Top Golf Courses in Washington: 10 Must-Play Courses

Washington is one of those golf states that still catches people off guard. You can play a true links above Puget Sound, head east for wide-open, wind-touched golf on sandy ground, then finish in mountain country or deep in evergreen private-club territory. Few states change the look and feel of the game this dramatically from one region to the next.

How we ranked

This list leans on Golf Digest’s latest Washington ranking, then filters it through the stuff golfers actually care about: architecture, conditioning, championship pedigree, scenery, access, and whether the course sticks in your head after the scorecard is gone.

Top 10 courses in Washington

1. Chambers Bay — University Place

If Washington has a signature public round, this is it. Chambers Bay is a walking-only, links-style test on the shores of Puget Sound, built on a former sand quarry and proven by a stack of USGA championships, including the 2015 U.S. Open. It gives you width off the tee, but not comfort; the ground game is restless, the contours are huge, and the place asks for imagination on almost every hole.

2. Aldarra Golf Club — Sammamish

Aldarra is pure private-club golf: no houses, rolling former Boeing-farm land, mountain views, wetlands, streams, and Tom Fazio’s only Washington design. It looks polished, but it is not soft. The course is beautiful in that quiet, serious way great private clubs tend to be, and the finishing stretch has enough teeth to wreck a good round in a hurry.

3. Gamble Sands — Brewster

Gamble Sands is the antidote to joyless golf. David McLay Kidd built it on sandy ground above the Columbia River, and the whole thing is about fun, freedom, and shot-making instead of punishment for punishment’s sake. It’s firm, fast, scenic, and friendly enough for average golfers to love while still giving strong players plenty of chances to attack.

4. Sahalee Country Club — Sammamish

You do not really play Sahalee so much as thread your ball through it. Carved into cedar and Douglas fir, this championship layout has hosted the PGA Championship, a World Golf Championship, a U.S. Senior Open, and multiple KPMG Women’s PGA Championships. It is narrow, exacting, and very much a grown-up test of driving discipline and iron control.

5. Tumble Creek Golf Course at Suncadia — Cle Elum

Tumble Creek is subtler than some of the louder Washington names, and that is exactly the appeal. Tom Doak let the land do most of the work here, routing holes through pine forests, river bluffs, and open meadows with a light touch. It is private, strategic, and the kind of course that gets better the more you pay attention to angles, green contours, and the way the terrain quietly nudges decisions.

6. Wine Valley Golf Club — Walla Walla

Wine Valley gives eastern Washington a course that can go toe-to-toe with anything in the region. Dan Hixson’s design plays big and open under the Blue Mountains, with multiple lines off the tee and enough wind and contour to keep you from getting lazy. It feels like inland links golf with a much better post-round dinner and wine list waiting nearby.

7. Royal Oaks Country Club — Vancouver

Royal Oaks is old-school private-club golf done properly: tough, tree-lined, fast on the greens, and maintained so well it stays in the Washington conversation every year. It has hosted major Northwest tournaments, and the fact that Tiger Woods won the 1994 PNGA Amateur here still adds a little extra weight to the place. This one is for golfers who like a clean, serious test with no gimmicks.

8. The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge — Snoqualmie

Washington’s only Jack Nicklaus Signature Design looks exactly like a big-match venue should. You get Cascade foothill drama, Mount Si views, water, bunkering, and a course that has long served as home to the Boeing Classic. It is bold, elevated, and most fun when you are driving it with confidence and fully committing to the shot.

9. Tacoma Country & Golf Club — Lakewood

Tacoma Country & Golf Club feels like one of those places where golf has mattered for a very long time, because it has. Founded in 1894 and now set along American Lake, it delivers the kind of walkable, old-school private-club golf architecture serious players tend to love. Shaved areas, squared-off greens, and a stripped-down, classic feel give it more character than flash.

10. Canterwood Golf & Country Club — Gig Harbor

Canterwood rounds out the list because it still brings a proper Pacific Northwest private-club test. Robert Muir Graves routed it through hilly, tree-lined terrain, and the numbers back up the challenge: 7,188 yards, a 76.6 rating, and a 145 slope from the tips. It is demanding without feeling repetitive, which is a big reason it has stayed in the top-tier conversation for years.

If you’re planning a Washington golf trip and want something with a local angle, looking for a Washington golf shirt? Check out these designs:
Top Golf Courses in Washington State | Best WA Golf Destinations – Clubbage

FAQ SECTION

Best time to golf in Washington?

Late June through September is the safest statewide weather window, and September into early October is often the sweet spot if you want good conditions without peak-summer crowd levels. Western Washington stays cooler and wetter than the east side, while eastern Washington runs drier and hotter in summer.

Are most Washington golf courses public or private?

Across the state, there is a healthy mix of both public and private golf. But at the very top end, private clubs have the edge; in Golf Digest’s current top 10, the public standouts are Chambers Bay, Gamble Sands, and Wine Valley, while the rest are private clubs.

What’s the hardest course in Washington?

For public golf, Chambers Bay is the toughest all-around test for most traveling golfers because it is walking-only, exposed, links-style, and full of firm bounces and big contours. On the private side, Aldarra and Canterwood are right there in the argument thanks to Aldarra’s stern finish and Canterwood’s length, rating, slope, and tree-lined pressure.

What’s the best public course for a Washington golf trip?

If you only get one bucket-list round, Chambers Bay is the answer. If you want the most fun over an entire golf weekend, Gamble Sands is hard to beat. If you want strategy plus a wine-country base camp, Wine Valley is the sleeper that usually turns into a repeat trip.

Can you golf year-round in Washington?

In plenty of lower-elevation spots, yes, but you need the right expectations. Western Washington gets cooler and wetter, eastern Washington is drier but colder, and higher-elevation resort areas are more seasonal; some clubs also lean on strong drainage and covered practice facilities to stay more playable in the wet months.

Do I need to book tee times early?

For marquee public rounds and summer weekends, absolutely. Summer is Washington’s peak travel season, and the state tourism office specifically recommends booking reservations in advance during the busiest months.

Which side of the state is better for a golf trip?

Western Washington is better if Chambers Bay and the Seattle-area private-club scene are your priorities. Eastern Washington is better if you want more sunshine, easier golf-trip logistics, and a strong one-two punch with Gamble Sands and Wine Valley.