The Pacific Northwest is a top golf destination because it offers a rare mix of dramatic landscapes, technical course designs, and reliable playing conditions. Evergreen forests, rugged Pacific coastlines, volcanic peaks like Mount Rainier and Mount Hood, and high-desert plateaus create a wide range of backdrops that make every round visually striking.
Also, the region’s moderate summer temperatures and regular rainfall keep fairways dense and greens firm, allowing for consistent shot control throughout the year.
Beyond the natural beauty, course architects like Robert Trent Jones Jr. and David McLay Kidd have used the varied terrain to design layouts that reward precision and creative shot-making. They may not be the most historic of golf courses, but you won’t be disappointed.
You can navigate between oceanfront links at Bandon Dunes, alpine-style fairways at Gamble Sands, or dense forest courses like Chambers Bay, each demanding different skills and strategies.
Plus, the Pacific Northwest’s relaxed pace, strong craft beer and wine scenes, and easy access to outdoor activities like hiking and fishing offer full destination experiences between rounds.
Most Scenic Golf Courses in Washington
Chambers Bay Golf Course
Chambers Bay delivers a true links golf experience shaped by sweeping dunes, firm fescue fairways, and wide views of Puget Sound. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. on the site of a former quarry, the course demands creativity with every shot, favoring ground game strategies over high ball flights.
You’ll have to navigate undulating fairways, large bunkering systems, and fast, heavily contoured greens that challenge even skilled short games. Walking is required to preserve the turf, but the dramatic routing and flexible tee options, stretching to nearly 8,000 yards, make the extra physical effort worthwhile — especially for families introducing young players equipped with the best junior golf clubs.
The back nine, particularly holes 15 through 18, offers some of the most scenic and strategically engaging golf in the region, rewarding bold play and precision.
Gamble Sands
Gamble Sands features wide, tightly mown fescue fairways that run firm and fast. It’s a course built for aggressive tee shots and strategic ground game approaches.
Designed by David McLay Kidd, it favors bold play with large landing zones and minimal rough but punishes poor distance control with natural run-offs and sharp bunker edges. The greens are large and slope gently rather than severely, requiring careful placement instead of heavy spin to hold position.
From over 7,300 yards at the tips, Gamble Sands tests shot-making in open wind conditions without forcing narrow targets or difficult carries. Walking is encouraged with short green-to-tee transitions, although carts are available.
Standout holes like the short downhill 2nd reward risk with a reachable green but demand precision to avoid centerline bunkers. Gamble Sands challenges you to manage runout, use slopes intelligently, and stay disciplined around large greens.
Apple Tree Golf Course
Apple Tree Golf Course in Yakima weaves through active orchards, combining wide fairways, elevation changes, and frequent water hazards into a resort-style layout that rewards smart shot placement.
Designed by John Steidel, the course offers firm, fast greens early and late in the season, although softer conditions appear during warmer months when irrigation increases. The front nine holes mix variety and risk-reward options, while the back nine builds toward a stronger finish starting at the 15th.
The 17th is the signature hole, featuring an apple-shaped island green that demands precise distance control. Strategic decisions are important on holes like the 9th and 18th, where creeks and angled fairways challenge you to balance risk against reward — the kind of shot-making that benefits from consistent practice using the best golf training aids.
Green complexes are large and heavily contoured in places, forcing you to think carefully about approach angles and putting paths. Walking is manageable, but carts are widely used.
Top Golf Courses for Scenic Beauty in Oregon
Pronghorn Club – Jack Nicklaus Signature Course
Set in Oregon’s high desert, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn demands precision from start to finish, blending narrow targets, firm turf, and small segmented greens into a serious test of ball striking.
Fairways twist and narrow around centerline hazards, forcing you to shape shots carefully rather than relying on distance alone. Greens are guarded by deep bunkers and tight collection areas, punishing approaches that miss by even small margins.
Holes like the 13th, with its cape-style drive over water, and the uphill par five 15th framed by lava rock, push you to balance risk against conservative play.
Scoring well at Pronghorn means managing firm bounces, reading subtle green contours, and controlling trajectory under swirling desert winds. While the course offers stunning views of Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters, the real challenge lies in executing precise golf from the first tee to the final putt.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort delivers a pure walking golf experience across five distinct courses, each requiring thoughtful shotmaking.
Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes combine tight coastal fairways with firm turf and steady winds, forcing you to opt for low, controlled ball flights and creative ground game approaches. Trails shift inland to rolling forest terrain, where elevation changes and precise placement matter more than distance.
Old Macdonald rewards bold lines off the tee but punishes hesitation with massive greens that can turn small mistakes into three-putts. Sheep Ranch, with nine greens perched on the ocean’s edge, demands extra attention to swirling winds and offers fewer bunkers but plenty of risk around its cliffside holes.
