The natural beauty and creative golf courses at America’s Northwest Corner will test the skills of most golfers. Wooded hills, large trees, rugged lava fields, sagebrush-filled ravines, wetlands, beautiful lakes, rivers, and desert outcrops are part of the golf course landscapes in Oregon and Washington.
Washington Golfers See It All
Some of Washington’s golf courses offer unbeatable views. You can play in the sight of live volcanoes, in the shadow of imposing mountains, in the sight of islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, next to rivers, in an alpine desert and other picturesque places.
West of Seattle, the San Juan Islands have three islands that offer public golf courses, Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Island. That makes the San Juan Islands a great place to play golf from island to island. In total, you’ll find dozens of courses in the Seattle area, from a 705-yard par 27 9-hole course to a 7,093-yard-long 18-hole par 72 course.
The Tacoma area has nearly 20 public golf courses to choose from, several are located in Tacoma. There are also three public courses in Auburn, two in Spanaway, and one in DuPont, Ft. Lewis, Puyallup, Sumner, Union, and Gig Harbor. That makes Washington a great place for golfers from Seattle and Tacoma.
Washington’s Suncadia Rope Rider at Cle Elum covers 7,271 yards. This is the fourth city with a field of more than 7,000 yards in central Washington, creating a great place for long-distance players.
Eastern Washington has five public fields of 7,000 yards or more. They are located in Kennewick, Moses Lake, Pullman, Richland, and Walla Walla. Pullman’s Kennewick Canyon Lakes Golf Course and WSU Palouse Ridge Golf Club are among the top-rated courses in the state.
Oregon Golfers Play Everywhere
Along the Oregon coast you will find many fields where you can see deer, elk, waterfowl, and other wildlife. The natural terrain of this area offers many water hazards, hills, sand dunes, and forests to keep you on your toes. Here, a golfer can drive through strong winds, play less than 100 yards from the Pacific Ocean, and choose from courses designed by world-class golf legends.
One of Oregon’s top golf destinations is Portland, due to the large number of public courses that are within a 30-minute drive of downtown. These include three multi-course sites.
The serious golfer will also love Central Oregon. Between Black Butte and Sunriver there are more than a dozen 18-hole public golf courses. Black Butte Ranch has two courses that are over 7000 yards long and at Crooked River Ranch, the course runs through a 300-foot deep gorge.
Redmond’s Eagle Crest Resort offers three 18-hole courses and there are more courses in the city. There are four 18-hole courses in Bend and Sunriver Resort has two other public courses. Resort accommodations are also plentiful.
Eastern Oregon has public courses in eleven cities. You’ll find 18-hole courses in Baker City, Milton-Freewater, Pendleton, and Umatilla.
There is a lot of golf in Oregon and Washington. Almost 350 fields are open to the public in these two states. They charge less than $ 10 per game to over $ 200. Many have special times when it is cheaper to play. Taking advantage of twilight, early bird, senior, youth, and military discounts is one way to lower green rates; some courses even allow you to play for 1/3 of the normal rate.