The Salish Lodge & Spa, dating to 1916, overlooks the stunning 270-foot Snoqualmie Falls 30 minutes from Seattle. The 86-room boutique hotel known for its appearance in the Twin Peaks TV series is an intimate and luxurious place to stay for couples, especially if one, or both, is a golfer. The golfer has access to The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, the…
Located a short ferry ride from Seattle on the Kitsap Peninsula, the Clearwater Casino Resort, owned by the Suquamish Tribe, is more than just a waterfront casino. It has the amenities for a wedding, work conference, golf getaway or a relaxing vacation. The 183-room resort features a spa, six restaurants, four bars, an event lawn, indoor…
Seattle is home to the NFL Seahawks and MLB Mariners, and the iconic Space Needle. The city's music scene is one of the best in the nation, and the seafood is bountiful. Contrary to people's perceptions, Seattle ranks only 44th among U.S. cities in average annual rainfall, and only seven days a year with thunder. But it does have an average of 158 days with measurable precipitation, so golfers visiting the jewel of the Pacific Northwest should be sure to take along a rainsuit, as they'll likely see some drizzle. This makes Seattle no less of a great golf destination, however, especially since most courses are open year-round. Foremost among Seattle-area courses is Chambers Bay (University Place, some 60 minutes from Seattle), the venue for the 2015 U.S. Open. Other highly rated area courses are the Olympic and Cascade Courses at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, White Horse in Kingston, 27-hole Lakeland Village Golf Course in Allyn, Elk Run Golf Club in Maple Valley, Foster Golf Links in Tukwila, and the Resort at Port Ludlow.
The USGA's selection of Chambers Bay Golf Course near Tacoma, Wash., is a startling deviation from a "normal" Open host. But Chambers Bay's appeal is clear, Brandon Tucker writes. It will be HDTV eye candy at every turn, wide open with abundant spectator viewing spots. They may even be able to get a record crowd through the turnstiles.
Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s right-hand man at Chambers Bay discusses the controversial U.S. Open host as well as which players may fare well. "This golf course is different, and it was different from day 1," Jay Blasi says.
As U.S. Open week at Chambers Bay got underway, the USGA held an Architect's Forum with Executive Director Mike Davis and course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. Here are some highlights from the discussion.
Chambers Bay is being lauded as having more in common with a British Open course than a typical U.S. Open track. But is it really a "links golf course?" Brandon Tucker takes a look at both sides of the argument.
With the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay closing in fast, now's the perfect time to execute a golf trip to the Emerald City. Since Seattle isn't known as an A-list golf destination in the Pacific Northwest -- Oregon steals much of its thunder -- a three-day getaway with greens fees costing less than $200 remains an attainable goal.
The opening of Chambers Bay in 2007 and the announcement that it would host the 2015 U.S. Open put the Seattle area on the golf tourism map. There's no better place to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest's mountains and evergreen forests than from an elevated tee box or green. With that in mind, Jason Scott Deegan offers up a top 10 list of the best public golf courses within an hour's drive of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
On clear days you can see the snow-capped peak of Mount Rainier from many of the holes at Druids Glen Golf Club, which has the reputation for being of the toughest golf courses in the entire state of Washington. The 230 acres is littered with trouble -- thousands of evergreen trees, 60 bunkers, nine lakes and poa annua greens faster than most public clubs in the Pacific Northwest.
Chambers Bay golf course in Tacoma represents one of the most ambitious golf projects in years. Opened in 2007, it has also become one of the most hyped, thanks to the nearly immediate announcement that it would host the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship and 2015 U.S. Open.
If you're looking for links golf -- where the sea meets the land -- Chambers Bay is your destination. This Robert Trent Jones II-designed muni, built on the one of the largest sand deposits in the world -- will host the 2015 U.S. Open.
The Seattle area has become as good a golf destination as any area in the Pacific Northwest. From evergreen forests and majestic mountains to the dynamic downtown skyline and the shores of the Puget Sound, the Emerald City delivers varied and vibrant backdrops for golfers. Golf courses may not be near each other, but they're all worth seeking out to create a week of golf you won't soon forget.