Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club: Loomis Trail
4342 Loomis Trail Road
Semi-private 18 holes (non-members can only play the Loomis Trail course on even days of the month)
Season: Year-round
Tee times: 1-800-231-4425
About the course
The Loomis Trail course, which Semiahmoo purchased several years ago, has the second-highest slope rating in the state. Laid out by famed Canadian course designer Graham Cook, the consistently smooth, fast and true greens are what place Loomis Trail among the Northwest’s elite courses.
Loomis Trail is not only exceptionally groomed, it is also challenging with water coming into play on every hole. However, the well-manicured fairways reward a tee shot and an excellent stance and lie. Designed with one of the best drainage systems in the Pacific Northwest, Loomis Trail is playable any time of year and is the host of the 2009 NCAA Men’s National Golf Championship.
Signature hole
Loomis Trail: Hole 2 is a difficult par 5. Golfers will face right from the tee box all along the right side of the fairway, and also have to contend with tight dogleg to the right.
Scorecard summary |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 7,137 | 75.4 | 143 |
| Women | 72 | 5,399 | 71.7 | 130 |
Survival guide
Dress Code: Appropriate golf attire required; no metal spikes year-round; no caddies; unlighted driving ranges at both facilities.
Golf pro: Keith Henderson
Rates (summer) |
18 holes |
| Weekday (Mon-Thurs) | $65 |
| Weekend (Fri-Sun) | $80 |
| Early Bird | $45 |
| Twilight (weekday) | $45 |
| Twilight (weekend) | $55 |
| Junior | $35 |
| Cart fee | $16 person |
| Club rental | $35 |
| Pull cart fee | $5 |
Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club: Semiahmoo
8720 Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine
Semi-private 18 holes (non-members can only play Semiahmoo on odd days of the month)
Season: Year-round
Tee times: 1-800-231-4425
About the course
The Semiahmoo course was designed in 1986 by all-time golf great Arnold Palmer and incorporates the spectacular surroundings of Birch Point into one of the most beautiful and challenging rounds of golf anywhere. In 1987, Golf Digest hailed the course as the best new resort course in America.
Immaculately manicured fairways lead through cedar and fir forests to challenging contoured greens that are surrounded by white sand bunkers. Tee box placements adjust the level of difficulty to make the course playable for golfers of all skill levels. Yet, at 7,005 yards from the tips, Arnold Palmer has created a golf course that challenges even tour players, who consistently rank it as one of the best.
Both courses accept tee times up to 30 days in advance.
Signature hole:
Semiahmoo: Hole 12 is a par 3 playing 138 to 173 yards. The tee shot must carry over water to the green, which is fronted by a rock wall. The green has bunkers on the back left and right sides.
Scorecard summary: |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 7,005 | 73.9 | 137 |
| Women | 72 | 5,288 | 70.7 | 124 |
Survival guide
Dress Code: Appropriate golf attire required; no metal spikes year-round; no caddies; unlighted driving ranges at both facilities.
Golf pro: Chris Hudson
Rates (summer) |
18 holes |
| Weekday (Mon-Thurs) | $65 |
| Weekend (Fri-Sun) | $80 |
| Early Bird | $45 |
| Twilight (weekday) | $45 |
| Twilight (weekend) | $55 |
| Junior | $35 |
| Cart fee | $16 person |
| Club rental | $35 |
| Pull cart fee | $5 |
Point Roberts Golf & Country Club
1350 Lundrigan Blvd., Point Roberts
Public 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 945-4653
www.pointrobertsgolfcourse.com
About the course:
Point Roberts’ golf course opened in the summer of 2001 and was designed by Graham Cooke and Wayne Carlton. The course cuts through the forest with views of the Strait of Georgia and boasts four sets of tee boxes, which make the course playable by all skill levels. But the course is quite challenging with 62 bunkers and 7,000 square feet of sprawling putting greens. The course also has a driving range built in June 2005.
The course record is 68 and is currently held by three players: Bryn Parry, a professional golfer, Kyle German, the course’s golf pro and Nick Taylor, a University of Washington golf team member.
