Golf

Golf isn’t my cup of tea … or should I say tee. But there are some highly recommended public golf courses and resorts near Seattle.

Just across Lake Washington is The Golf Club at Newcastle – Coal Creek. Look for a challenge on this Cupp/Couples designed course which features a 300 feet elevation change and vistas of Lake Washington and the Seattle Skyline.

The Washington National Golf Club in Auburn was ranked among ‘The 101 Best Golf Experiences in the West’ by Fairways & Greens (2006). Tee options range from 5,100 to 7,300 yards. The course was designed by award-winning John Fought and is home of the University of Washington Men’s and Women’s teams.

The resort at Alderbrook on Hood Canal has a top 25 ranked course. Northwest players enjoy the playability and spectacular scenery on the par 72 course of rolling fairways bordered by massive Evergreen trees and Olympic Mountain views.

Another Northwest Resort, located on the shores of Ludlow Bay is also known for its beautiful setting. The Resort at Port Ludlow Golf Course includes three distinct nines: Tide, Timber, and Trail. Each is sculpted out of dense forest with magnificent Olympic Mountains views. No two holes play alike.

Semiahmoo Resort near the Canadian border at Blaine, WA, is home to two of the state’s top public and private golf courses. Designed by Arnold Palmer, Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club offers a golfing challenge second to none in Washington. This is golfing, with water in play on five holes and 67 strategically placed bunkers. You may choose Semiahmoo for its manicured fairways and contoured greens, or Loomis Trail for its consistently smooth, fast greens.

Chambers Bay, about a 60 minute drive south to Tacoma, was created as a walking-only ‘links’ golf course meant to be played the way the game was originally created in Scotland. Designer Robert Trent Jones has given this municipal course a layout that traverses the rugged coastal setting of dunes and grasses along Puget Sound. Chambers Bay is the site of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open Championships. Enjoy Olympic Mountain views as you play this remarkable and challenging 18 hole course.

Challenging private courses include: Canterwood Golf & Country Club located in Gig Harbor; Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia; TCP Snoqualmie Ridge at Snoqualmie; and Bear Creek Country Club in Woodinville, WA.