MyGolfSpy’s 10 Most Wanted Golf Courses – Oregon and Washington

Our search for America’s best golf courses continues in one of my favorite parts of the country, the pacific northwest.

The Oregon side of our list pays tribute to what, with all due respect to Pebble Beach, many would tell you is America’s premier golf destination. Given it’s popularity and reputation, it comes as no surprise that Bandon Dunes figures prominently in our rankings.

The most famous, or perhaps most infamous of the Washington courses is the venue that made the 2015 US Open as much about the course as the competition itself.

As always, we expect some of you will have your own opinions about the best Washington and Oregon have to offer. We’re totally good with that, so feel free to share your opinions, no matter how divergent they may be.

To build our list of the Most Wanted Golf Courses in Oregon and Washington we used our #Datacratic process and stats from our partners at the TheGrint, a golf handicap and stat tracking service, whose extensive database contains more than 120,000 golf course reviews submitted by average golfers like you.

#1 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Pacific Dunes)

“Designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2001, Pacific Dunes is remarkably different in character and shot making requirements than our other courses. Pacific Dunes doesn’t feel like it was built as much as it was discovered. Rippling fairways remain just as they were found and natural bunkers line the landscape as they have for centuries. The course emerges from shore pines to spectacular 60-foot sand dunes. When the wind blows, precise approach shots are a necessity. Pacific Dunes is short enough to give you hope, but rugged enough to test every facet of your game.”

#2 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Dunes)

“It began in 1999 with the opening of Bandon Dunes. Designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, the course is perched on a bluff high above the Pacific Ocean. Bandon Dunes unfolds along pristine native dunes where expansive ocean views are revealed on nearly every hole. The course is completely natural and routed through an environment of indigenous vegetation. Beyond breathtaking scenery lies the game of golf in its truest form. This is a thinker’s course. Winds are ever-present, and the varying elements create a new experience each time you play.”

#3 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Old Macdonald)

“The fourth course at Bandon Dunes pays homage to golf course architect Charles Blair Macdonald by asking one simple question: What would Macdonald have created had the Oregon Coast been his canvas? Inspired by Macdonald’s iconic work, course architects Tom Doak and Jim Urbina crafted a course that seeks the answer upon vast greens, among myriad angles of play, and from the depths of fierce bunkers. By celebrating these classic concepts of design, we honor the traditions of this game we love.”

#4 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Trails)

“When Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw began working in the sand to uncover our third course, they faced the challenge of following Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes. Opened in 2005, Bandon Trails begins atop a massive sand dune, then quickly opens into a sprawling meadow. The routing then works higher into the coastal forest, before finally returning to finish in the dunes. The course is enjoyable to walk and is a constant reminder of how the game was originally created among inland rolling dunes with dramatic ocean vistas.”

#5 Gold Mountain Golf Course (Olympic)

“Dramatically sculpted into the Pacific Northwest splendor, the Olympic course has garnered impressive awards and has taken its place as one of America’s finest municipally owned golf courses. Wooded enclaves, rolling terrain and wide fairways are touted by the Cascade Course, with a long history of providing Championship golf in the Northwest. Stunning views and delicious cuisine combine to offer relaxation and great memories under the roof of Gold Mountain’s clubhouse, as well as the ability to host 300 guests for special events.”

#6 Chambers Bay Golf Course

“Golf in its purist form. With tawny fescue grasses, towering sand dunes, massive fairways, and breathtaking views of the Puget Sound and snow-capped Olympic Mountains, Chambers Bay brings the traditions of Scottish linksland to the Pacific Northwest. Located in University Place, Washington, this 18-hole, walking-only course provides an authentic links experience for players of every ability.”

#7 The Home Course

“Opening in June 2007, The Home Course was immediately ranked the “No. 2 Public Course in Washington” by Golfweek. Since then, it has hosted numerous state, regional and national championships, and has developed a reputation for player-friendly course set-ups and championship-quality conditions at affordable public rates.”

#8 Stone Creek Golf Club

“Stone Creek Golf Club is a Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy designed course. The course is scenically designed and offers spectacular views of Mt. Hood. The golf course is laid out over 120 acres of land with old-growth Douglas Firs, lakes, four wetlands, and forty-three bunkers. The grounds are beautifully groomed by our experienced maintenance crew, headed by Superintendent, Mike Turley.”

#9 Druids Glen Golf Club

“Druids Glen Golf Club, one of the Top 10 Golf Courses in Washington, offers championship golf and scenic views. Draped in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, the 7,146 yard, upscale public course is carved out of 230 acres of second growth forest and features sculpted bent grass tee boxes, fairways and true northwest poa annua greens. With over 60 strategically placed sand bunkers and nine lakes, Druids Glen challenges golfers of all skill levels.”

#10 Heron Lakes Golf Course (Great Blue)

“The links-style Great Blue Course opened in 1992 and became an immediate favorite among low handicap golfers in the area. The Great Blue features small, undulating greens and rambling fairways that carve through fescue style grass and Scottish mounds. The 6,902 yard, par-72 layout challenges accomplished golfers and beginners alike with more than 80 bunkers and abundant water hazards.”