Mitchell Takes Golf Game West

One of Spokane’s favorite golfing sons has played through to the other side of the state.

Chris Mitchell, considered among the finest players and most popular club professionals in the city, has left his job as the head pro at Sundance Golf Course to accept a similar position at Tumwater Valley Golf Club in Tumwater.

Mitchell, 39, who will take over Monday at Tumwater’s city-owned layout, said his decision to leave was prompted by the uncertain future of Sundance, which was put up for sale by owner Ken Johnston earlier this summer, and the lure of a year-round golf season on the west side of the Cascade mountains.

Aside from the two years (1992-93) Mitchell spent in Arizona while competing on the mini-tour circuit in an effort to obtain his PGA Tour playing card, this will mark the first time he has worked outside the Spokane area.

“I like Spokane, obviously, because I was born and raised here,” said the North Central graduate, who played college golf at Houston. “Spokane has been great to me and I certainly think I’ve represented Spokane well in the things I’d done.

“But I’m excited about the chance to get on the other side of the mountains and maybe have a chance to play all year. The season can be pretty short over here.”

Mitchell, who became an assistant under Bill Welch at Indian Canyon Golf Course shortly after turning professional in 1980, is a six-time Lilac Invitation champion and two-time winner of the Spokane Rosauers Open Invitational.

After leaving Indian Canyon in 1985, when Gary Lindeblad replaced Welch, Mitchell spent a year as an assistant under John Woodhall at Coeur d’Alene Golf Course and became the head pro there just a year later.

He stayed at Coeur d’Alene until chasing his PGA Tour dream to Arizona and then signed on at Sundance when he returned to the area in 1994.

Mitchell, who has his competitive energies aimed at qualifying for the PGA Senior Tour when he turns 50, said he has turned down several lucrative head pro jobs at private clubs in Portland and Seattle in the past “because they wanted to put an end to my playing.

“And I wasn’t ready for that,” said Mitchell, who will continue playing Hudson Cup events from Tumwater. “I wouldn’t want to take a job, at least at this point in my career, where all of a sudden I couldn’t get time to play.

“Even though I enjoy the business part of it, I got into golf because I like to play. That’s probably why it’s taken me a while to leave the area, because I’ve had the opportunity to do that around here.”

Denny Johnston, a brother to owner Ken, has assumed the duties of head professional at Sundance.

Hogan Cup matches on tap

Spokane’s Zach Cazier and Ritzville’s Ryan Benzel will be part of a four-person team of junior golfers representing Washington in the 28th annual Eddie Hogan Cup Team Matches, which start today at Riverside Golf and Country Club in Portland.

The two will join Kent’s Mark Hansen and Cle Elum’s Ryan Whitaker in the two-day event that is expected to draw teams from several western states.

Southern California won last year’s tournament. Washington finished fourth in the 11-team field.

Finally, a 36-holer

When the Gold Mountain Golf Complex in Bremerton opens its new 18-hole Olympic Course next month, it will become Washington’s first 36-hole layout.

The Olympic addition is scheduled to open in mid-September with green fees tentatively set at $24 on weekdays and $28 on weekends.

That represents a $4 increase on fees currently being charged to play the original 18 holes, which opened in 1971.

, DataTimes