Eight Golf Courses to Tee Up around Thurston County

olympia golf course
Many of the courses throughout Thurston County are family friendly and offer multiple tee boxes for golfers of all skill levels.
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By Lisa Herrick

VCB logoThe greater Thurston County area offers a spectacular array of golf courses from public courses with top Washington State ratings to affordable municipal courses where families can learn the game together to challenging private courses. Some of these courses consistently top players’ lists while others are gems yet to be discovered. Many fairways offer scenic views of Mount Rainier, the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Whether a beginner or scratch golfer, every golf enthusiast will enjoy the many splendid fairways throughout Thurston County. Here’s a highlight of the nearby courses.

olympia golf course
Eight golf courses dot the greater Thurston County area.

Salish Cliffs Golf Club

Salish Cliffs Golf Club was recently ranked as one of the best golf courses in Washington State by Golf Digest and has received numerous awards in recent years as one of the best courses in the state. The 18-hole, par 72 championship course offers a challenge to golfers of all levels. Located in Shelton just a few miles north of Olympia, the course is part of the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Little Creek Casino Resort offering packages to stay at the resort in addition to play at the course and casino.

Unique and noteworthy is that the Salish Cliffs Golf Club is the world’s first certified salmon safe golf course and has earned recognition as the top ten casino course in the nation by Golf Week Magazine.

The Home Course

Set among stunning views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound in DuPont, the Home Course is cooperatively owned and operated by the Washington State Golf Association and the Pacific Northwest Golf Association. It is a great course for all levels as it is playable for all from the front tees and challenging for more experienced players from the back dynamite tees. The Home Course is an exceptional and affordable option for year round golf.

The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie

The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie consists of two distinct, public 18-hole golf courses, the Woodlands which is distinguished by fairways winding through a dense forest and the Links which boasts spectacular views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier. Both courses are just minutes north of downtown Olympia. In an attempt to encourage youth to take up the sport and for families to play together, the Golf Club at Hawks Prairie adapted The Links Course with a family set of tees which means the golf course can be played shorter. Kids can tee off from 150 yards or closer from the forward tees.

olympia golf course
Many of the courses throughout Thurston County are family friendly and offer multiple tee boxes for golfers of all skill levels.

Capitol City Golf Club

Capitol City Golf Club is a local favorite as it playable year round due to its reliable drainage offering up dry grass. The traditional course design has narrow-tree line fairways and well maintained putting greens. The course is flat and easy to get around.

Delphi Golf Club

Delphi Golf Club is a friendly nine hole executive course that is regarded as one of the best in the area for beginner to intermediate golfers. It is located in the beautiful Black Hills in the Capitol State Forest. The course is easy to walk due to its flat terrain and has picturesque views, fairways lined with mature fire and cedar trees.

Tumwater Valley Golf Club

The Tumwater Valley Golf Club is an 18 hole championship course along the Deschutes River Valley and adjacent to the River’s Edge Restaurant. From the first tee to the final green, Tumwater Valley Golf Course exhibits generous landing areas, smooth greens, few bunkers and spectacular views of the Deschutes River and Mount Rainier. Fall play allows for viewing of the salmon run while year round opportunities abound for spotting the area’s wildlife including river otters, blue herons or whitetail deer. The course is set up with multiple tee boxes for all skill levels, an expansive practice area including a driving range with grass teeing ground or stalls protected by the elements.

Indian Summer Golf & Country Club

olympia golf course
Indian Summer Golf & Country Club is one of two private courses in Thurston County.

Indian Summer Golf & Country Club is considered among the Northwest’s premier, private golf clubs. The course is designed to tournament-caliber specifications with magnificent, old growth forest. It has been rated one of the top five toughest courses in the state of Washington yet offers six sets of tees so that golfers of all levels can enjoy the course. Complementing the golf course is a large practice facility, a clubhouse with restaurant and lounge, golf shop and banquet facilities.

Olympia Golf & Country Club

Overlooking Budd Inlet and Mount Rainier, this historic private country club was established in 1926 and the club house is listed on the National Registry of Historical Buildings. Membership privileges include use of an outdoor swimming pool, access to over 250 feet of salt waterfront beach and private deepwater dock. The Evergreen lined course is 18 holes and par 71.

 

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