It’s not hard for the uninitiated to spot the differences between Lava Links Golf Course in Soap Lake, Wash., and most other 9-hole facilities across the U.S. 

Among them? The general absence of the color green. 

That’s just one thing. Built on nine acres of volcanic basalt, Lava Links’ putting “greens” are made of a dark, ash-colored sand, and instead referred to as “grays.” The vegetation is mostly thick Sagebrush, there’s very little (if any) grass and the layout of the course was cleared by way of a tractor-pulled railroad tie over two decades ago. 

Greens fees? Leave your wallet in your pocket, because the course is completely free for the town of about 1,600 to enjoy. There’s no bag drop, pro shop or even a clubhouse, but there is a sign advising the use of only a 9-iron and putter. 

It’s an amalgamation of features that, for over two decades, has made up for in fun what it may lack in glamour. 

Nels Borg, a member of Soap Lake’s Chamber of Commerce who has been playing the course almost since its inception, knows just that. He’s the honorary “club pro” of Lava Links, taking over the care of the course from its original founders, DeVaun Black and Burr Beckwith. 

Borg said the idea of Lava Links stemmed from Black and Beckwith’s simple desire to make some use of the rugged volcanic land, which is unable to be used for much else. 

“The two of them set the whole thing up; they went in with tractors and railroad ties and dragged all this stuff out,” Borg said of the course’s formation. “They put in sand greens and 6-inch PVC pipe for holes, and they called it the Lava Links.” 

Beckwith himself credits Black, a former mayor of the town, with the idea to reshape the land in the early 2000s. 

“You can’t tell the guy ‘No,’” he said, adding how Black had spent several weeks clearing the land so that it could be seen as “something other than a pile of rocks.” 

Today, Borg primarily maintains Lava Links, using his trusty riding mower to touch up the Sagebrush twice each spring. He’ll also prevent weeds from sprouting out of the gravelly greens and has also painted rocks to decorate some of the teeing areas. A local welder even pitched in, constructing a few benches for the course. 

Highly involved within the community, Borg knows Lava Links serves a meaningful purpose. 

“It’s a gathering place,” he said. “For people who want to bring some old clubs and just get out in the open for an hour, do the nine holes and go home. I know a lot of guys who do it after work, just to get away from their desk.” 

One of the ways Soap Lake gathers around Lava Links is through the Sandblaster Open, a yearly tournament that encourages pure enjoyment more than anything else and advertises itself as a community celebration. 

In addition to all but two of their clubs, participants can leave their Rules of Golf know-how at home, as circumventing them is part of the fun, according to Borg. 

“We want everybody to be entertained,” he said. “If a guy nicks the ball and it rolls off the tee, we’ll say, ‘Just put it back on! Let’s try it again, come on, let’s go.’” 

Real and comedic awards are given, for anything from closest to the pin, to most creative attire. The tournament and golf course illustrate Borg’s will to serve the town in any capacity.

“We’re a small town with a lot of hope,” he said. “And we live in a community that needs to embrace itself.” 

Beckwith, 80 years old and 49-year resident of Soap Lake, spoke similarly, adding hopes that Lava Links is built to last. 

“I’m just waiting, hoping that someone will come along and love it as much as Nels and I used to,” he said. “Devote the time and the energy that it needs to make it work.”