The Best Golf Courses in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest began attracting droves of golfers in the late 1990s when several highly-ranked courses opened in the region. Since then, the area has grown exponentially and today is one of the most-visited golf destinations in the world. If you’re looking to experience golf in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia, here are some of the top golf courses for you to play and enjoy this uninterrupted part of the United States.

We’ll start with the place that created the Pacific Northwest golf boom, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Mike Keiser traveled to the birthplace of golf and came home inspired to create a golf course modeled after a true links-style layout that was accessible for all. No membership, no fees, just the most unique public golf experience you could find. The result was Bandon Dunes, which opened in 1999 and for over 20 years has been a bucket list golf destination for anyone who plays the game.

Today, the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is home to five immaculate courses, plus a 13-hole par 3 course. To get to the resort, you need to fly to a regional airport in Bend, Oregon then drive 25 miles southwest. Bandon Dunes is located at one of the western-most points in the U.S. where there’s essentially nothing between you and the Pacific Ocean.

Bandon Dunes is the property's original course, designed by David McLay Kidd. It is renowned for being a thinker’s course and is the most natural representation of the game. From the back tees, Bandon Dunes plays 6,732 yards with a 74.1 rating and 143 slope (par-72).

Two years after Bandon Dunes opened, Pacific Dunes opened in 2001 to great anticipation. Tom Doak designed  the course among six-foot sand dunes with gusty winds making Pacific Dunes extremely challenging. Pacific Dunes plays 6,633 yards from the tips with a 73.2 rating and 143 slope (par-71).

In 2005, the duo of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore opened the Bandon Trails course. The layout meanders through the coastal forest in addition to dunes and the ocean. This course plays 6,788 yards from the back tees with a 73.6 rating and 130 slope (par-71).

Tom Doak and Jim Urbina opened Old Macdonald to pay homage to golf architect Charles Blair Macdonald. The course is a seamless blend of classic golf design with a modern appearance. Old Macdonald plays 6,944 yards with a 74.4 rating and 144 slops (par-71).

Coore and Crenshaw teamed yet again for the design of Sheep Ranch, the latest course on property. If you love ocean views, there is no better course as nine greens are located on the edge of sandy cliffs. Sheep Ranch plays 6,636 yards with a 72.1 rating and a 122 slope (par-72).

The most expensive time to visit Bandon Dunes is during the months of July-September where a day guest rate runs about $345. Winter months such as January and February cost around $150 for day guests. If you choose to stay on property, resort rates are about $40 less.

RELATED: The Best Public Golf Courses in Oregon | America's 25 Best Public Golf Courses

Salish Cliffs Golf Club is located in Shelton, Washington, which is approximately 66 miles southwest of Seattle and has been heralded as one of the most visually stunning tracks since opening in 2011. The course is a Squaxin Island Tribal-owned facility and offers full views of the Kamilche Valley. Sixteen of the 18 holes at Salish Cliffs are surrounded by forestry and one of the many signatures is the double-green shared by holes 9 and 18.

From the back tees, Salish Cliffs can max out at 7,214 yards with a 75.3 rating and 139 slope (par-72). Prime tee times in the summer cost around $130 per player with discounts in the colder months.

Robert Trent Jones II was asked to create a golf course playable for all levels, including professionals. The idea was to land a big-time event, and that’s just what they did at Chambers Bay. The reward was hosting the 2015 U.S. Open, won by Jordan Spieth. Chambers also hosted the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur, which 17-year-old Saki Baba won.

Chambers Bay is one of our picks of the best Seattle area golf courses, and If you’re looking for a must-play course in the Pacific Northwest, give Chambers Bay some serious consideration. Chambers Bay emphasizes true links golf in ways other courses can not.

From the championship tees Chambers Bay stretches to a beastly 7,791 yards with a 77.4 rating and 145 slope (par-72). Greens fees at Chambers Bay normally run around $250 per player with rates dropping to around $130 during the winter.

Chambers Bay is only about a 40 minute drive from the Sea-Tac airport, making it one of the most accessible courses on our list.

If you’re in the area to play Chambers Bay, stay another day and head 12 miles down the coast to The Home Course in the city of DuPont, Washington. After opening in 2007, The Home Course collected accolades from many publications and reviewers. The course has the ability to flip from a player-friendly setup to a championship test with few adjustments by its staff. The course was designed by Mike Asmundson and celebrates traditional aspects of the game along with some more modern looks.

