The Palouse Ridge Golf Course reopened for the spring on Sunday. The course had been closed since November.

Since opening on Aug. 29, the golf course has received numerous awards. Palouse Ridge was named the highest-ranked public course to open in 2008 by Golfweek magazine. It was ranked the ninth-best new venue in the world by 2008 Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine, third in Links Magazine and seventh in Golf magazine’s list of best new courses.

“This course has been very well-received by the golfing community. To have opened in August 2008 and be receiving all these awards shows how good the course is,” General Manager Bruce Perisho said.

The course has also been named the site of the 2009 Washington State Men’s Amateur. It is set to host the 2012 Pac-10 Women’s Championship and the 2014 Pac-10 Men’s Championship.

“The people came to play the course from the WSGA, and they called us a couple days later saying they wanted us to host the Washington State Men’s Amateur. Our goal is to host an NCAA Championship or to host a Mid-Amateur Championship,” Perisho said.

Palouse Ridge was designed by John Harbottle III. Harbottle has also designed such courses as the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain in Bremerton, the Golf Club at Genoa Lakes outside Reno, Nev., and the Savannah course at Stevinson Ranch in Stevinson, Calif.

“John did a fantastic job in putting this course together. He made the course look like it belonged in the terrain and gave it that links feel,” Perisho said.

The course was built to host major tournaments. Stretching 7,305 yards from the Crimson tees, the course weaves its way throughout the contours of the Palouse. The greens are made of T-1 bentgrass and the fairways and rough are a Kentucky bluegrass.

The course offers unique challenges throughout, not the least of which comes at hole six. At 253 yards from the Crimson tees, it’s the longest par 3 on the course and requires a nearly perfect tee shot to make it over the thick vegetation and land the ball on a small green surrounded by bunkers.

“The hardest hole on the course just depends on which way the wind is moving. One day, a hole could be easy and the next day it could be hard depending on the wind. I think the hardest hole on the course would have to be hole six on any day,” Perisho said.

The new clubhouse that was built before the grand opening of the course is 7,000 square feet with a great view overlooking the 18th hole. Built into the clubhouse is Banyan’s on the Ridge, a British colonial-themed steakhouse that features a display kitchen and both indoor and outdoor seating.

The rate for students on Monday through Thursday is $26 for 18 holes and $39 dollars for 18 holes Friday through Sunday.