With several courses dating back to the 1890s, Washington has a long and storied history with golf. There are more than 300 courses throughout the state, many of them open to the public, including Chambers Bay, which in 2015 became the first course in the Pacific Northwest to host the U.S. Open. Over the past 25 years, the state has seen a boom in golf course development, with some of the world’s leading architects designing spectacular, critically acclaimed layouts.
Whatever your golfing style, you’ll find the course for it in Washington. Golfers can enjoy windswept links dotted with gaping bunkers, narrow tracks carved through stands of massive conifers, and sunny high-desert fairways with forever views. Here are some of the most memorable golf courses in Washington State.
Golf Courses East of the Cascades
Gamble Sands
Northeast of Lake Chelan, sunny and spectacular Gamble Sands sits on a high-desert mesa overlooking a dramatic bend in the Columbia River. Designed by David McLay Kidd, this wide-open, links-style course with nary a tree in sight adjoins a 37-room boutique hotel. At over 7,000 yards, it’s a long track. The fairways tend to run fast, and the expansive, relatively forgiving greens make this great for all skill levels. And if you want to test your bunker game, you’ve come to the right place.
Suncadia Resort
With first-rate lodgings, restaurants, and recreational facilities, Suncadia Resort sits outside the charming towns of Cle Elum and Roslyn. Stretching across 6,400 forested acres, you’ll find dazzling views of the surrounding Cascade Range. Suncadia is home to a pair of golfing gems. The Prospector course presents sweeping fairways that cut through swatches of ponderosa pine and are punctuated by Arnold Palmer’s signature bunkering. Alternatively, the Rope Rider course, designed by Jim Hardy and Peter Jacobsen, is considered more forgiving. Golf clinics and private classes are also available.
Kalispel Golf and Country Club
Established in 1898 and purchased by the Kalispel Tribe in 2015, the Kalispel Golf and Country Club offers players the opportunity to experience one of the most historic golf courses in Washington. The 6,600-yard layout is set along the south bank of the Little Spokane River. Just 10 miles north of downtown Spokane, it features classic elements like high-risk, high-reward doglegs and fairways framed by evergreens. Acclaimed golf course architect Robert Muir Graves gave the course a complete redesign in 1988. Following your round, savor creatively prepared steaks and seafood in the charming 1898 Public House.
Apple Tree Golf Course
Named in honor of one of Yakima’s most famous locally grown exports, the Apple Tree Golf Course is perhaps best regarded for the whimsical design of the island green on the par-3 17th hole. It’s shaped like an apple, with a sand trap “leaf” and a cart path “stem.” Visitors are sometimes surprised to encounter so many streams and ponds on this course in the semi-arid Yakima Valley, but that’s part of the fun. On the par 5 18th hole, avoid a huge pond lining the left fairway and a red-sand apple-shaped bunker guarding the pin.
Wine Valley Golf Club
In the shadow of the Blue Mountains outside Walla Walla’s fertile wine country, Wine Valley Golf Club presents one of the best links-style golf courses in Washington. Renowned Pacific Northwest–based architect Dan Hixson used open spaces and the topography carved by wind and water over thousands of years to craft a course that rewards premium shot-making. Although the generally wide fairways are forgiving, Wine Valley’s massive bunkers and tight pin placements require a precise and patient short game.
Also See: Explore Washington Wine Country
Palouse Ridge Golf Club
In 2008, John Harbottle—who also designed the outstanding Olympic Course at Gold Mountain—created one of the West’s most admired layouts at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club. Located on the Washington State University campus in Pullman, the links-style track requires golfers to negotiate the swirling breezes. Elevation changes, 49 bunkers, and two lakes present an array of intriguing obstacles. Many greens are surrounded by swales and hollows and are designed with infinity edges.
Golf Courses West of the Cascades
Chambers Bay Golf Course
Along the shore southwest of Tacoma sits Chambers Bay Golf Course, which hosted the U.S. Open in 2015. Ranking among the top public venues in the country, it’s one of the most beloved golf courses in Washington. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., this links-inspired layout unfurls across rolling dunes, perilous rough, speedy fairways, and gaping sand traps. This long course, known for windy conditions, can test the mettle of even low handicappers. In 2019, the greens were updated with smoother native grass.
Golf Club at Newcastle
Perched on a rise near Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park, the Golf Club at Newcastle offers sweeping panoramas. Fred Couples teamed with Robert E. Cupp in 1999 to design two layouts with views of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains. The tougher track of the two, Coal Creek, boasts five rangy par 5s, elevation changes, and multitiered greens that are sure to challenge your club-selection abilities. Shorter, a bit gentler, and with five par 3s, China Creek nevertheless demands a capable short game. The club’s elegant Calcutta Grill earns raves for its artfully plated contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine.
Gold Mountain Golf Club
A big part of what makes Gold Mountain Golf Club special is the breathtaking mountain vistas. Located near downtown Bremerton, Gold Mountain offers two courses. The Olympic layout is where superstar Justin Spieth won his second U.S. Junior Amateur in 2011. The sloping greens with ample bunkers reward golfers with a firm command of their wedges and putters. Gold Mountain’s second 18-hole layout, Cascade, is less hilly and with fewer hazards, making it a favorite of higher-handicapper golfers.
Also See: Kitsap Peninsula Road Trip
Salish Cliffs Golf Club
Operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe in Shelton, Salish Cliffs Golf Club adjoins the Little Creek Casino & Resort. You’ll find a gorgeous setting, a challenging layout, and a deep commitment to protecting the surrounding environment. In fact, it’s the first golf course in the world to have earned certification from the nonprofit conservation organization, Salmon-Safe. With elevation gains of more than 600 feet, this lush course affords spectacular vistas of the Kamilche Valley. Holes 9 and 18 share a massive 15,000-square-foot green fringed by verdant wetlands and a pristine lake.
Port Ludlow Golf Course
On the Olympic Peninsula, the Port Ludlow Golf Course boasts rugged beauty, native grasses, and colorful wildflowers. You’ll encounter significant elevation changes, forced carries, and expansive views of the bay and Olympic and Cascade mountains. Part of an expansive resort that includes a marina and inn, this course, designed by Robert Muir Graves, also serves as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, making it a favorite of wildlife-loving golf enthusiasts.
Also See: Discover Birding Trails in Washington
Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club
The beautifully kept fairways of Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club overlook Blaine’s scenic Drayton Harbor. Part of the upscale Semiahmoo Resort, this evergreen-lined track designed by Arnold Palmer earns raves for its manicured greens and tricky tee placements. A favorite is the par 3 12th hole, with its dazzling views and a challenging carry over water. Throughout the course, you’ll also have to maneuver among 67 bunkers.
About the Author
Freelance editor and writer Andrew Collins is based in Mexico City but returns frequently to the Pacific Northwest. He is the editor of both the official Washington State Visitors’ Guide and the Visit Seattle Official Visitors’ Guide. He regularly updates several Washington chapters of the Fodor’s Pacific Northwest guidebook and is the author of Ultimate Road Trips US and Canada. Collins writes about travel for The Points Guy and several other publications. You can read his work at AndrewsTraveling.com.