The Home Course maxes out at 7,420 yards with a 74.8 rating and 135 slope (par-72). Weekend tee times only cost about $75 with even better pricing if you can play during weekdays.

Located in the northeast area of Bend, Oregon is Juniper Preserve. The property features a pair of championship golf courses, both of which are surrounded by the Cascade Mountains and carry through ancient lava formations

The Jack Nicklaus Course was designed by the Golden Bear himself. It combines strategy and playability for an incredibly fun round. The Nicklaus Course is a par-72 and plays 7,379 yards.

Tom Tom Fazio Course incorporates natural landscapes as only Fazio himself can accomplish. The natural waterways and juniper trees blend perfectly with the rolling fairways. The Fazio Course plays 7,462 yards and is also a par-72.

Either course costs about $250 for a prime weekend tee time and around $150 if you can play weekdays or later in the afternoon.

The city of Bremerton, Washington is accessible from Seattle once you carve your way through a few inlets. Once you get there, Gold Mountain Golf Club awaits and is a true test of championship golf in the Pacific Northwest. The Olympic Course has held numerous collegiate tournaments and has had its fairways tested by some of the best young talent in the game. It features generous landing areas for tee shots, but some tricky collection areas around the greens, not to mention the undulating green complexes themselves.

The Olympic Course plays 7,179 yards from the tips with a 74.8 rating and 139 slope (par-72). The average weekend peak time rate is under $100, which is an absolute steal for this course. Weekday rates fall as low as $50 per player.

Gamble Sands Resort is located in a remote city in northern Washington called Brewster. You can easily make a trip out of Gamble Sands in itself, as the resort has everything you need to enjoy a golf trip with buddies, a getaway with your significant other, or even a family trip. As far as golf goes, there are two courses on property, both designed by David McLay Kidd.

The Sands Course is a links-style course in the high desert of Washington. This par-72 course maxes out at 7,169 yards and has many aspects of Kidd’s design work at Bandon Dunes. A prime weekend tee time costs $240 with rates around $150 coming later in the afternoon.

The other course on the property is the par-3 short course, the QuickSands. This course is all about fun, highlighted by the fact that you can have as many as eight players in your group. This course is a great addition to your Gamble Sands stay for only $60.

One of the Portland area’s best golf courses is located just 28 miles west of downtown and is easily accessible for anyone staying in the greater Portland district. The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club is a can’t-miss opportunity to experience true Pacific Northwest golf. After opening in 1997, the courses on the property have hosted PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions players in the Umpqua Bank Challenge as well as the Fred Meyer Challenge. 

The North Course was designed by Bob Cupp and maxes out at 6,840 yards with a 73.3 rating at 140 slope (par-72).

The South Course was designed by Portland native John Fought. It does play a bit harder than the North at 7,172 yards with a 74.6 rating and 144 slope (par-72).

Both the North and South courses cost about $100 per player during peak weekend times in the summer.

If your Pacific Northwest golf desires take you into Canada, we can only recommend that you take the extra steps necessary to get to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club in British Columbia. The course is just under two hours driving from the Vancouver airport and you’ll cut through beautiful mountainous terrain to get there.

This Robert Trent Jones Jr. design is a masterpiece. It’s the epitome of uninterrupted land and takes you on a journey within its terrain. From the back tees the course plays 6,635 yards (that's 6,067 meters) with a 71.6 rating and 142 slope (par-72). A prime weekend tee time costs about $195 per player and drops to $140 for late afternoon and weekday times.

Heading straight east from Spokane, Washington take you to Idaho, and shortly thereafter at The Coeur d'Alene Golf Resort. This resort is consistently recognized as a premier golf resort in the U.S. with a truly unique way of presenting the stay and play golf trip. Designed by Scott Miller, Coeur D'Alene is a sensory overload, with wildflowers, junipers, geraniums, and lake views from every hole. The course is contoured and routed in ways where you hardly even see other players.

The most popular hole is the famous floating island green 14th hole. After you hit your tee shot, a ferry takes you to the green to complete the hole. The course altogether plays 6,497 yards with a 71.6 rating and 124 slope (par-71).