Lake Woods Golf Course closing until further notice

BRIDGEPORT – The Lake Woods Golf Course located at 232 Half Sun Way, announced recently that it is suspending operations until further notice.

A posting on the course Facebook site, www.facebook.com/LakeWoodsGolf, advises that an auction is scheduled at the course from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 13, to dispose of kitchen and office equipment, outside maintenance machinery, golf carts and other items.

“A lack in membership and play has forced us to close and reevaluate our beautiful course,” a statement on the Facebook site said.

The nine-hole, semi-private course just south of the Bridgeport State Park along the western shore of Lake Roosevelt is slightly less than four miles from downtown Bridgeport. Lake Woods opened to golfers in 1963.

“The golf course property is owned by the Corps of Engineers, but Washington State Parks manages it under a long-term lease agreement,” a Parks spokesperson said last Tuesday. “At this time, we don’t have any other viable options for a concessionaire to take over managing the course.”
Bridgeport City Councilman Phil Lee recalled an earlier time when the course had a larger active playing membership.

“A group of people got together and formed the Lake Woods Golf Club,” said Lee. “When I first started playing there we had about 30 men and 20 women involved.”

Lee served on the board of directors and was even club president for a time.

“Everybody was a volunteer,” said Lee. “The only paid staff was for the clubhouse and grounds maintenance.”

When membership started to decline the club reached out to Bridgeport High School.

“The school got involved and even had a golf team for a couple of years,” said Lee.

Lee said an interesting legacy of Lake Woods Golf Course is professional golfer Becky Henderson, who played on the Bridgeport school team. Henderson attended the University of Idaho following graduation from BHS and according to her Professional Golf Association (PGA) profile, has been a Class A pro since 2011. She is currently a PGA Pro at Settlers Bay Golf Club in Wasilla, Alaska.