Local Golf -- Gordon Richards Memorial Service Slated Tomorrow

A memorial service for Gordon Richards, a Northwest golf figure for decades, will be tomorrow (Monday) in Bellevue.

Richards, 87, died last Monday. He was best known to current golfers as the owner of Wayne golf course in Bothell, which he bought in 1952, and the Snohomish golf course, which he built with sons Dave and Bruce in 1965.

Richards was state PGA champion in 1932 and 1933. He was a former president of the Northwest section of the PGA and a national PGA vice president.

During his career Richards served as head pro at Tacoma Golf Club, Broadmoor Golf Club and Overlake Golf and Country Club in Medina.

At one time he also owned and operated the Stadium Driving Range near the University of Washington.

Johnny Hoetmer, retired Sand Point Country Club pro, said, "Gordy would do anything for a friend. And he made friends, not enemies."

The 1 p.m. service will be at the First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue.

-- The dates for the 1996 Safeco Classic are Sept. 12-15. The site remains the Meridian Valley Country Club outside Kent.

-- More than five $100,000 "founder memberships" in the Golf Club at Newcastle have been sold. Membership director Doug Baldwin says there are "a bunch of oral commitments" but some deals won't be finalized for months because the interested parties are wintering in warmer climates.

A total of 25 of the dues-free $100,000 memberships are being offered. There will be 375 memberships with dues with a starting price of $50,000.

The private Coal Creek course is scheduled to open in June 1997 with the public China Creek course set to open in 1998.

-- The Northwest edition of Golf Digest's "Places to Play" for 1996-97 gives four-star ratings to these public or semi-private courses: Apple Tree Golf Course, Yakima; Desert Canyon Golf Resort, Orondo (outside Wenatchee); Kayak Point Golf Course, Stanwood; McCormick Woods Golf Course, Port Orchard; Meadowwood Golf Course, Liberty Lake (outside Spokane); Port Ludlow Golf Course, Port Ludlow; Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club, Blaine, and Shuksan Golf Club, Bellingham.