Some weather problems and other delays have pushed the anticipated opening of the White Horse golf course back. But work is progressing on both the course and the nearby development, according to property owner Bob Screen.

All the shaping and grading on the course is complete, with irrigation being the current stage and grassing to begin this month. Screen said it takes about a year’s growing period for the grass to mature, and he anticipates the golf course to be in operation by June 2006.

Cynthia Dye McCarey, of the esteemed Dye family of golf architects and designers, has developed the 18-hole course with variety in mind: Each hole is different. A former landscaper with a passion for preserving natural features, she used the rolling topography to her advantage, incorporating bunkers and wetlands into the field.

Every hole has five tee areas, accommodating beginner to advance levels of players. The distance between the forward and the back tees is about 130 yards. “The shots from the forward tees are shorter and have less hazards to deal with,” Screen said.

The golf course has been noticed by women as well. Screen said they drive potential customers around, and women notice the friendly features, thanks to McCarey’s design.

The golf course, billed as one of the driest in the region, winds through woodlands and open space, with a scenic mountain backdrop. “People in Kitsap tell us all the time they can’t wait for it to open,” Screen said.

And people from far beyond Kitsap are looking forward to making White Horse their new home. Screen said half of the 65 phase one lots have been sold, with buyers coming anywhere from Seattle area to California and Texas. Some home construction has already started. The development will include a clubhouse, a 15-room executive inn, a restaurant and banquet facilities. An information center will soon open at the site, Screen said.

The 456-acre development went through about 12 years of legal wrangling, but Screen feels the timing to go forward is great because of the real estate market and the shortage of homes in Kitsap county — which reflects an overall shortage in the region and in the country.

Several more phases are planned within four or more years, depending on the market absorption rate, but Screen said the second phase would not begin until the golf course is complete.