Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 18
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 18
A pond protects the par-5 finishing hole on the Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort in Washington. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 15
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 15
Beware the bunkers on the 15th hole of the Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 13
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 13
Bunkers make the 13th hole on the Prospector Course at Suncadia Resort a tough challenge. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 12
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 12
Shadows creep toward the 12th green of the Prospector Course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 10
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 10
Everybody remembers the 10th tee shot on the Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 9
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 9
The ninth green of the Prospector Course at Suncadia Resort sits near the clubhouse. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course
A pond makes the ninth and 18th greens of the Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort very scenic. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 6
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 6
The sixth hole might be the best par 3 on the Prospector Course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 4
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 4
The par-5 fourth hole on the the Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort could be reachable for long hitters. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 1
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Suncadia Resort - Prospector golf course - hole 1
The first hole introduces the beauty of the Prospector Course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
10 Images

Enjoy the views from Arnold Palmer's Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington

CLE ELUM, Wash. -- The vista from the elevated 10th tee of the Prospector Course at Suncadia Resort extends for miles into the Wenatchee Washington National Forest. The daring par 4 spirals downward, skirting bunkers before crashing into a demanding green site.

Architect Arnold Palmer sometimes gets a bad rap for designing cookie cutter courses. The 7,112-yard Prospector, opened in 2005, is anything but. Tricky greens deter low scores. Two ponds induce havoc on four holes. The dynamite 340-yard fifth hole tempts some visitors into trying to carry the full length of a wetland. The par-3 sixth hole hugs its opposite side. Another pond fronts the 412-yard, par-4 ninth hole and 540-yard, par-5 18th hole in the shadow of the Inn at Suncadia, a log cabin structure that also houses the Prospector's pro shop and the Canary Grill.

"There aren't a lot of triple bogeys out here," said Brady Hatfield, the resort's director of golf operations. "You can usually get the ball around the green in two or three shots. It's getting in the hole that's hard.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Enjoy the views from Arnold Palmer's Prospector golf course at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington