Lava Links: desert-style fun in the heart of Soap Lake

Lava Links in Soap Lake is a walk-up, bring-your-own-clubs experience over sagebrush, sand, and basalt. The round asks for patience and a light touch, with sand “grays” in place of greens and fairways that play across native desert.

Lava Links Fast Facts

Course Overview

Early in the round at Lava Links you learn that the desert and the rock are the main defense. The routing winds across a compact ten acre footprint, with sagebrush corridors, sandy patches, and exposed basalt creating angles and caroms you will not see on a traditional parkland track. The putting surfaces are sand, raked flat into circular “grays,” and the cups are set in PVC. There is no staff and no tee sheet, just simple markers and a community maintained loop.

Decision making centers on controlling strike and landing zones. Most players carry a single wedge or 9 iron and a putter, then tee the ball anywhere outside the grays for a clean strike. Preferred angles favor firm patches of sand rather than loose rock. Ground play is possible when you can run the ball over smoother sand, but shots that clip basalt will ricochet, so the safe side is usually the open sand away from rock outcrops and thicker brush.

Hole-by-Hole Highlights

• Expect short approaches to sand grays, plan for extra rollout on firm sand after the first bounce.

• Use a 9 iron for most tee shots, then a putter on the grays, the site encourages this simple setup.

• Tee up any shot outside the gray to avoid chewing up your ball on rocks and to control launch.

• Favor corridors with more sand underfoot, even if that means playing away from a direct line.

• Basalt outcrops near some targets act like walls, play to the open side rather than flirting with caroms.

• Putting on sand needs a firmer stroke than on grass, expect the ball to track but slow quicker.

• Rake your lines after putting to leave the gray smooth for the next group.

• Wind across the Soap Lake flats can stand up high shots, keep trajectories on the lower side.

• If a brush clump sits in the landing area, play a shorter layup and rely on a precise pitch.

• PVC cups are elevated enough to see from a distance, use them for clear targets when planning carries.

Amenities & Practice

There is no staffed clubhouse, range, or practice green. The course is volunteer built and community maintained, with simple tees and rakes at the grays. Loaner clubs are sometimes available on site, but plan to bring your own 9 iron and putter.

Food & Beverage

(No on-site restaurant or concessions confirmed in the provided links.)

Rates / Booking / Local Tips

Lava Links has no tee sheet or pro shop, arrive during daylight and walk on when you are ready. The site is donation based, with a simple box on premises, bring small bills. Play moves quickly if groups travel light. Wear sturdy shoes suitable for sand and rock, and consider an older wedge, as the desert surface is hard on club faces. If you need a straightforward spot to introduce a newcomer, Lava Links offers that casual setting.

How to Score Here

• Keep the setup simple, a single wedge or 9 iron and a putter is plenty for Lava Links.

• Choose sand first, not line, when picking landing zones, firm sand patches reward controlled strikes.

• Putts on sand need extra pace, commit to the line and smooth the surface with a rake after.

• Use lower flight windows when the wind is up, the desert corridor can stall high shots.

• Play away from basalt outcrops that can kick shots sideways, the open side is the smart side.

Final Word

If you want a casual loop that leans into the local landscape, Lava Links delivers a playful desert walk with simple tools and community spirit.

This course is one of many featured in the Washington Golf Directory. Your guide to Washington State public golf courses, local driving ranges, and weekend-worthy golf getaways. Whether you’re playing nine before work or planning a road trip across the state, we’re here to help you explore more golf, one course at a time.