Destination: Olympic Peninsula

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Updated: May 1, 2018

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 short ferry ride from Edmonds and a 20-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.

This well-maintained nine-hole course has separate tees to make it a par 72. The natural forested setting produces a calming atmosphere for relaxing rounds of golf.

SunLand Golf and Country Club
Established in 1971 and located in a mostly retirement community in Sequim, SunLand Golf and Country Club 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.

Salish Cliffs
When Salish Cliffs opened for public play in 2011, it was obvious that this amenity of the Little Creek Casino and Squaxin Island tribe was something special, The Gene Bates-designed course won several awards in its first year, including being named one of the top new courses for 2011.

At 7,269 yards the course offers everything – from ponds to sand traps to wetlands to the elevation changes, Salish Cliffs is a place that is a golfing treat with some stunning Pacific NW views and some challenging holes along the way.

And don’t forget about the casino, hotel and convention center, which sit right next door to the golf course.

Discovery Bay Golf Course

Discovery Bay Golf Club sits on a secluded 200-acre point above Discovery Bay, just outside the 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 is built on the top and along the side of a hill that provides some challenging drive and approach shots. Both nines have a lot of character.

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. 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 this spring.

SkyRidge Golf Course
SkyRidge Golf Course and Golf Learning Center located in Sequim promotes golf carts 365 days a year but the course is flat and easy to walk. SkyRidge has four sets of tees and will test golfers of all levels as well as offer variations of each hole.

Measuring 3,405 yards, the nine-hole links-style golf course features a separate 18th hole. Playing to 445 yards, this par-4 will test your game. The weather and ease of walking make this a popular place for golfers. The practice range has grass tees and a level landing area. The restaurant is a great place for food and to hang out and watch golf on the TV.

Oaksridge Golf Course
Oaksridge Golf Course sits just off Highway 12 in Elma and is visible from the freeway. The 18-hole track measures 5,643 yards and is a local favorite after opening in 1926.

The course is relatively level so it makes a perfect walking course. Just be advised, the prevailing winds can lengthen it considerably.

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.

The Home Course

A golf course in DuPont, Wash. existed for a few years before the PNGA came in, bought it and called it the Home Course. And what a place it is. The Mike Asmundson-designed course is user-friendly, but at the same time can be a monster if you choose to walk to the back tee boxes called Dynamite Tees and play the 7,400 yards.

A new clubhouse is in the works and will be the new headquarters for the PNGA. The Home Course hosts several PNGA championships. It’s definitely a must play on all golfers bucket list and worth the trip when heading toward the bottom of the Olympic Peninsula. The PNGA made some changes to the back side changing the 11th hole to a par-4 and the 12th hole to a par-3. Both come with new bunkers, including a couple that are deep-faced and look like they came right from Europe.

Tumwater Valley

Tumwater Valley is known for many things, like its great condition, proximity to Interstate-5, reputation for hosting big tournaments – and a couple of par-3 holes that have two greens, offering some variety to its par-3 holes, giving them a shorter look, another a longer look. The course always is in top shape throughout the year.

And its 10-acre practice area is like nothing in the area – with a grass tee hitting area and a terrific short game facility. The restaurant has a large patio area that is a great place to relax after your round.

Highland Golf Course
Highland Golf Course originally opened as a nine-hole venue in 1930. 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. Although short, the course offers a good test of golf for everyone.

Airport Golf Center
Airport Golf has plenty of room for practice, including its covered driving range, putting greens and more. It also has a nine-hole executive course next to the Olympia Airport. It also has batting cages for baseball enthusiasts.

Eagle’s Pride at Fort Lewis
Eagle’s Pride at Fort Lewis (joint based Fort Lewis and McChord Base), features 27 holes of golf: the green, blue and red courses. It has just about everything you would expect from a Northwest course – tall trees, sand, water and tight fairways.

New at both Eagle’s Pride and its sister course Whispering Firs at McChord Air Force Base offer a JBLM Pass – a 7-day pass that gives golfers specials, good prices and much more.

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.

Playing to 6,326 yards from the back tees, it plays a lot longer than the yardage suggests. Alderbrook’s finishing hole is one of the best in the Northwest – the dog-leg right fairway plays down a long hill to a recently renovated green guarded by a newly extended pond, making this difficult hole even more of a challenge. The view of the Olympic Mountains is a spectacular backdrop to the 18th green.

This well-maintained and challenging golf course should be on everyone’s list of must-play courses.

A new modern clubhouse with a restaurant, banquet room and pro shop opened in 2009 providing the final piece to the up-scale facility. Alderbrook Resort & Spa is located near by.

Marvin Road Range
Marvin Road Range offers plenty of stalls and a putting and short game area. And don’t forget about the baseball batting cages. If you need some work, then this is the place for you. And you can work on that batting game as well.

Golf Club at Hawk’s Prairie
If you are looking for a variety of golf in the same place, the Golf Club at Hawk’s Prairie is your place. Located a few miles north of Lacy, the Woodlands Course is a challenging test through the trees while the Links Course offers a more open layout. The courses have become favorites for Puget Sound since they opened for play. A solid practice facility sits near the Links course with plenty of places to hit and putt.

It’s the perfect place to spend the day and play 36 holes on two different types of golf courses. Both courses offer the chance to use every club on your bag and both gives you two distinct rounds of golf.

Port Townsend Golf Course

The 9-hole course at the Port Townsend Golf 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 starts out with a right sloping dogleg par 5 playing 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 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 snack bar 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 restaurants while still getting in some golf.