THE HOME COURSE
The History of The Home Course
As you play The Home Course you can’t miss seeing some very unique features spread out across this historic piece of property. First there are the 150 year old apple trees that line the first fairway. Next is the fenced in area just left of the first green and across from it an area protected by a split rail fence. And on almost every hole you’ll see a concrete block, building foundation, or tracks from a narrow gauge railroad left there from a by-gone era.
Mother Nature has also blessed this piece of property. Views of Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountain Range,Old Fort Lake, Sequalitchew Creek, and glimpses of Anderson and McNeil Islands are all part of The Home Course golfing experience.
Located on a bluff about 200 feet above Puget Sound and just outside the city of DuPont, Washington, The Home Course occupies a piece of property that is rich in Pacific Northwest history. That fenced in area next to the first green is the original site of Fort Nisqually. It is here that in 1833 Archibald MacDonald of the Hudson Bay Company made his way up from Fort Vancouver (WA) and built the first European settlement in the Puget Sound area.
Of course, for several thousand years before that this land had been occupied by members on the Nisqually Indian Tribe. So when Mr. MacDonald arrived with his men Chief La-ha-let of the Nisqually’s was already here ready to meet and assist him. From 1833 to 1843 Fort Nisqually sat right there next to the first green carrying on a vibrant trading business in furs, blankets, and all manner of other items. Fort Nisqually was a place where people came together. It was a place where Europeans, Scottish gentleman, Americans, Native Americans, Canadians, Kanakas (Hawaiians), French Canadians, West Indians, and Englishmen came to share stories, trade, party, gamble, intermarry, have children, and ultimately die.
What’s behind that split rail fence across from the Fort site? That is where the Fort burial ground is located. If you find your ball in there please show your respect by retrieving it and then taking a free drop outside this hallowed ground. In 1843 the Fort was moved to a location closer to Sequalitchew Creek and just east of what is now Center Drive, where it remained until 1869 when it was finally abandoned.
Between 1869 and 1906 this land was mostly part of the Edward Huggins farm and was home to sheep, cattle, and a vast array of other farm animals. The ground itself was not much good for growing being quite rocky, but served quite well for grazing animals.
This brings us to all of those concrete foundations and concrete blocks you see around the golf course. In 1906 Huggins sold the property to the DuPont Chemical Company and by 1909 they started to manufacture black powder, dynamite, and nitroglycerine here. Due to the dangers involved in making these items the various steps in the process were carried out in different locations around the property. So that is why adjacent to the number one tee you can see what’s left of a bridge foundation from the narrow gauge railroad that served the plant and behind the fourth tee the remnants of a storage bunker or as it was known a magazine. DuPont continued making explosives until 1976 at which time they closed the plant, leveled most of the buildings, and sold the property to The Weyerhaeuser Company.
After several years of study, evaluation, environmental sampling, archeological investigation, negotiations with the Nisqually Tribe, and the Washington State Department of Ecology an agreement was reached that allowed for the development of the property. Due to some industrial contamination of the site during the DuPont era, part of that plan included burying the contaminated material under 24″ of gravel and soil and putting a golf course on top of it.
Finally in 2003 work began on remediating the site and the construction of The Home Course. Upon completion of the golf course and a final sign-off by the Department of Ecology the Weyerhaeuser Company sought out buyers for the golf course property. The successful purchaser was the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and its partner organization the Washington State Golf Association.
The PNGA and WSGA had been looking for some time for a permanent place to house their staff, constuct a hall of fame, and bring various other allied golf organizations together under one roof. Their hope is now a reality as they plan to move forward and construct a headquarters building at The Home Course. In addition, plans call for a complimentary Clubhouse, Event Pavilion, and Pro Shop to be constructed on-site as well.