City of Renton’s Maplewood Golf Course
At first glance when you arrive at Maplewood Golf Course in Renton, WA, you see the modern clubhouse and driving range next door and initially think “must be new.” Not quite. There is a little history to this course. City of Renton’s and one of Washington state’s busiest “munis” opened way back in 1927 as the 27 hole Cedar River Golf Club. Yes, given the course is located beside the meandering Cedar River, I guess the name makes sense; however, the name did change apparently sometime in the 1940s to Maplewood Golf Course. The City of Renton purchased the course in 1985 and made a significant investment in developing four new holes (#4-7) on the south side of the Cedar River, a new clubhouse and driving range completed in 1995. Designed by Al Smith, who also designed Tacoma’s Brookdale Golf Course, Maplewood is an 18-hole course featuring 6100 yards of golf from the tips for a par 72 and is rated 68.8 with a 115 slope. Yes, a solid course design that offers a variety of playable and challenging holes to boot.
Maplewood’s front nine is my favorite with a collection of elevated and tiered greens, dog legs that tease you with the Cedar River snaking its way close by ( a little too close on some occasions!) requiring judicious club selection and course management. Maplewood does not play long; however, you will enjoy the view and the walk on the first few holes on the front nine will guarantee that your heart rate enters the cardio zone! The relief comes on the back nine where the course certainly plays flatter and is characterized by relatively straight fairways, fewer doglegs, but more bunkers and traps to keep you on your toes. A few holes of note for me included the opening hole that is a mid-length 287 yard (whites) uphill par 4 bordered with an out-of-bounds left and a fairway on the right. With three sets of tiered bunkers guarding the right side like sentries on guard duty, a mid-iron or hybrid off the tee should negate the danger affording you with a line of play towards a slight dogleg right to a narrow green sloping from back to front. Watch out, however, for the pesky bunker on the right fringe. Go right off the tee and the second shot becomes a little more interesting. On the back nine, I enjoyed the 160-yard Par 3 hole#12, which will haunt you with the possibility of losing your tee shot into Maplewood Creek that runs both sides of the green which, by the way, has a significant slope guaranteed to test your putting mettle. If you miss your tee shot, try and draw one to the left which should take the bunkering out of play, but not too long left or you will find sand.
Maplewood is an enjoyable, but not overly challenging course even for high handicappers, but offering enough for the “good sticks” to ensure they remain one of the busiest courses in the state. Coupled with the driving range offering 30 covered stalls, full service pro shop, seven golf instructors, RiverRock Restaurant and Ale House, outside patio to watch the action and high quality banquet facilities, Maplewood Golf Course should be on your list of “Must-Play Munis.” While you can walk-on, we recommend that you make your tee times in advance, particularly on Friday afternoons and weekends. Yes, Maplewood should feature highly in our fall “Top Northwest Muni’s” issue! For more information, please call 425-430-6800.