Scorecard summary: |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,868 | 73.5 | 136 |
| Women | 72 | 5,144 | 70.0 | 117 |
Survival guide
Dress code: Normal golf attire, no metal spikes on shoes. Pro shop is open from dawn to dusk.
Golf pro: Kyle German
Rates |
18 holes |
| Weekday | $55 |
| Weekend | $65 |
| Twilight | $40 |
| Early Bird | $45 |
| Cart fee | $30 |
| Club rental | $35 |
| Pull cart fee | $5 |
Shuksan Golf Club
1500 E. Axton Road, Bellingham
Public 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 398-8888 or toll-free 800-801-8897
About the course
Named after one of the Cascade peaks in the near distance, Shuksan is a course that varies over 100 feet in elevation. The layout occupies a rural setting split by Ten Mile Creek, which meanders through the fairways. Ranging from steep ridges to gentle meadows, the 6,742-yard track provides 18 distinct landscapes. Lessons are available.
Signature hole
Hole 13 is a par 5 that plays 505 yards from the white tees. The narrow fairway bends a little to the right and is bounded on the left by a small creek and ravine. On the right, woods and underbrush present equal hazards. The narrow green is guarded by water in front and on the right.
Scorecard summary: |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,742 | 72.2 | 135 |
| Women | 72 | 5,271 | 71.0 | 123 |
Survival guide
Dress code: Appropriate golf attire required; no metal spikes; no caddies; unlighted driving range, putting green, sand, chipping area; pro shop opens at 6:30 a.m. during the summer.
Golf pro: Ben Harvey
Rates
Call (360) 398-8888 for current rates.
Homestead Farms Golf Resort
115 E. Homestead Blvd., Lynden
Semi-private 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 354-1196
About the course
Washington’s newest golf resort features 18 holes of championship golf, including the Northwest’s only par 5 to an island green. Homestead Farms was rated 4 stars by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play” 2000 edition.
At just under 7,000 yards, the par 72 course offers a stiff challenge for those willing to test the tees, yet offers golf for everyone with three other sets of tees at 6,500 yards, 6,500 yards and 5,735 yards.
The Bill Overdorf-designed course is specifically created to be played year-round. The course’s excellent drainage makes it one of the most popular winter courses in Northwest Washington. Homestead takes tee times up to seven days in advance.
Signature hole
Hole 18 is a par 5, playing 525 yards from the tournament tees. The tee shot is bothered by water on the left side. The two-tiered island green is 60 yards wide.
Scorecard summary |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,033 | 69.9 | 128 |
| Women | 72 | 5,735 | 73.6 | 134 |
Survival Guide
Dress code: Appropriate golf attire required. No metal spikes, no caddies. Unlighted driving range, sand and chipping area. Pro shop opens at 7 a.m.
Rates (peak season) |
18 holes |
9 holes |
| Weekday | $50 | $25 |
| Weekend | $60 | $30 |
| Junior | $25 | $12.50 |
| Cart fee | $15/rider | $7.50/rider |
| Club rental | $30 | $15 |
| Pull cart fee | $5 | $3 |
Sudden Valley Golf & Country Club
4 Clubhouse Circle, Bellingham
Semi-private 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 734-6435
About the course
Designed by Ted Robinson to be the centerpiece for the private community of Sudden Valley, the championship layout has manicured fairways and pristine greens set up against a backdrop of woodlands, Stewart Mountain and Lake Whatcom, which makes it one of the most scenic golf courses in the Bellingham area.
The first nine holes of the course are played largely on the flats surrounding the lake, where water is quite often in the equation right off the tee.
The second half meanders through nine very different holes in the densely wooded and hilly western section of the course, where fairways are thinner and easy lies are more difficult to come by.
Sudden Valley accepts tee times up to seven days in advance.
Signature hole
Nicknamed “Cliff Hole,” hole 15 is a par 4, 420 yard hole. When you come to tee, you’re looking at 200-feet for the drive. Just to get to the fairway, you can use a three iron to a driver. The second shot is an iron shot to one of the smallest greens on the course, with two sand bunkers on the right and a grass bunker on the left.
