Rope Rider Golf Course

About This Course: Championship Golf on Old Coal Mine Ground

Rope Rider Golf Course is one of two public courses at Suncadia Resort outside Cle Elum, and the reason to make the drive is the ground it sits on. The Jacobsen Hardy design was built on the site of historic Roslyn coal mines, and its routing works around old mine foundations, portals and a 120 foot hill of coal tailings. The course takes its name from the miners who balanced on the coal cars that worked the steep mine shafts.

It plays 7,238 yards from the Jake tees, yet the resort puts youth tees on every hole and runs ten sets of tees in all, so a scratch player and a first timer can share a tee time. The golf shop and check in sit inside Swiftwater Cellars winery, and a free three hole par 3 golf park sits right next door.

Rope Rider Golf Course Fast Facts

Course Overview

Rope Rider opened in late summer 2011 as Suncadia’s third course. Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy laid it out on the site of Roslyn Mines No. 9 and No. 10 and Tipple Hill, a long mound of coal tailings that rises 120 feet and is in view from the winery. Construction came in stages: the front nine and holes 11 and 12 were finished in 2006, and the rest in 2010.

The card is balanced, with four par 3s, four par 5s and ten par 4s, and both nines play to par 36. The front nine runs 3,680 yards from the Jake tees and the back nine 3,558. Length is the test from the back: eight of the ten par 4s measure 413 yards or more, the par 5s run 532 to 578 yards, and the par 3s run 148 to 215. All four par 3s are marked cart path only on the scorecard.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Jake tees, from the resort’s 2026 scorecard.

• Hole 3, 215 yards, par 3: The longest par 3 on the course and cart path only. Expect a hybrid or long iron.
• Hole 4, 491 yards, par 4: The longest par 4 on the card, close to par 5 length from the back.
• Hole 8, 578 yards, par 5: The longest hole on the course and the number 1 handicap hole.
• Hole 11, 148 yards, par 3: The shortest hole and the number 18 handicap. A real birdie chance.
• Hole 12, 345 yards, par 4: The shortest par 4. Pick a tee club that leaves a full wedge.
• Hole 14, 564 yards, par 5: The number 2 handicap hole and the hardest hole on the back nine.

Amenities and Practice

The green fee includes a shared golf cart and a complimentary bucket of balls, which you can hit at the Prospector driving range or the par 3 golf park next to Swiftwater Cellars and the Rope Rider golf shop. Rental clubs come from the pro shop, and every golfer needs a set; sharing is not allowed.

The Rope Rider Golf Park is a free par 3 short course with three holes, each with two tee boxes, good for kids or a warm up. Groups can rent it for private events.

Suncadia’s PGA professionals, led by Director of Golf Darren Howard and Head Golf Professional Brad Donahue, teach seven days a week in season: $100 an hour for private lessons, $40 per person for groups, and $70 an hour for juniors with Donahue.

Food and Drink

Swiftwater Cellars is the winery and restaurant that houses the golf shop. It pours wine and cocktails alongside locally sourced Pacific Northwest food for lunch, dinner and happy hour. Its own site lists Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m., closed Monday and Tuesday, with reservations recommended. 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 fixed green fee for Rope Rider; daily prices show in the online tee sheet when you search a date. The rates it does post, as of October 4, 2026, are its golf specials: a $229 special for 36 holes on Rope Rider and Prospector in one day, Monday through Thursday. Residents of Kittitas and Yakima counties 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., with ID. Youth on Course members play for $5 Monday through Thursday after 2 p.m. Book specials through the pro shops within three days of play. The golf season runs April through October, so expect these offers to change when the season ends.

Book through Suncadia’s tee time page or call the Rope Rider golf shop at 509-649-6450. Resort guests can book up to 365 days ahead, the public up to 14 days and Suncadia golf members up to 30 days. Cancel at least 48 hours ahead or you pay in full. The resort expects 18 holes in four and a half hours at most, and traditional golf attire is required.

Our Cle Elum guide covers things to do in and around town, and the coal mining story behind the course’s name continues in nearby Roslyn. For a second round at the resort, play Prospector Golf Course, the resort’s Arnold Palmer design, whose pro shop sits next to The Inn.

How to Score Here

• Pick the right tees. With ten sets from 4,201 to 7,238 yards, the Blue or White tees suit most players better than the Jakes.
• Take your bogey on holes 8 and 14. They carry the number 1 and 2 handicaps and are the two longest holes on the course.
• Attack hole 11. At 148 yards it is the easiest hole on the card.
• Use the free bucket at the golf park before you tee off.

Final Word

Rope Rider pairs a 7,238 yard championship test on old coal mine ground with youth tees on every hole and a winery for the 19th hole.