Washington Resorts

Editor’s note: Washington state’s golf resorts are spread out over the entire state but are some of the best.

Semiahmoo Resort

Semiahmoo Resort, which is located in Washington’s northwest corner in Blaine, offers guests the chance to play a terrific championship golf course near the Canadian border.  After the resort closed the hotel in 2012, Wright Hotels, a Seattle-based management company, came in to buy the property and pumped millions into renovations. Semiahmoo Resort features a 212-room destination hotel and the world-class Arnold Palmer designed Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club which is available to member play and guest access. It’s a great layout and playable for all levels of golfers. Semiahmoo members have access to Palmer Advantage and Private Club Network courses which gives access to 180 private clubs nationwide. Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club is available for member play and resort guest access Over the past year, the club has invested $3.8 million to improve club facilities including new golf carts, new clubhouse roof and golf course drainage equipment. Other amenities include the Eagles Nest (indoor golf simulator lounge), two indoor tennis courts, four pickleball courts, pool and more. The acclaimed Jeff Coston Academy is also located Semiahmoo. Take advantage of the Get Back on The Green Package and experience Semiahmoo for yourself.

Silver Reef Casino Resort 

When the Lummi Nation decided to get into the golf business, it did in a big way by buying the Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash. It now gives the tribe a complete resort with its golf course and Silver Reef Casino Resort in Ferndale.

Designed by Graham Cooke, Loomis Trail Golf Club is the #5 public golf course in Washington, as rated by GolfWeek. It’s also the only course in Washington State to make the nation’s Top 100. Constructed with the Northwest in mind, Loomis Trail is at the top of the list for year-round play.  An extensive canal and lake system brings water into play on all 18 holes, giving Loomis Trail one of the highest slope ratings in Washington. 

The resort has a variety of packages to get golfers and their guests to the area from its Stay and Play Packages to the Birdie Package to the Eagle Stay and Golf, which includes two nights lodging, $100 resort or pro shop credit, breakfast for two, shuttle to the golf course, range balls and more.

For more, see www.silverreefcasino.com.

Little Creek Casino Resort

The Squaxin Island Indian tribe got involved in the resort business with its Little Creek Casino, a hotel. and a concert hall. And, of course, their award-winning Salish Cliffs Golf Course, designed by Gene Bates in 2012. For those who like a first-class hotel, you are covered. Good food? Covered again. Need to see a show? Salish Cliffs Golf Course is one of the top courses in the Pacific Northwest and ranked among the top new courses in the country in 2012. The Little Creek Casino Resort also has an RV park with 44 berths and access to an exercise room, heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub.  There are seven restaurants and the Seven Inlets Spa.

7Cedars Resort

The Jamestown S’kallam Indian Tribe decided to expand its resort when it purchased the Dungeness Golf Club. To go in line with its casino-resort theme, the golf course was renamed The Cedars at Dungeness.

The casino is in the process of building a hotel that will open this month. The golf course is one of the driest in the Pacific Northwest, being located in the Olympic Rain Shadow and the casino is loaded with games, entertainment and dining. There is also plenty of sight-seeing to do in the area, located on the Olympic Peninsula.

Port Ludlow Resort

Port Ludlow has been a golfer’s favorite for years. And for good reason, the tranquil setting amongst the trees makes playing the 18-hole course literally a walk in the park. Most people who travel to Port Ludlow Resort usually make a weekend stay out of it, playing 18 holes and then settling in for the night at the 37-room boutique waterfront inn of finding lodging in nearby Port Townsend. Of course, some people come by boat as the resort has a large marina and the course will provide transportation from the marina and back.

Apple Tree Golf Resort

Apple Tree is turning into a full fledged resort and has terrific golf to offer. But there is one thing you will remember after your round is finished – the apple-shaped 17th green. The par-3 hole features an elevated tee box with the tee shot being hit to an island green that is shaped like, what else, an apple. The stem is a sand trap and the green itself measures more than 10,000 square feet. But there’s also much more than just the island green. Apple Tree is also home to plenty of housing opportunities along and around the golf course as well for golfers to enjoy.

Suncadia Resort

One of the newest resorts came on the radar in the state of Washington – Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The first course, called Prospector, opened first. The second was the private Tumblecreek and the third is called Rope Rider. All are considered among the top golf courses in the Pacific Northwest. The resort is part of a large housing community with all of the amenities you’d expect to find a top-notch resort. Also open are a hotel, shopping area and more.  With the resort located so close to the Cascade mountains, there are plenty of outdoor options. Snoqualmie Pass skiing area is right up the road.