At 420 yards, hole 5 is the longest par 4 on the course, with Austin Creek meandering on the left side and the tree line on the right. The green sits right next to Lake Whatcom.
Scorecard summary: |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,553 | 71.5 | 130 |
| Women | 72 | 5,627 | 73.1 | 128 |
Survival guide
Dress code: Appropriate golf attire required; no metal spikes; no caddies; unlighted driving range, putting green, sand, chipping area; pro shop opens at 6:30 a.m. during the summer.
Rates |
18 holes |
9 holes |
| Weekday (Mon-Fri) | $37 | $22 |
| Weekend (Sat-Sun) | $48 | $29 |
| Junior (weekday) | half of regular fee | |
| Cart fee | $26 | $16 |
| Club rental | $15 | $8 |
| Pull cart fee | $3 | $2 |
Private carts for members only
Lake Padden Golf Course
4882 Samish Way, Bellingham
Public 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 738-7400
About the course
Lake Padden, which until last year was owned and operated by the City of Bellingham’s Parks and Recreation Department, was rated by Golf Digest as one of the finest municipal courses in the Pacific Northwest. It was the site of the 1995 Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s Public Links Championship and hosted the 2003 Washington Senior Open.
The course, laid out among the rolling foothills nestled between Galbraith Mountain and the course’s namesake lake, weaves through dense pine and cedar forests, but the fairways are not overly narrow.
Besides the full-service practice facility onsite, Lake Padden is also the home of the Pacific School of Golf. Coyote Grill, a restaurant operated by former Fairhaven Market owner Barry Kramer, opened at the course in 2006.
Signature hole
Hole 13 is a par 5 with water on the left and extends out 521 yards. Hole 4 is a par 3, playing 180 yards from the back tee, but the uphill slope adds 15 yards to the shot. The green slopes severely left to right, making four-and five-putts not uncommon.
Scorecard summary |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Blue | 72 | 6,575 | 71.5 | 127 |
| White | 72 | 6,124 | 69.2 | 121 |
| Red | 72 | 5,484 | 71.2 | 119 |
Survival guide
Dress code: Appropriate golf attire required. No metal spikes, caddies for special events only. Unlighted driving range, putting green, sand and chipping area. Pro shop opens at 7 a.m.
Golf pro: Mel Fish
Rates |
18 holes |
9 holes |
| Weekday | $24 | $17 |
| Weekend | $33 | $20 |
| Senior (weekday) | $19 | $13 |
| Junior (weekday) | $19 | $13 |
| Cart fee | $28 | $15 |
| Club rental | $15 | |
| Pull cart fee | $6 | |
| Trail fee | $5, or $150/year | |
North Bellingham Golf Course
205 W. Smith Road, Bellingham
Public 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 398-8300
About the course:
In July 1995, Caitac USA Corp. of Bellingham developed a high-quality public golf facility for Whatcom County’s residents and visitors.
The 18-hole golf course opened to wonderful reviews and has been designed by Ted Locke to naturally integrate the open-field qualities of the historic Wilder Ranch, with the introduction of flowering meadows and gently rolling fairways. Golfers will enjoy the panoramic views of Mount Baker while being challenged with the prevailing winds sweeping across the landscape of this “Real Scottish-style Links Course.”
North Bellingham accepts tee times up to seven days in advance. It was the site of the 1999 PNGA Men’s Amateur Qualifier and 2000 PGA State Assistants’ Championship.
Signature hole:
Hole 12 is a 363-yard par four that doglegs right and although it is not that long it is plenty of trouble. The fairway is guarded by three bunkers, water on the right, and knee-high rough on the left. The two-tiered, undulating green is also guarded by a bunker and water short left and right. From the green looking backwards you can usually see beautiful Mount Baker on a clear day.
Scorecard summary: |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,816 | 72.2 | 126 |
| Women | 72 | 5,160 | 69.5 | 117 |
Survival Guide:
Dress Code: Appropriate golf attire required; no metal spikes; no caddies; heated, covered driving range, putting green, sand, chipping area; pro shop opens at 7 a.m.
