The Pacific Northwest boasts some of the most dramatic and rewarding golf courses in the United States, spanning wind-carved coastal dunes, Puget Sound bluffs, lush Willamette Valley parkland, and high-desert Cascade mountain layouts. Here are 15 standout Pacific Northwest golf courses across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to anchor your next golf trip:
Washington
1. Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. along the shores of Puget Sound, Chambers Bay sits inside a former coastal sand and gravel quarry. Walking-only fescue fairways, towering dunes, deep pot bunkers, and shifting marine winds make this 2015 U.S. Open venue an essential Pacific Northwest links test.
Credit: chambersbaygolf.com | Chambers Bay Golf Course, Washington
2. Gamble Sands, Brewster, Washington
Perched on a vast sandy plateau high above the Columbia River Valley in Central Washington, Gamble Sands was crafted by Scottish architect David McLay Kidd. Wide, fast-running fescue fairways, panoramic river canyon views, and imaginative ground contours make it one of the most playable and scenic links-style destinations in North America.
3. Salish Cliffs Golf Club, Shelton, Washington
Set in the Kamilche Valley just south of Puget Sound, Salish Cliffs Golf Club is a Gene Bates championship design surrounded by towering Douglas firs and dramatic elevation changes. Expect contoured fairways, strategic bunkering, and immaculate Pacific Northwest conditioning.
Credit: golfpass.com | Salish Cliffs Golf Club, Washington
4. Suncadia Resort (Prospector & Rope Rider), Cle Elum, Washington
Tucked on the sunny eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, Suncadia Resort features two 18-hole resort courses: the Arnold Palmer-designed Prospector Course winding through ponderosa pines and the Jacobsen Hardy-designed Rope Rider Course along the Cle Elum River.
Credit: golfpass.com | Suncadia Resort, Washington
5. Gold Mountain Golf Club (Olympic & Cascade), Bremerton, Washington
A premier 36-hole public facility on the Kitsap Peninsula, Gold Mountain Golf Club pairs the championship Olympic Course (host of the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links and 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur) with the classic tree-lined Cascade Course.
Credit: golfdigest.com | Gold Mountain Golf Club, Washington
Oregon
6. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon
The undisputed crown jewel of Pacific Northwest golf, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort sits on windswept coastal bluffs above the Pacific Ocean in Southern Oregon. From the clifftop drama of Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes to Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, and Sheep Ranch, every course is walked as true links golf was meant to be played.
Credit: bandondunesgolf.com | Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Oregon
7. Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Witch Hollow & Ghost Creek), North Plains, Oregon
Located just west of Portland, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club is home to two Bob Cupp championship designs framed by towering firs, oak groves, and wetlands. The private Witch Hollow course famously hosted Tiger Woods's third consecutive U.S. Amateur victory in 1996 as well as the 1997 and 2003 U.S. Women's Opens, while Ghost Creek remains one of Oregon's finest public-access layouts.
Credit: pumpkinridge.com | Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Oregon
8. Tetherow Golf Club, Bend, Oregon
Designed by David McLay Kidd on the edge of Bend, Oregon, Tetherow brings rugged Scottish heathland strategy to the Central Oregon high desert. Fescue-framed fairways, natural lava rock outcroppings, and sweeping views of the snow-capped Three Sisters peaks make every round memorable.
9. Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve, Bend, Oregon
Carved through ancient juniper forests and black lava rock ridges in Bend, Pronghorn features two distinct championship courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio, offering firm high-desert conditions and panoramic Cascade Mountain views.
Credit: breakingeighty.com | Pronghorn Resort, Oregon
10. Brasada Canyons at Brasada Ranch, Powell Butte, Oregon
Winding along canyon rims just outside Bend, Brasada Canyons was co-designed by Oregon native Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy. Its isolated hole corridors offer 180-degree views of Cascade peaks from Mount Bachelor to Mount Hood.
Credit: brasada.com | Brasada Ranch, Oregon
11. Black Butte Ranch (Big Meadow & Glaze Meadow), Sisters, Oregon
Set at the base of the Cascade Range near Sisters, Oregon, Black Butte Ranch features two acclaimed 18-hole resort courses: Robert Muir Graves's classic Big Meadow and John Fought's revitalized Glaze Meadow, framed by aspen groves, ponderosa pines, and Three Fingered Jack.
Credit: blackbutteranch.com | Black Butte Ranch, Oregon
12. Oak Knoll Golf Course, Independence, Oregon
A beloved Willamette Valley public staple dating back to 1926, Oak Knoll Golf Course offers mature tree-lined fairways, welcoming resort-to-local charm, and classic parkland shot values in the heart of Oregon.
Credit: oakknollgolf.org | Oak Knoll Golf Course, Oregon
Idaho
13. Circling Raven Golf Club, Worley, Idaho
Designed by Gene Bates across 620 acres of Palouse wetlands, woodlands, and rolling prairies in the Coeur d'Alene Reservation, Circling Raven Golf Club is consistently ranked among America's top public resort courses.
Credit: cdacasino.com | Circling Raven Golf Club, Idaho
14. Coeur d'Alene River & Lake Golf (The Club at Black Rock & River Corridor), Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
The Coeur d'Alene region combines dramatic basalt cliffs, pine-lined fairways, and pristine lake and river vistas across private gems like The Club at Black Rock and Gozzer Ranch as well as iconic resort golf along Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Credit: paynestewart.travelpledgeauctions.com | Coeur d'Alene Golf, Idaho
15. Sandpoint & Lake Pend Oreille Golf, Sandpoint, Idaho
Framed by the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains along Lake Pend Oreille in Northern Idaho, the Sandpoint golf corridor (highlighted by Jack Nicklaus's layout at The Idaho Club and local public play) delivers peaceful mountain golf and crisp alpine air.
Credit: sandpoint.com | Sandpoint Golf, Idaho
PNW Coastal & Cascade Weather Gear Guide
From walking 36 holes in sideways Pacific rain at Bandon Dunes to braving brisk Puget Sound breezes at Chambers Bay and crisp 45-degree mornings in Bend, Pacific Northwest golf rewards travelers who pack a quiet, seam-sealed layering system:
- Maximum Coastal Storm Shell (Clifden Golf Rain Jacket): Engineered with 3-layer Eyre Pro™ 30K/30K Waterproof and breathable fabric and 100% seam-sealed construction. Its Layer 3 Weather Protection fit layers cleanly over your polo and midlayer at your true size without restricting your swing.
- Primary Walking Rain Chino (Claddagh Chino Rain Pant): Cut in a Classic Fit and ordered by your exact waist x inseam measurement, the Claddagh Chino Rain Pant gives you Eyre Pro™ 30K/30K waterproof protection in a quiet, 4-way stretch chino that goes straight from the 18th green at Pacific Dunes to dinner in the lodge.
- Packable Golf-Bag Storm Pant (Silverstrand Pull-Up Pant): Designed in an Over-pant Fit with Eyre Pro™ 30K/30K seam-sealed protection and knee-high leg zippers, Silverstrand stays folded in your carry bag for dry high-desert rounds in Bend or Coeur d'Alene and pulls on over your golf pants in seconds if a squall rolls off the Cascades.
- Wind & Passing Mist Midlayer (Barna Softshell Rain Quarter Zip): A Layer 2 Midlayer combining 20K waterproof sleeves with a breathable, water-repellent stretch core for blustery coastal rounds where you want pullover freedom.
Planning your Pacific Northwest itinerary now? Compare all six regional travel guides and shoppable weather setups inside The Galway Golf Trip Hub, and use our Interactive Golf Trip Packing Checklist before you pack your travel bag.
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