Explore golf courses around the Bellingham area

The Bellingham aea has long been known for its great variety of golf courses. The area in and around Bellingham offers a little of something for everyone with beautiful layouts and breathtaking views combined with the upcoming pristine spring and summer weather makes the Northwest corner of the state a can’t-miss golf destination.

Loomis Trail Golf Club
Loomis Trail was ranked as the No.1 public course in Washington by Golf Digest (2005) and was the only Washington state course ranked in the nation’s Top 100. Loomis Trail combines the magic of scenic beauty and dry conditions suitable for year-round play.

The course recently was purchased by the Lummi Nation Indian Tribe and they have made sure the course has stayed true to its opening with great conditions and a layout which is one of the most challenging in the Northwest from the first tee to the 18th green. Loomis Trail also is partnered with the Silver Reef Casino Resort and has packages catered to the golfing crowd. A Stay and Play Package, Birdie Package and Eagle Package offers golf, hotel stay combinations.

North Bellingham Golf Course
Established in 1995, the North Bellingham Golf Course is a premier destination designed in the traditional Scottish links style.The course’s expansive, open landscape leaves golfers vulnerable to the elements, where shifting winds frequently dictate the difficulty of play.
The facility is renowned for its firm, fast, and impeccably maintained greens, which demand precision and confidence from every player on the putting surface.

The strategic layout of the course is defined by 12 ponds that impact 14 holes and 58 strategically placed white-sand bunkers, creating a challenging environment that requires constant focus from the first tee throughout the entire round.

Shuksan Golf Club
At the Shuksan Golf Club in Bellingham, the theme is nature. There are challenges throughout the golf course and the first bit of water trouble comes into play on the very first hole.

Elevated tees and greens are prominent throughout the layout as the course varies over 100 feet in elevation. Ten Mile Creek meanders throughout the layout and cuts across many of the fairways to keep golfers on guard.

Shuksan Golf Club added length to the course recently and it now stretches beyond 7,000 yards from the back tees. And as a result the ratings from the white tees went from 121 to 131. Newly re-designed bunkers, water features and more have added to the course. Golf Digest has always rated this outstanding course with four stars since opening in 1991 and the course keeps that rating year after year.

A 250-seat outdoor terrace has been open for golf events, weddings, receptions and more. The Bistro at Shuksan is also a hit with golfers before or after a round.

Avalon Golf Club
Avalon Golf Links of Burlington is the only 27-hole facility in the area and well worth the 50-minute drive from the Seattle area. Three separate nines make up the 27 holes and are simply named the South, West and North Courses. The name Avalon means an island represented as an earthly paradise in the western seas to which King Arthur and other heroes were carried at death, is a golfing paradise just off Interstate 5.

The Robert Muir Graves-designed course is a bargain all the way. Avalon offers an all-day promotion seven days a week, 365 days a year (rates vary depending on the day of the week).

Whidbey Golf Club
Set in the midst of a quiet, lake and tree-lined glen of Oak Harbor, you’ll find the natural beauty and unique character of one of Whidbey Island’s best kept secrets. Welcome, to Whidbey Golf Club, established over 50 years ago. Whidbey Golf Club is a semi private, family oriented club.

With its natural beauty, thrilling year-round play, and first-class dining facilities make WGC a natural choice for any occasion. Whether enjoying a round of golf, celebrating a wedding, or meeting for business, Whidbey Golf Club delivers an affordable quality that simply can’t be beat. Oak Harbor sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains resulting in an average annual rainfall 50% less rainfall than most of the Puget Sound area.

Semiahmoo Resort
The 18-hole destination resort, located in Blaine, offers an award-winning golf course that is one of the top ranked courses and extremely challenging with plenty of water hazards to add to the fun.

Tree-lined Semiahmoo, ranked the No. 3 public course by Golf Digest (2005), offers five holes with water and a course that can stretch to 7,005 yards from the tips.

