The Gate Ranch Golf Course near Rochester, Washington
The Gate Ranch Golf Course was a labor of love. The dream of two brothers, Jim and Bill Dunson, began as a cow pasture. Its place sits a lovely nine-hole three-par golf course, complete with a water feature in a picturesque setting lined with trees.
One time 19 years ago, Dunson and his brother Jim were in Arizona chasing a little white ball around the desert. “We played 54 holes of golf one day and he (Jim) said, ‘Christ Bill, we could make a better golf course at the Gate Ranch…’ and I said yeah, we can,” Dunson said.
The next time Bill came up to Gate Ranch, Jim had drawn up plans. “Jim and I, when we started this, we had no idea that it would be all this,” Bill says. “We just liked golf.” The brothers started by cutting the grass nearly as tall as they were, eventually building a fairway on the 13 acres.
Bill especially enjoyed it when young people are on the greens. “When you got a bunch of young people out there, beating the ball around, they are staying out of trouble,” he said. “Jim and I took pride in that.”
Several local students went to college on golf scholarships after learning the sport at Gate Ranch. The boys’ and girls’ golf teams from Rochester High School used the course. “Jim and I helped teach a lot of people that wanted to know how to play golf,” shared Bill. “I was not a pro and I was not an instructor, but I know all of the fundamentals. Between Jim and I, we turned a lot of good golfers out here.”
Every year Gate Ranch Golf Course hosted a 4th of July Tournament. Bill bought the hot dogs and hamburgers and the community helped to put together a big feast. He displayed flags for each branch of the military and some he made himself for police, firefighters, and medics as a tribute to those who serve.
As he ages, support from the community was important for nearly 90-year-old Bill to continue with the project. “The biggest thing was aerating and sanding the greens,” said Bill. “The boys’ golf team coach said anytime I needed help, let him know and the boys were helping. The rest of it was sitting on your fanny mowing. It was not hard, it just took time. I thought I could handle that.”
“Come and enjoy it with me,” implored Bill. “That was all I wanted really. Someone around when I was puttering around outside. It was easier to talk to someone and I could help them with their stroke. I loved people.”
The Gate Ranch Golf Course is unfortunately closed permanently now and this is a statement from a Facebook post.
“Hello, all! Bill’s granddaughter here. Here is a statement on behalf of the new owners of the Gate Ranch: Friends of the family are honored to have purchased the Gate Ranch from the Dunson Family. We are sad to say we will not be able to maintain the golf course but plan to keep the spirit of Bill and Jim alive by maintaining the name of the property as “The Gate Ranch” and memorializing them throughout the landscape. The golf course is permanently closed as of the first of February 2021. Thank you all for your love and support of Bill and Jim throughout the years. We know it meant the world to them. God Bless.”
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/iDg6XI2YYbE
- https://www.facebook.com/GateRanchGolfCourse/
- https://www.thurstontalk.com/2019/02/14/thrifty-thurston-golfs-for-free-with-wild-bill/
- https://komonews.com/news/local/erics-heroes-brothers-carve-dream-out-of-cow-pasture-and-share-it-with-the-world
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