Come late August, the TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge will be packed with such golfing luminaries as Tom Kite, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller and Fred Funk for the fifth annual Boeing Classic golf tournament.

Thankfully, the jokers hacking it up last Monday will be back where they belong once August 24th arrives; with a pen and paper in hand, leaving the golfing to the pro’s.

TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge hosted a brood of sportswriters, media directors and golf scribes for its annual Media Day, giving the morning’s guests a chance to play the very same course the Champions Tour players will golf in the Classic.

I found myself paired with a familiar partner – Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter sportswriter Kevin Endejan, with whom I reviewed a series of golf courses last summer.

Unfortunately, neither of us had played a round since last July. Fortunately, we were also paired with Seahawks Director of Communications Lane Gammel, who didn’t seem to mind the fact that both of us played the first few holes like we had never picked up an iron before.

Even more fortunately, perhaps, was the absence of the fourth member of our group – former Seattle P.I. columnist Jim “the Go 2 Guy” Moore. I’m sure Jim’s a great guy, but the way I played the first few holes would have been nothing but column fodder.

Kevin spent more time in the sand than a lifeguard. I donated balls to the course as if it depended on them for sustenance.

The course, however, is spectacular, with several holes providing some breathtaking scenery. There’s hole No. 12, a 395-yard par-4 which provides a direct view of Snoqualmie Falls; and there’s hole No. 9, a treacherous par-3 in which you must hit over a large body of water, affectionately known as the “man eater”.

The hole I enjoyed the most was the 448-yard No. 14; this hole features an 80-foot drop in elevation and leaves the golfer with a tough choice – to shoot over a deep canyon, or play short and safe.

I choose to take a shot over the canyon but I didn’t think I’d be successful; my shots off the tee had been erratic all day, and my slice would leave the ball deep into the canyon. Instead, I rocketed a perfectly placed drive over the gap and landed neatly on the fairway. I’d like to say I hit a clean second shot onto the green and followed up with a putt for birdie, but that’s not how things turned out. Needless to say, I couldn’t continue with my good fortunes and ended up with a triple-bogey.

This course was the most challenging that I’ve ever picked up the irons on and it should be intriguing to see how the golfers on the Champions Tour handle it. This year’s event welcomes defending champion Kite (who also won the event in 2006), as well as Player and other sure-fire World Golf Hall of Famer’s in Isao Aoki, Ben Crenshaw and Bernhard Langer.

The event helps to support the Heart Institute at Virginia Mason Medical Center and the First Tee of Seattle, an organization that helps to educate children through golf. Tickets are available for $40 for all three days, and more information can be found at www.boeingclassic.com.

After shooting a classic 43-over par, I can tell you one thing – this course is better left to the pro’s.

I think we’ll stick to our pens and paper.