Some great golf and a restful stay at the resort are sure to be a winning combination. The private course is open tor resort guests. The course features a tough one-two punch with hazard-filled hole Nos. 11 and 12. Water lines the right side of the fairway at the 371-yard par-4 11th hole and flanks the green, making both the tee shot and approach tough even for the most skilled golfers. No. 12 is a 173-yard par-3 requires a tee shot over water. There is bailout room left to avoid water, but miss it right and you are in big trouble. Semiahmoo Resort is also home to the Jeff Coston Golf Academy.

Sudden Valley Golf Club
Sudden Valley Golf Club is known for its two distinctly different nines. The front nine, which winds past the southern shores of Lake Whatcom, is relatively flat and open. The back nine wanders through the trees and offers some narrow fairways and variation in elevation. The Bellingham course, designed by Ted Robinson and ranked a four-star offering by Golf Digest.

Camaloch Golf Course
Located on Camano Island, Camaloch Golf Course has not only an 18-hole course but switches to a par-3 course t during the wet winter months.

Camaloch Golf Course promotes itself as being in the Puget Sound’s Sun Belt and receives about one-half of the annual rainfall of nearby courses. The course is located just 15 minutes off of Interstate-5, giving it easy access for those looking for a round right off the freeway. The course plays to 6,234 yards from the back tees but offers reasonable distances for all levels of players. The par-3 13th hole has been lengthened and the pro shop has been renovated as well.

Holmes Harbor
Holmes Harbor is rated one of the top executive golf courses in Washington State, the 18-hole course is playable in just over three hours. The Par 64 course measures 4,279 yards, providing panoramic vistas throughout the course. The course is located in the southern part of Whidbey Island within the community of Freeland.

With a defined cut of rough bordering the fairways and undulating greens, the signature hole is #8, a 160-yard, Par 3, with a 100-foot drop in elevation from tee to green.

Owner/operator Paul Lavin has revamped the course over the last few years after being closed and abandoned multiple times. Multiple water hazards, sand and pot bunkers along with a variety of the narrow and wide fairways make Holmes Harbor a solid test.

Gallery Golf Course
This is a Navy-owned golf course in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. It is located at the Whidbey Naval Air Station. It opened to public play in 1992. The thing that gets your attention right away are the views. From just about every point on the course, there are views of the Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca and the mountains. The back nine has some holes surrounded by trees but most of the holes around the course are open and offer those terrific views.

Swinomish Golf Links
The Swinomish Tribe enter into the golf business by purchasing Similk Beach Golf Course and turning it into their own Swinomish Golf Links. The course is part of the Swinomish Casino and Lodge, a place with water views, RV parking, restaurants, gambling and more. The golf course is also a good test and the tribe has put money back into the course to give a new look and some solid conditioning. There are plenty of challenging holes and golfers will enjoy some views of the nearby water and mountains during their round.

Lake Padden Golf Course
If you are looking for some of the best in public friendly golf, then look no further than Lake Padden, located just south of Bellingham. An award-winning 18- hole championship course woven through an old growth forest. This setting offers a golfing experience unlike any other with serenity, peace, and unrefined beauty. Lake Padden also offers a driving range, PGA instruction, full service pro shop and restaurant.

San Juan Islands
A trio of nine-hole courses including Orcas Island Golf Club, Lopez Island Golf Club and San Juan Golf & Country Club provide quality golf to vacationers in the San Juan Islands. Orcas Island is the oldest of the three courses, as it was designed and built in 1960. It’s a popular destination in summer and was recently purchased by a young local family, the Taylor Family.

Deception Pass Golf Center
The facility is called Deception Pass Golf Center. it is located one mile south of Deception Pass Bridge on Whidbey Island and formerly known as Lam’s Golf Links. The 9-hole course has 2 sets of tees to allow golfers to manufacture an 18-hole round. It has all par 3 holes with one short par 4 which plays to 232 and 255 yards. There is also a variety of other golf related activities.