Golf pro: Nathan Vickers
Rates (summer) |
18 holes |
9 holes |
| Weekday | $39 | $24 |
| Weekend | $49 | $29 |
| Senior (weekday) | $34 | |
| Junior (weekday) | $29 | |
| Cart fee | $26 | $16 |
| Club rental | $15-$30 | |
| Pull cart fee | $5 | $3 |
Private carts allowed for trail fee, which is half the cart rental fee.
Bellingham Golf & Country Club
3729 Meridian St., Bellingham
Private 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 733-5381
About the course
The history of the Bellingham Golf and Country Club began in 1912 when 11 charter members formed the BG&CC. Approximately 142 acres were leased from the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company for the purpose of constructing a golf course and a clubhouse, and in 1925, nine additional holes were constructed.
The grand opening of the original clubhouse was in 1913 and since that time many renovations have been made. The last major renovation was in 1986 after a fire in the attic destroyed much of the clubhouse. The clubhouse was demolished in February 2004 and a new clubhouse was built in November 2005.
Signature hole
Hole 4 is a 340-yard par 4 with a lake on the left and a water fountain to the left of the green.
Scorecard summary |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,257 | 69.3 | 121 |
| Women | 72 | 5,475 | 70.6 | 119 |
Survival guide
Dress code: Appropriate golf attire required. No metal spikes, no caddies, unlit driving range, putting green, sand and chipping area. Pro shop opens at 7 a.m. Also available for members is Shawn Krahling, the PGA apprentice, and Rick Blankenburg, the PGA member assistant.
Must be a guest of a member. Members of the Wenatchee Country Club can play at BG&CC on a straight reciprocal.
Golf pro: Mike Montgomery
| Rates | 18 holes | 9 holes |
| Weekday | $40 | $20 |
| Weekend | $50 | $25 |
| Junior | $25 | n/a |
| Cart Fee | $12.50/seat | $7.50/seat |
| Pull cart fee | free | free |
| Club rental | $20 | |
| No Trail fee. | ||
| No private carts allowed. |
Grandview Golf Course
7738 Portal Way, Custer
Public 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 366-3947
About the course
Located near Interstate 5, the area is flat for easy walking with bountiful water hazards and trees.
Scorecard summary |
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Tees |
Par |
Yards |
Rating |
Slope |
| Men | 72 | 6,109 | 68.2 | 113 |
| Women | 72 | 5,422 | 65.0 | 107 |
Rates |
18 holes |
9 holes |
| Weekday | $20 | $13 |
| Weekend | $24 | $15 |
| Cart fee | $20 | $13 |
| Club rental | $8 | |
| Pull cart | $3 |
Dakota Creek Golf Course
3258 Haynie Road, Custer
Public 18 holes
Season: Year-round
Tee times: (360) 366-3131
About the course
Owner Pam Smith designed the course in the 1980s and opened it in September 1989. The golf course is known for its outstanding views of the Georgia Strait, while the bottom nine receives good protection from the winds. Smith said the course is lightly regarded in the rating system, but can pose some surprises for those unfamiliar with the course.
Signature hole
There are two that are noteworthy. Hole 3 features a gorge that Smith refers to as a “mini-Grand Canyon,” which can easily be shot over but can look intimidating to those who haven’t attempted to clear the gorge before. Hole 11 is a par 4 that involves hitting the ball between two fir trees — and the golfer can’t see the green from the tee.
Scorecard summary |
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| Tees | Par | Yards | Rating | Slope |
| Men | 71 | 5,185 | 65.6 | 103 |
| Women | 71 | 4,803 | 70.0 | 112 |
Survival guide
Dress code: Smith said the dress code is casual but proper golf shoes are appreciated. Shirts are required in and around the pro shop. No golf pro onsite; the pro shop is open as long as the sun is up.
Rates (subject to change) |
18 holes |
9 holes |
| Weekday | $22 | $15 |
| Weekend | $25 | $17 |
| Cart fee | $6.50 per seat per 9 holes | |
