REAL: Golfers play on Beacon Rock course as Oregon wildfire burns across Columbia River
Featured Golf Culture

REAL: Golfers play on Beacon Rock course as Oregon wildfire burns across Columbia River

FOLLOW: iHEART | TUNEIN


A massive fire is burning on the Oregon-Washington border, with a 15-year-old Vancouver teen suspected of setting off a firecracker which set off the blaze burning uncontrollably at Eagle Creek and now into Washington after the fire jumped the Columbia River Gorge in Skamania County on Tuesday.

As the fires burn, residents are dealing with the threat of destruction in various ways. Apparently, some are playing golf as the world literally is on fire around them.

A Reddit user posted an image taken by amateur photographer Kristi McCluer without her permission, and it depicts golfers on the ninth hole of Beacon Rock Golf Course, a public facility in Belleville, Wash. Course owner-operator and operations manager Mark Mayfield authenticated the photos in an email to Golf News Net.

Via Imgur: https://imgur.com/a/1UjJL
Via Imgur: https://imgur.com/a/1UjJL
Via Imgur: https://imgur.com/a/1UjJL

The 1,600-plus-acre fire has led to the closure of east-west I-84, which goes through the gorge area, with smoke obstructing visibility and as fire threatens to torch the road.

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

Ryan talks about golf on various social platforms:

X or Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanballengee
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanballengeegolf
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanballengee
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanballengeegolf

Ballengee can be reached by email at ryan[at]thegolfnewsnet.com

Ryan occasionally links to merchants of his choosing, and GNN may earn a commission from sales generated by those links. See more in GNN's affiliate disclosure.