Ocean Shores Golf Course’s history, like the course, is a one-of-a-kind

    What better location for a golf course then scenic seaside town of Ocean Shores. It’s not enough to just have location when it comes to golf courses, the course has to provide a good product and a rewarding golfing experience. Ocean Shores GC has been able to do that for 58 years and its longevity is proof of the quality of golf it provides.

    Ocean Shores is a unique one-of-a-kind layout, with only two doglegs and a relatively flat terrain is would seem to be a push-over. It is not long by today’s standards, playing to a modest 6,252 yards from the back tees with a par of 71. It can also play as short as 5,203 from the forward tees and with three sets of tees there is a comfortable yardage for everyone’s game. However, yardage is not the full measurement of the difficulties awaiting at Ocean Shores. The prevailing heavy ocean wind not only affect the ball flight, especially when playing into a headwind, it also pulls the moisture out of the greens making them firm and difficult to navigate if not played properly – the bump-and-run is a good strategy here. The course prides itself for having some of the best greens in the state.

   

    The facility has a covered hitting stations on the range with mats and grass tees. In the clubhouse there is a snack bar serving sandwiches and cold beverages.  Tournaments are a specialty at Ocean Shores. They will assist in making necessary arrangements and pairing, scorecards, cart assignments, scoring, and prize fund as well as food service.

    Troon®, the leader in providing golf and club-related leisure and hospitality services, took over the management of Ocean Shores Golf Course in June 2023. It is managed under their Premier Golf Centers umbrella. It becomes the newest addition to Premier Golf Centers’ popular Frequent Players Program, which rewards golfers with preferred rates and benefits on green fees and golf carts as well as special pricing on select merchandise. The program is free to join. For more information about the program visit www.premiergolfcenters.com.

    Ocean Shores Golf Course has a history like no other. What began as a 6-hole course in 1961 became 9 holes in ‘63 and during the development boom of 1966 the 18-hole course was ready for the spotlight.

    In 1966 singer/actor Pat Boone started hosting his Celebrity Golf Classic at Ocean Shores bringing in celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Joe Namath, Chuck Connors, and U of W football coach, Jim Owens, to name a few. The tournament continued until 1970.

    In 1970 the course became a regular LPGA Tour stop. Hall of Famers like Kathy Whitworth, JoAnne Carner and Patty Berg along with many other notable golfers added star-power to the event. Washington native and future Hall-of-Famer JoAnne Carner won her first professional tournament here.

    The publicity generated by these prestige events put Ocean Shores on the national map.

Today, the fanfare may be gone but the course remains as a great place to put on your must-play list. Over the years the city of Ocean Shores has changed and grown, adding hotels, and more businesses, but the ocean beaches are still a popular draw. Ocean Shores is a perfect place to get away from the metro congestion and explore this fun little coastal city, and, of course, play some golf.