Skamania Resort

Since opening in 1993, Skamania Lodge has been the perfect type of weekend getaway for golfers around the Pacific Northwest.  Tucked on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River, the Skamania Lodge features a hotel with nearly 200 rooms, a place for businesses to bring in outside conferences and outdoor activities for the non golfers in the group. The course itself may not be long, measuring 5,800 yards, but it presents plenty of challenges with some tight fairways and stunning views of the Columbia River. There are also plenty of other things to do nearby, including visiting Multnomah Falls and a walk to the top.

Sage Hills Golf & RV Resort

Sage Hills Golf and RV Resort is surrounded by sage brush and farms and is one of those laid-back places you love to come back to. The course is well groomed and challenging. There are 42 level RV sites with full hook-ups. There is also a swimming pool, laundry, a full-service restaurant and lounge that can accommodate up to 100 people. The course is 18 holes with a par of 71 and is located 17 miles south of Moses Lake along highway 17.

Gamble Sands

This is what the beginning a golf resort looks like. It started with the award-winning David McLay Kidd-designed golf course in Brewster, Wash. and continued with the villas at Gamble Sands, a restaurant and putting course. Next up is the Quick Sands Course, giving the place more of a resort feel with two courses, there is also the Inn at Gamble Sands with its terrific rooms and views.  There is plenty to like about Gamble Sands, with its views above the Columbia River and the new villas and more.

Clearwater Resort

The Suquamish Indian Tribe first got into the resort business with the opening of its Clearwater Resort near Kingston. And more recently, the tribe bought the White Horse Golf Club to give it yet another amenity for the resort. The White Horse Golf Club has undergone some subtle tweaks since the casino bought it and it added a spectacular clubhouse that overlooks the 18th green. The hotel features 85 waterfront rooms, a spa and plenty of meeting spaces to lure businesses in from out of town. The course is a treat, measuring 7,093 yards from the back tees and featuring views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. The casino has four restaurants

Kahler Glen Golf & Ski Resort

Kahler Glen Golf Resort is a one-of-a-kind resort only a short drive from Puget Sound metro. It is a resort that prides itself on offering something for everyone – winter and summer.  The Leavenworth resort (located at Lake Wenatchee) has 18 terrific holes of challenging golf. Peaceful, serene and scenic is a good description of this golf resort. The course might not be long (measuring 5,893 yards from the tips) but the fairways are tree-lined and there are some extreme elevation changes and sharp doglegs. (You must check out the flyover on their website). There is a unique Aqua driving range, complete with floating greens. For skiers there are miles of cross-country trails and nearby Stevens Pass for some downhill action. Other recreation options are tennis & pickle ball, hiking, fishing, wine tasting, zip-lining, horseback riding and more. If you just want a quiet weekend to just relax and do nothing, this picturesque setting is perfect.

The intimate Wildflour Restaurant is rated as one the best in the area and all the lodging options have kitchen amenities for a memorable vacation getaway. And it’s only a short drive to the ‘Bavarian Village’ of Leavenworth. 

Swinomish Golf Links

Course in Anacortes is owned by the Swinomish Indian Tribe. Course was called Similk Beach Golf Links before changing its name. Resort is called Swinomish Casino Resort. Eight holes are nestled between Fidalgo Bay and Similk Bay with Mount Baker as a backdrop. Swinomish Golf Links is an 18-hole Par 72 course located on beautiful Fidalgo Island, just 2 hours north of Seattle, Washington. 

Sun Lakes Resort

Sun Lakes Resort is located north of Moses Lake and was created by Vic Meyers, the former Lieutenant Governor of Washington, who had a vision of turning a chain-link string of lakes into “The Palm Springs of the Northwest.” The 9-hole golf course is named after the Lieutenant Governor. The Sun Lakes Resort, located on Park Lake, is one of the state’s most popular family resorts with cabins and over 100 RV and camping spaces. Some of the activities available are: row boats, fishing, swimming in the pool or lake, Water War, hiking, enjoying the Streetside Cafe, shopping at the convenience and gift store. Bicycle riding also allows guest to ride a closed paved road along the west side of Park lake or guests can ride to the lake at the bottom of The Dry Falls.  Lake Lenore caves is also close by.