Throughout the resort, firm lies, fast greens, and unpredictable weather require constant adjustment and reward confident decision-making. Bandon’s walking-only design keeps pace briskly, while caddies help navigate subtle terrain and tricky greens.
Smart tee selection, careful trajectory control, and a sharp short game are key for scoring and surviving this demanding and unforgettable stretch of coastal golf.
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Ghost Creek
Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club delivers a thoughtful, strategic challenge in the rolling hills outside Portland, Oregon.
The course weaves through dense stands of trees, where Ghost Creek itself adds pressure on key holes, including the risk-reward par-4 17th. Rather than relying on brute strength, you must carefully navigate narrow fairways, contend with deceptive bunkering, and place your approaches on small, tiered greens.
The par-5s offer opportunities to score, but aggressive play is dangerous, especially with the creek and bunkers waiting for misjudged shots. Both the 9th and 18th holes demand precise ball-striking to avoid large water hazards guarding the greens, creating a serious test to close each nine.
Despite its manageable length from the tips, Ghost Creek challenges you to manage your game thoughtfully, rewarding accuracy and course management over pure distance. Consistently well-maintained, the course is one of the Pacific Northwest’s strongest public golf experiences, offering competitive design without sacrificing natural beauty.
Best Scenic Golf Courses in Idaho
Circling Raven Golf Club at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort
Circling Raven Golf Course in Worley, Idaho, is a serious test of golf set across 600 acres of meadows, wetlands, and forests. Designed by Gene Bates, the course stretches to 7,189 yards and challenges players with wide fairways, strategic bunkering, and constant changes in landscape.
The layout mixes long forced carries, sharp doglegs, and risk-reward opportunities that reward precise decision-making. Standout holes include the split-fairway 4th, the short but dangerous 10th, and the brutal 253-yard par-3 13th.
Every hole feels isolated, creating an immersive experience without distractions from other groups. Wetlands, native grasses, and dense tree lines shape the shot values and demand attention on every swing.
Circling Raven balances boldness and playability, making it a course that serious golfers will want to study and master, not just visit once. It focuses entirely on pure, strategic golf and delivers an experience built for players who wish to return and improve with every round.
Jug Mountain Ranch Golf Course
Jug Mountain Ranch offers a scenic, varied layout that challenges you with elevation changes, strategic bunkering, and an authentic mountain golf atmosphere. Designed by Donald Knott, the course moves between flatter meadowland on the front nine and dramatic, forested terrain on the back.
You’ll open with a thrilling downhill tee shot over a river on the first hole, setting the tone for an exciting round. The back nine stands out with cathedral-like tree-lined par 3s and demanding uphill par 5s that test both distance and accuracy. Jug Mountain’s par 4s include risk-reward opportunities, especially from the back tees where forced carries come into play.
The signature 12th hole, with its stunning pond carry and short wedge approach, offers a welcome birdie chance before facing tougher closing holes. Conditions are solid, and the green fee remains very reasonable given the course quality and setting.
Golfers who enjoy variety, shot-making challenges, and panoramic mountain views will find Jug Mountain a memorable and rewarding destination.
Sun Valley Golf Course, Sun Valley Resort
Sun Valley Resort offers three distinct golf experiences across its Trail Creek, White Clouds, and Elkhorn courses. Trail Creek, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is a traditional mountain parkland course where tree-lined fairways, water hazards, and fast greens ask for strategic play.
It balances forgiving tee shots with precise approaches, especially on the back nine, where Trail Creek becomes a serious factor.
White Clouds, perched above the resort, delivers a bold contrast. The nine-hole layout feels more open and links-like, with dramatic elevation changes, deep bunkering, and sweeping panoramic views that test club selection and distance control in windy conditions.
Elkhorn, a semi-private course by Gene Bates and Byron Nelson, offers a different style with wide fairways, tiered greens, and rolling land. It plays longer but rewards aggressive play off the tee.
When Is the Best Time to Play Golf in the Pacific Northwest?
The best time to play golf in the Pacific Northwest is from late May through September, when conditions are warmest and driest. Summer brings longer daylight hours, firmer fairways, and the most reliable weather for planning multiple rounds.
Courses at higher elevations often open in late May after winter snow melts, while coastal and lowland courses become firmer and faster through June and July. Although occasional rain showers can happen even in peak months, the risk is much lower compared to spring or fall.
Conclusion
Visiting the Pacific Northwest anytime soon? Bring your best golfing equipment, because even if you only manage a round on one of these courses, you’ll be glad you took the time.
The area offers something for every kind of golfer, so whether you’re a serious player looking to be challenged or a casual golfer who loves the quiet of the course, you’ll find a round to suit your needs here.
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is a retired golfer and businessman. When he’s not on the course working on his own game or mentoring young golfers, he writes in-depth articles for his website, Golf Influence.
