Prospector Golf Course

About This Course: Arnold Palmer’s Mountain Course at Suncadia

Prospector Golf Course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum is the resort’s original public course, a par 72 laid out through pine and fir forest on the east slope of the Cascades by Arnold Palmer’s Palmer Course Design Company. Suncadia calls it extremely playable for all skill levels, while rolling, well bunkered fairways and a scattering of lakes and ponds hand better players plenty of risk and reward decisions.

From the Championship tees it plays 7,113 yards, and eight sets of tees bring it down to 4,557 yards. You check in at the Prospector Golf Shop next to The Inn at Suncadia, a bucket of range balls comes with your round, and Mulligan’s beside the ninth hole covers the halfway stop.

Prospector Golf Course Fast Facts

Course Overview

Writing in The Herald in Everett in July 2005, Rich Myhre reported that Suncadia opened the first nine holes of Prospector in July 2004 and the second nine that September, the first of the resort’s three courses. Golf Course Industry reported that Palmer came to Suncadia for an exhibition to formally christen the year old course, which it called only his second original design in Washington.

The head pro in 2005 described Prospector to the Herald as a textbook resort course, with generous landing areas framed by trees. The card is balanced at 36 a side, 3,487 yards out and 3,626 yards home, with four par 5s and four par 3s. Top 100 Golf Courses points to water around the short 5th and to the right of the 9th, so the lakes come into play early.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Championship tees, from Suncadia’s April 2026 scorecard.

• Hole 5, 340 yards, par 4: Top 100 Golf Courses says this short par 4 wraps around a small lake. It is also the number 3 handicap.
• Hole 8, 539 yards, par 5: The number 5 handicap and the second 539 yard par 5 on the front nine.
• Hole 9, 412 yards, par 4: The number 1 handicap hole, with water to the right according to Top 100 Golf Courses.
• Hole 10, 411 yards, par 4: The Herald described a hilltop tee with a view west across the Cle Elum River valley to a green far below. The head pro in 2005 expected it to be the hole that generated the most conversation.
• Hole 11, 536 yards, par 5: The number 2 handicap. Holes 9, 10 and 11 are three of the four hardest on the card, back to back.
• Hole 12, 184 yards, par 3: Top 100 Golf Courses names the 12th and 15th as the tough short holes.
• Hole 15, 198 yards, par 3: The longest par 3 on the course, even though it carries the number 18 handicap.
• Hole 18, 540 yards, par 5: Top 100 Golf Courses describes a par 5 that doglegs left. It is the longest hole on the card.

Amenities and Practice

Every round includes a bucket of balls for the Prospector Driving Range or the Par 3 Golf Park by the Rope Rider Golf Shop. During golf season Suncadia’s PGA professionals teach seven days a week. Darren Howard, PGA Director of Golf, charges $100 an hour, $40 an hour for groups of three or four, and $200 for a 9 hole playing lesson. Head Golf Professional Brad Donahue charges $100 an hour, $70 an hour for juniors ages 6 to 17, and $160 for a 9 hole playing lesson.

The Prospector Golf Shop sells clothing, equipment and accessories and rents clubs; every golfer needs a set, and sharing is not allowed. For a rainy day, the TruGolf simulator at The Inn runs $55 an hour.

Food and Drink

Mulligan’s sits beside the ninth hole and serves sandwiches, snacks and drinks, open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during golf season. A beverage cart works the course, and outside coolers and drinks are not allowed.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

Suncadia does not post a green fee sheet for Prospector. Prices are set in the online booking engine and change with the date, the time and whether you are a resort guest; every rate includes a shared cart and range balls. The golf season runs April through October. On the current golf specials page, Kittitas and Yakima County residents with ID pay $109 on Sunday after 2 p.m. and Monday through Wednesday before 2 p.m., and $79 Monday through Wednesday after 2 p.m. A 36 hole special runs $229 a golfer Monday through Thursday, and Youth on Course players pay $5 Monday through Thursday after 2 p.m. Specials must be booked within three days of play by calling the Prospector Golf Shop at 509-649-6401.

Book on Suncadia’s tee times page. Resort guests can book up to 365 days ahead, the public up to 14 days. Cancel at least 48 hours out or pay in full, and leave the denim and tank tops at home.

Suncadia sits about 2 miles north of I-90 at Exit 80, near the old mining towns of Roslyn and Cle Elum. Our Cle Elum city guide and Roslyn guide cover the rest of the trip, and things to do in Cle Elum fills an afternoon off the course. For a second round on the property, Suncadia’s other public course is Rope Rider Golf Course.

How to Score Here

• Use the range bucket that comes with your round before a 7,113 yard card.
• Treat 9, 10 and 11 as a unit. Three of the four hardest holes come back to back, so a bogey there is a fine result.
• Pick tees honestly. The Championship tees carry a 136 slope; Blue at 6,641 yards or White at 6,159 yards is plenty of golf for most players.
• Do not chase the short 5th. It is only 340 yards, but it is the number 3 handicap with a lake wrapped around it.

Final Word

Prospector is Suncadia’s first course: Palmer’s design through the pines, a long card from the back tees, and three hard holes in a row around the turn.