Cheap; dry in winter; good for beginners

tee mats; back-and-forth holes (when someone yells "fore" take it seriously and hit the deck); very short; rugged fairways; crusty greens

If there's another course in Western Washington that says "casual country" more than the nine holes that make up Monroe Golf Course, I haven't played it. Monore features 9 holes of back and forth golf, primarily short (under 320 yards) par fours with some medium-long par threes mixed in.

The tee boxes are always in pristine condition; at least as pristine as those wonderful black rubber mats can be expected to be. Once you're off the tee, the "fairways" are full of hills and hollows that test your ability to play from funky lies. Only one hole has any sand traps around the green, but most of the holes have grass bunkers to keep things interesting. The run-up shot is the preferred approach to the rock-hard greens, which tend to get a little crusty in the summertime.

The greens themselves are flat as pancakes but full of nasty divots and footprints left by the occasional golfer whose choice of footwear is logging boots over soft-spikes. It's not often that you see actual weeds growing on a putting green, but Monroe's got a few.

Most of the course is flat, but the par four 5th hole does present a challenging second shot to an elevated green. "Shot values" on the rest of the course are basically nonexistant.

All that criticism aside, Monroe is a great place for beginners. It's also a very dry course in the winter time.

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No drivng range; small practice green; very small pro shop