Best golf courses near Tacoma, WA

Prodded by his partner, Bruce Charlton, and their then-design associate Jay Blasi, veteran architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. agreed to a radically different, vertical-links style when building Chambers Bay in an abandoned sand quarry near Tacoma. By the time Golf Digest named it as America’s Best New Public Course of 2008, the course had already been awarded the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open. In the Amateur, Chambers Bay proved to be hard, both in the firmness of its dry fescue turf (Jones called his fairways, “hardwood floors”) and its difficulties around and on the windswept greens. For the U.S. Open, the firmness and surrounds were more manageable, but the greens were notoriously bumpy. That’s now been remedied, as the fescue turf on the putting surfaces has been replaced with pure Poa Annua. What's irreplacable are the views of Puget Sound from nearly every hole, multi-level fairways that entice bold driving to gain second-shot advantages and two holes running parallel to a railway that's invokes feelings of early Scottish and Irish links courses.

Tacoma Country & Golf Club is ranked as one of the best golf courses in Washington State. Discover our experts reviews and tee time information

Canterwood Golf & Country Club in Gig Harbor is ranked as one of the best golf courses in Washington State. Discover our experts reviews and tee time information

The Home Course, located just south of Tacoma, opened in 2007 and hosted the final U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in 2014. Though the course can stretch to over 7,400 yards from the tips, the landing areas are generally forgiving. The greens are large and undulating but are often guarded by deep sod-faced pot bunkers.