How to Get Tee Times in Washington State
Washington quietly holds a US Open venue anyone can book, a high desert resort that golfers now rank with Bandon, and a supporting cast scattered across two completely different climates. The catch is that the booking rules differ at every one of them: Chambers Bay runs a resident priority calendar, Gamble Sands feeds its lodging guests first, and the east side season is short. Here is how the tee sheets actually work in 2026.
Photograph: Chambers Bay Golf Course, via Google
The two Washingtons
Plan this state as two trips, because the mountains split it in half. West of the Cascades the golf is green, marine and open all year: Chambers Bay above Puget Sound, Salish Cliffs in the forest near Shelton. East of the mountains it is high desert: Gamble Sands above the Columbia River, Wine Valley outside Walla Walla and Palouse Ridge in the rolling wheat country at Pullman, all running on a roughly April to October calendar with their best turf from June. The booking discipline follows the geography: lock the east side anchors months out for summer, and use the west side venues as the year round fallback.
For what the rounds cost, see green fees in Washington State; for the courses themselves, how to play golf in Washington State ranks the rounds worth the flight.
Course by course: how the tee sheets work
Chambers Bay, University Place
The 2015 US Open course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II and opened in 2007 on a reclaimed gravel mine above Puget Sound, is owned by Pierce County, and the county runs the calendar accordingly. Residents get a priority booking window; non residents could book the April to October 2026 season from January 1, 2026. Rates are seasonal and prepaid, from about 80 dollars in winter to roughly 200 to 220 dollars at the summer peak for non residents, indicative, with tax built into the prepaid rate and a strict policy that cancellations inside seven days forfeit the fee. Read the full profile of Chambers Bay before you go; it is a serious walk.
Gamble Sands, Brewster
David McLay Kidd's original Sands course opened in 2014 above the Columbia River and built the resort's reputation on width and fun; Scarecrow, his second 18 on the bluff, opened August 1, 2025 at a par 71 stretching to 6,900 yards and instantly became the hardest tee time in the state. The resort's rule of thumb: lodging guests can book golf across all available 2026 and 2027 dates, while day visitors work with what remains. Brewster is a four hour drive from Seattle, so the stay and play is the product; book rooms first, golf attaches. See the Gamble Sands profile for how the two courses differ.
Wine Valley, Walla Walla
Dan Hixson's 2009 course rolls through the wheat hills west of Walla Walla with the Blue Mountains on the horizon, and it remains one of the best value destination rounds in the Northwest: green fees sit in the double digits for much of the calendar, indicative for 2026, with local resident rates below that. The tee sheet is rarely the problem; the calendar is. Pair it with the wine country and book a few weeks out for summer weekends. Always confirm directly before booking.
Palouse Ridge, Pullman
Washington State University's campus course, a muscular John Harbottle III design from 2008 across the Palouse hills, published non resident rates around 129 dollars, with steep discounts for residents, alumni, seniors and students. Avoid home football Saturdays, when Pullman fills; otherwise this is an easy walk on tee sheet by destination standards, and September here, with the wheat harvested and the hills gold, is one of the best sights in American college golf.
Salish Cliffs, Shelton
The Gene Bates design at Little Creek Casino Resort plays through second growth forest above the southern Sound, and it books like resort golf: carts are required and included in the green fee, tee times release online through the resort, and casino stay and play packages carry the prime blocks. It is the rainy season answer: open all year, conditioned well, and 90 minutes from Seattle.
Booking windows and 2026 rates
| Course | When to book | Indicative 2026 rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chambers Bay | Non resident window opened January 1 for April to October; book the release for summer | About 80 dollars winter to 200 to 220 dollars peak, non resident, prepaid |
| Gamble Sands / Scarecrow | Book lodging first; guests access all 2026 and 2027 dates | Dynamic resort pricing; premium in peak |
| Wine Valley | A few weeks out; summer weekends earlier | Double digit fees most of the season |
| Palouse Ridge | Days to weeks; avoid football Saturdays | About 129 dollars non resident |
| Salish Cliffs | Online or with a casino package; year round | Cart included resort pricing |
Rates from published course rate cards and booking pages, June 2026. Check tee time availability or browse Washington golf resorts.
Plan your Washington golf trip
Tell us your dates, group size and which anchor matters, Chambers Bay or the Gamble Sands stay and play. One concierge times the booking windows, books the lodging that unlocks the tee sheets and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Washington tee time questions
How far ahead should I book Chambers Bay?
If you want a summer date, think in months. Pierce County residents get a priority booking window, and non residents could book the April to October 2026 season from January 1, 2026. Summer weekend mornings go fast once the general window opens, so set a reminder for the January release, book prepaid, and note the cancellation policy: changes inside seven days forfeit the fee.
Do I need to stay at Gamble Sands to play Scarecrow?
No, but staying solves the problem. Lodging guests at Gamble Sands can book golf across all available 2026 and 2027 dates, while public tee times on Scarecrow and the original Sands course are scarcer in peak season. Brewster is four hours from Seattle, so almost everyone stays anyway; book the rooms first and the tee times attach naturally.
When is the Washington golf season?
It splits by geography. West of the Cascades, Chambers Bay and Salish Cliffs play all year, with winter rates well below the summer peak. East of the mountains, Gamble Sands, Wine Valley and Palouse Ridge run roughly April through October, with high desert sunshine and firm turf from June. September is the best month statewide: warm, dry, and the tee sheets loosen.
Is Washington golf expensive?
Not by destination standards. Chambers Bay, a US Open venue, peaks at roughly 200 to 220 dollars for non residents in summer 2026, indicative, and drops near 80 dollars in winter. Palouse Ridge listed non resident rates around 129 dollars, and Wine Valley sits below the three figure mark for much of its calendar. Only the Gamble Sands stay and play adds up, and the golf justifies it. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Course access changes, openings and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Booking windows and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.