Our Picks for The 10 Best Golf courses in Washington
1. Gamble Sands Golf Club
Address: 200 Sands Trail Road, Brewster, WA 98812, Okanogan County
Type of field: Links
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 128
Course Rating: 74.2
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,169
Scorecard: Link
The centerpiece of Brewster, Washington, the Sands and QuickSands Course at Gamble Sands are located on 115 acres of fine fescue grasses, designed by renowned golf course architect David McLay Kidd. Ranked as No.16 for Best 200 Resort Courses by Golfweek and No. 1 Best Course in Washington State by Golf.
2. Chambers Bay Golf
Address: 6320 Grandview Dr W, University Place, Washington (WA) 98467, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 142
Course Rating: 76.8
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,585
Scorecard: Link
Chambers Bay was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Chambers Bay was the site of the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and hosted the U.S. Open in 2015; these events were awarded by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in early 2008. Chambers Bay was originally nominated as a gem by Mal and added to the Top 100 website in June 2008.
3. Wine Valley Golf Club
Address: 176 Wine Valley Road, Walla Walla, Washington (WA) 99362, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 130
Course Rating: 75.2
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,360
Scorecard: Link
Following the success of his debut design at Bandon Crossings, self-taught architect Dan Hixson has surpassed expectations with his second solo project at Wine Valley Golf Club. Minimalism was the watchword when Hixson laid out the fairways here over an expansive property with the Blue Mountains as a dramatic backcloth.
4. Aldarra Golf Club
Address: 29125 SE Duthie Hill Rd, Sammamish, WA 98075, United States
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 150
Course Rating: 74.9
Total par (men’s tees): 71
Total yardage (men’s tees): 6,885
Scorecard: Link
Tom Fazio’s course at Aldarra Golf Club was his first project in Washington State. The Fazio fairways at Aldarra have been routed through a heavily forested, secluded landscape with significant changes in elevation that allow amazing views of Mount Si and the surrounding Cascade mountains.
5. Tumble Creek
Address: 151 Saddle Ridge Rd, Cle Elum, WA 98922, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 138
Course Rating: 75.4
Total par (men’s tees): 71
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,083
Scorecard: Link
Tumble Creek mountain golf course is an understated Tom Doak layout that’s situated next to Suncadia Resort’s 36-hole golf complex. “Prospector,” Arnold Palmer’s 2004 offering and the Jim Hardy/Peter Jacobson-designed “Rope Rider,” which opened in 2012.
6. Salish Cliffs Golf Club
Address: 91 West State, Route 108, Shelton, Washington (WA) 98584, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 140
Course Rating: 75.2
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,269
Scorecard: Link
Designed by Gene Bates, the Salish Cliffs golf course opened in 2011. Salish Cliffs Golf Club is the world’s first “salmon-safe” golf course according to www.salmonsafe.org. This organization inspires a golf course design and management to respect the protection of urban water quality and the preservation of imperilled West Coast salmon. Superintendent Bob Pearsall was hired while the course was being built and played a major role in helping the course earn the Salmon Safe Certification.
7. Palouse Ridge Golf Club
Address: 1260 Palouse Ridge Drive, Pullman, Washington (WA) 99164, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 140
Course Rating: 75.9
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,308
Scorecard: Link
Palouse Ridge Golf Club is a bold, dramatic design that emanated from the drawing board of architect John Harbottle III and it’s the home course of the university’s Cougar golf teams. It opened for play in 2008 and is the home venue of the Cougar golf teams of the Pac-12 Conference.
8. North/East at Sahalee Country Club
Address: 21200 NE Sahalee Country Club Dr, Redmond, Washington 98074, King County
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 139
Course Rating: 74.6
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 6,966
Scorecard: Link
Sahalee is best known as the site of the PGA Championship in 1998. The course’s original architect was Ted Robinson; in preparation for the PGA Championship, Rees Jones renovated the course in 1996, 1997, and 1998. In preparation for the 1998 PGA Championship, Rees Jones was brought in to renovate the courses. The South and North nines were renovated in 1996.
9. Seattle Golf Club
Address: 210 NW 145th St, Shoreline, WA 98177, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 132
Course Rating: 73
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 6,800
Scorecard: Link
Seattle Golf Club was founded in 1900 with the stated mission to “facilitate and encouragement the development of the noble game of golf” and it moved to its current location on the slopes above Puget Sound seven years after its formation. Redesigned in 1996 by Arnold Palmer, the challenging, beautiful, and quiet golf course is surrounded by hundred-year-old Douglas firs and immaculately maintained by expert green keepers.
10. The Club At Snoqualmie Ridge
Address: 36005 SE Ridge Street, Snoqualmie, Washington (WA) 98065, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 142
Course Rating: 75.5
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,264
Scorecard: Link
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the championship golf course opened in 1999 and was formerly a member of the Tournament Players Club network. The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge was voted “Most Beautiful Clubhouse” in Washington state by Architectural Digest in 2018.
