How to Play Golf in Washington State
Washington is two golf states in one, split by the Cascade mountains. The wet, green west around Puget Sound holds a US Open links and a clutch of fine public courses, best caught in the dry summer. The sunny high desert east is destination country, home to one of the most talked about resorts in America. Here is how to play it: the two regions, the courses that matter, how to get on and what it costs in 2026.
Photograph: Chambers Bay, via Google
Why Washington
Washington flies under the radar of most travelling golfers, and that is the opportunity. The state stages serious golf, from a modern US Open venue on Puget Sound to a fescue resort in the high desert that has quietly become one of the best new destinations in the country, and it does so without the crowds or the prices of the marquee names. The catch, and the key to planning a trip, is the weather: the Cascade mountains divide the state into a cool, rainy west and a sunny, arid east, and the two play on very different calendars.
The smart way to play Washington is to treat those two regions as separate trips, or to combine them in late summer when both are at their best. The west rewards a focused summer visit around Seattle and Tacoma; the east rewards a destination stay at Gamble Sands. Below is how each region plays and the courses to build around.
The two golf regions
The west: Puget Sound, Seattle and Tacoma
This is the populous, rainy side of the state, and its headline is Chambers Bay, the Robert Trent Jones Jr course near Tacoma that opened in 2007 and hosted the 2015 US Open. Treeless, sandy and walking friendly, it tumbles along an old gravel pit high above Puget Sound and plays like a transplanted links. Around it sits a strong public scene, from the USGA tied Home Course to the muni golf at Gold Mountain near Bremerton, plus the state's premier private club, Sahalee, a tree lined championship test that hosted the 1998 PGA Championship. The whole region comes alive in the dry months of July through September.
The east: the high desert and Gamble Sands
Cross the Cascades and the climate flips to sunny high desert, with a long playing season and the state's destination golf. Gamble Sands near Brewster is the draw, a David McLay Kidd resort that opened in 2014 with the wide, joyful Sands course and added the acclaimed Scarecrow in 2025, a par 71 of around 6,900 yards turfed in fine fescue and named a best new course, alongside the 14 hole Quicksands short course. Further south, Wine Valley in Walla Walla pairs excellent public golf with the wine country, and Palouse Ridge serves the Pullman area. This is the region for a dedicated golf escape.
The courses to build around
| Course | Region and access | Why play it |
|---|---|---|
| Chambers Bay | Puget Sound, public; indicative around 200 to 300 dollars | Robert Trent Jones Jr links, 2015 US Open venue, the marquee west side round |
| Gamble Sands, the Sands | High desert east, resort; indicative around 200 to 290 dollars | David McLay Kidd's wide, joyful fescue course, the heart of the resort |
| Gamble Sands, Scarecrow | High desert east, resort | McLay Kidd's 2025 par 71 of around 6,900 yards, a best new course |
| Wine Valley | Walla Walla east, public | Excellent public golf in the wine country, strong value |
| Sahalee | Puget Sound, private; member host | Tree lined championship club, host of the 1998 PGA Championship |
Designers, hosting history and access verified June 2026 from course and ranking sources. Fees are indicative for 2026 and move with season and demand. We do not quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
How to get on and where to stay
The headline courses are refreshingly accessible. Chambers Bay is a public course owned by Pierce County, bookable online in advance, with discounted resident rates and a walking ethos, so a caddie or a push cart is the way to play it. Gamble Sands is a destination resort, so the simplest route is to stay on site at the Inn or the Cabins and bundle your rounds across the Sands, Scarecrow and Quicksands, and it is remote, around four hours east of Seattle, so plan to stay multiple nights. Wine Valley and the other eastern public courses are straightforward advance bookings.
For where to stay, base in Tacoma or Seattle for the Puget Sound golf, where the city and the Sound are on your doorstep, and stay at Gamble Sands itself for the eastern trip. Sea Tac airport serves the west side directly; the eastern resorts are a scenic drive across the Cascades.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts across Puget Sound and the high desert east.
Plan your Washington golf trip
Tell us whether you want the Puget Sound golf, the eastern resort golf at Gamble Sands or both, and roughly when, and one concierge books the courses, holds the resort stay and costs the trip to the head. Summer dates go early on the wet west side, so the sooner we start the better. No obligation.
Washington State golf questions
What is the best golf course in Washington State?
Two courses lead the state. Chambers Bay, the Robert Trent Jones Jr links near Tacoma that hosted the 2015 US Open, is the marquee public round on the west side, a treeless, walking friendly course high above Puget Sound. On the sunny east side, Gamble Sands near Brewster is the destination resort, with two David McLay Kidd courses in the Sands and the acclaimed new Scarecrow plus the Quicksands short course. Most panels rank these two at the top of Washington golf.
Where should you play golf in Washington State?
Washington splits into two golf regions divided by the Cascade mountains. The wet, green west around Puget Sound holds Chambers Bay, the private Sahalee and a strong run of public courses around Seattle and Tacoma, best played in the dry summer. The sunny, high desert east is destination country, led by Gamble Sands near Brewster and Wine Valley in Walla Walla, with a far longer playing season. A great trip can pair a summer visit to the Sound with the eastern resort golf.
When is the best time to play golf in Washington?
On the west side around Seattle and Tacoma the prime season is roughly July to September, when the famous rain eases and the days are long, dry and mild. East of the Cascades the climate is high desert, sunny and dry with a much longer season that runs from spring into fall, though midsummer can be hot. For a trip combining both regions, late summer is the sweet spot. Always confirm course conditions and tee times before booking.
How much does it cost to play Chambers Bay or Gamble Sands?
Both are premium public courses. Green fees at Gamble Sands are indicative from around 200 to 290 dollars in 2026, with the Sands and Scarecrow courses priced as resort golf and the Quicksands short course cheaper. Chambers Bay is similarly priced, indicative around 200 to 300 dollars depending on season and residency, with discounted Pierce County resident rates. Both move with season and demand, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, hosting history and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.