey, Wash. where he led the Agronomy Department as head superintendent of the 36-hole facility since 2004. Prior to his work at Hawks Prairie, Pearsall guided the golf maintenance department at Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia for six years.
“Bob Pearsall is an esteemed and well-regarded practitioner of best agronomic golf course practices whose proven track record and vast knowledge of the region’s growing conditions and weather make him an ideal manager for Salish Cliffs Golf Club,” said Ray Peters, Executive Director of the Squaxin Island Tribe. “Salish Cliffs Golf Club and Little Creek Casino Resort sought an acclaimed professional who will help lead us to elite status in the Pacific Northwest, and we feel very strongly that Bob is that person.”
In addition to the hiring of Pearsall, Salish Cliffs also named Mike Pearsall, Bob’s brother, and Anton Diaz as first and second assistants, respectively.
To date, all 18 holes on the site have been shaped and nine of the holes have been seeded, unveiling a course with over 600 feet of elevation changes and 360-degree views of Kamilche Valley. Construction has begun on the driving range and the land for the spacious log and cedar clubhouse … which will reflect the style and structure of Little Creek Casino Resort … is being cleared.
Salish Cliffs is certain to resonate with golfers who rave about other Bates layouts. These include Circling Raven Golf Club (Worley, ID) and Bayonet Black Horse (Monterey, CA), ranked “100 Greatest Courses in America” and “Best in State” by Golf Digest and Golfweek, respectively, and and Soldier Hollow Golf Course (Midway, UT), which will host the 2012 USGA Amateur Public Links Championship. Bates often collaborates on designs with PGA and Champions Tour star Fred Couples.
About Little Creek Casino Resort Owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe, Little Creek Casino Resort features nearly 190 luxurious, well-appointed rooms. The Indian-style gaming casino showcases more than 1,000 slots and table games, including poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and Texas Hold-Em. Top-quality, live entertainment – comedy, music and other shows – perform in the new, onsite Skookum Creek Event Center that hosts business and other events for up to 2,000 guests.
Getting there: Little Creek Casino Resort and Salish Cliffs Golf Club are conveniently located 20 and 75 minutes from Olympia and Seattle, WA, respectively. It is also a quick ride from Yakima, WA as well as Portland, Salem and Eugene, OR. For more information: www.little-creek-casino.com, 800.667.7711.
