Destination: Olympic Peninsula

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Updated: June 2, 2020

The Olympic Peninsula has millions of visitors each year from all parts of the globe as the reputation as a scenic wonderland is well known. Here’s a look at the golf courses in this region:

Port Ludlow Golf Course

Golf Magazine named Port Ludlow as one of the top five public courses in Washington.  The two 9-hole courses are named Tide and Timber. Both nines have elevation changes with tall trees on the fairway edges. The course is well bunkered especially around the greens.            A tree trimming project on the back nine has opened up some shots as overhanging trees were trimmed, especially the tee shot on the par-4 13th hole.

A short ferry ride from Edmonds and a 16-mile drive from the Kingston ferry dock, Port Ludlow offers the perfect get-away for anyone looking to take a break from the city.  With a quaint inn, restaurant, spa and full service marina, the resort offers something for everyone.  

Lake Cushman Golf Course

Lake Cushman Golf Course sits on the edge of the Olympic National Park, high above the Hood Canal community of Hoodsport.  

The course and surroundings are truly a walk in the park – or a ride if you choose – where wildlife sighting is common. The course is challenging yet playable for all levels of golfers. There is also a driving range and practice putting green at the course. Hot dogs and snacks are available at the pro shop.

SunLand Golf and Country Club

Established as a private club and located in a mostly retirement community in Sequim. winds through huge fir, cedar and spruce trees, and is well protected with bunkers and ponds. There are a couple of elevation changes that add a good mixture to the round. Sunland plays to just over 6,000 yards with a par of 72. While not long, it plays tight.

The course, which was formerly private, is now open to the public during limited times. The course is hosting sectional qualifying for the 2019 US Senior Amateur Championship on August 5th.

Discovery Bay Golf Course

Discovery Bay Golf Club sits on a secluded 200-acre point above Discovery Bay, just outside the historic Victorian Seaport town of Port Townsend, Washington.

The two nines are vastly different; the original nine is contained in the lowlands while the back nine begins on a hilltop and works its way down to the clubhouse Both nines have a lot of character.

The course is managed by Randy White who has orchestrated a continuous year-round plan of upgrading the course that includes new tee boxes, numerous drainage projects and brush clearing.  

The course has some of the fasted greens you will find west of the mountains thanks to a new greens roller – and with the undulating greens it will challenge your putting skills. The old-style clubhouse has a large deck that overlooks the front nine and is a great place to relax with food and drink after a round. There is also a practice driving range at the course. If you are visiting the Port Townsend area, you need to play this course.

LakeLand Village

LakeLand Village, located between Hood Canal and Puget Sound’s Case Inlet, in the town of Allyn, Washington, is the only residential community that offers 27 holes of golf – three distinctly different nines – Generation I, Generation II and Generation III. With numerous ponds, gaping bunkers and majestic views of the Olympics and Mount Rainier, golfers will appreciate the scenic and challenging courses and the well-groomed putting greens. 

There is also a spring-fed lake, stocked annually with rainbow trout, where residents can enjoy fishing year round.  In addition to a restaurant and sports bar, the clubhouse also provides banquet facilities. A new housing section with 25 home sites, 8 of them on the first fairway of Generation III, opened up last year.

SkyRidge Golf Course

SkyRidge Golf Course is a family owned and operated golf course off Old Olympic Highway in Sequim, WA. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete, you are able to enjoy all the amenities this public course has to offers, every day of the year. SkyRidge Golf Course has a driving range, putting & chipping greens, pro shop, power or push carts to rent, access to a PGA-certified pro for lessons, and our restaurant and bar, Soren’s Café. 

This link-style course has walkable, wide open fairways where you can walk or drive to your ball year-round, challenging holes, surreptitiously placed moguls, as well as water hazards, and sand traps. There’s a total of ten greens here, but SkyRidge has the look and feel of an eighteen-hole course. The front nine totals a yardage maximum of 3,296, but if you want to play all eighteen, you’ll play from a separate set of tee boxes on the back nine totaling 6,529 yards. Their namesake comes from having a stunning view of the Olympic Mountain Range from every hole! 

The Cedars at Dungeness

The Olympic Mountains deflect the rain clouds around the city of Sequim, making the Cedars at Dungeness one of the driest courses in Western Washington – an average of 13-15 inches of rain per year.  With an 18-hole layout measuring over 6,400 yards, Dungeness is protected by sprawling bunkers and narrow approaches to elevated greens.  

The signature hole is the par-5 3rd with a series of bunkers in the shape of a Dungeness crab. Even the sand in this hazard is red. 

The Jamestown S’Klallam tribe bought the course in 2007 and has invested heavily in the clubhouse and landscaping. It is a great escape for Seattle/Tacoma area golfers who want some quality dry golf.

Highland Golf Course

Highland Golf Course originally opened as a nine-hole venue in 1930. It is now an 18-hole course that plays to 6,112 yards with a par of 70. There are not many flat lies, which makes it even more challenging and the greens are small adding to the difficulty.

Ocean Shores Golf Course

Ocean Shores Golf Course is a challenging, yet fun-to-play course. Par for the course is 71. Don’t be fooled by the modest 6,252 yardage of Ocean Shores Golf Course since the heavy ocean air, and moderate trade winds make it play much longer. The course offers a links style course and the shot-making challenges of a narrow, wooded course.

Lake Limerick Golf Club

Lake Limerick Country Club, just outside of Shelton, is a challenging 9-hole course surrounded by a housing development. While memberships are available, the course is open to the public. The course is tight and that is one of the things that make it fun to play. The fairways are lined by tall fir trees, giving you plenty different shots around the golf course. The greens are small to medium but can be tricky, bring your short game when you play here.

There are two sets of tees on the course and it plays to 5,771 yards with an 18-hole par of 73 and slope of 114. The course offers a good test of golf for everyone. Facilities include a restaurant and pro shop. Banquet facilities are available. They can be reached at golfpro@lakelimerick.com or visit www.lakelimerickgolf.com for more information.

Alderbrook Golf Club

Alderbrook Golf Club is a member-owned course in a golf centric community and is open to public play. It is a classic Northwest forested setting high above Hood Canal in Union, Washington. The most talked about hole is the 8th (Often called the ‘S’ hole), a double dog leg par 5 that stretches to 536 yards and was once picked by Golf Digest as one of the Northwest’s toughest holes. 

A new modern clubhouse with a restaurant, banquet room and pro shop opened in 2009 providing the final piece to the up-scale facility.

Port Townsend Golf Course

The 9-hole course is located in the historical seaport city of Port Townsend and features 2,731 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 35. The course will challenge you while providing a relaxing, picturesque backdrop. 

The course starts out with a right sloping dogleg par 5 playing 490 yards down hill to a smallish green. The second hole can be a bit scary, as this par 3 requires a tee shot over water to a difficult sloping green.  

The hilly terrain makes for some nice carry on downhill tee shots but in summer the ground can firm up and accuracy is at a premium. The course can actually trace its roots to 1904. 

 Port Townsend Golf Course has a driving range and a restaurant called The Dusty Green Cafe (name after the chef’s father, not the condition of the greens) with a popular outside deck overlooking the course. Just a short distance from downtown Port Townsend visitors can enjoy the town’s shops, sites and attractions while still getting in a round of golf.