Golfing in greater Puget Sound is as varied as the landscape itself, with courses that tuck into the alpine forests, wind through the lowlands and spread above Puget Sound. The best Pacific Northwest golf getaways revel in this majestic nature, where bald eagles circle overhead, coyotes scamper across the fairway and snowcapped pinnacles frame the green. With access to dozens of outstanding tracks, a golf getaway with Bellevue, Washington, as basecamp provides the perfect “tee box” to launch your daily drives.

The Public Country Club

The Golf Club at Newcastle offers a premier private club experience for public enjoyment, beginning with the stately, panel-walled clubhouse. Robert E. Cupp designed Coal Creek with the input of local legend Fred Couples. The course launches with a 589-yard par 5 and never looks back as players flow up and down from Olympic Range and Seattle skyline vista points to wooded dells. The 6,632-yd China Creek accommodates every ability level, with generous fairways and a splash of water to keep things interesting.

Dinner: Follow up your eighteen or thirty-six holes at Newcastle at John Howie Steak, a classic choice by a renowned chef that will nourish your foursome as you discuss and debate the day’s round.

The Must-Play

Chambers Bay ranks 19^th on Golf Digest’s coveted list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses”. Top-ranked in Washington, the Robert Trent Jones Jr layout is unlike any other course in North America, an Irish-style, walk-only links that played host to the 2015 U.S. Open, won on the 18^th hole by Jordan Spieth. Every hole is memorable at Chambers, whether you drive beside the (very) active railroad tracks on 16 and 17 or drop your shot off the ridge 100 feet on the par 3 9^th.

Dinner: You’ll crave the Northwest’s famous seafood menus after Chambers Bay, where you look out over Puget Sound from every hole. Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar features exceptional local oysters and daily caught seafood, from salmon to halibut.

The Hidden Gem

The Home Course never receives the recognition it deserves, unless you consider the discriminating U.S.G.A. officials, who schedule U.S. Open qualifying here almost every year. The course itself serves up gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier, excellently maintained fairways and exceptional greens. Two water carries require longish iron shots among several blind tee shots and menacing bunkers.

Dinner: Taven Hall presents a great place to keep the games going, an old-style pub with broad windows, antique ceiling lights and a shuffleboard table. The elevated gastropub menu is popular for thin-crust pizza and surprising entrees like truffle chicken Dijon and New Orleans BBQ shrimp & grits.

The Can’t Miss Day

Gold Mountain Golf Club offers a unique opportunity to experience the Puget Sound region and play one of the best public courses in America. Gold Mountain also claims a Jordan Spieth victory, specifically the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship. Gold Mountain is located on the Kitsap Peninsula, a wonderful excuse to take a Washington State Ferry to Bremerton, located about five miles from the Cascade and Olympic golf courses that, along with a fantastic practice area, make up the complex.

Dinner: If you have 36 holes in you, play both Cascade and Olympic, even walk Cascade and grab a cart for Olympic. A similar fusion awaits at Crab Season, a delicious mix of Cajun seafood and Chinese entrées. The family-owned eatery is best known for its seafood boil. 

The Cascades Primer

In winter, one can easily ski for three hours in the Cascades and return to Bellevue by lunchtime. Mount Si Golf Course offers the same privilege, a chance to play in the mountains and be back in town for the afternoon. And what play it is, tree-lined fairways that abut the Three Forks Natural Area, shadow the Snoqualmie River South Fork and, spectacularly, meander beneath the eponymous 4,167-foot peak.

Dinner: After your round, stop by to admire the 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls, then head back to Cantinetta Bellevue, a rustic-style Italian restaurant that fosters conviviality with its warm lighting and circular bar. Located in Old Bellevue, Cantinetta will play perfect hosts for swapping images of golf and, more vividly, the surrounding landscape.  

The Nature Walk

Willows Run was the brainchild of Microsoft founder Paul Allen, who converted the former corn farm into a golf complex rather than another industrial park, as it was slated to become. Eagles Talon presents the sterner challenge, with a daunting water carry on the par-3 17^th. Eagles and the shorter Coyote Creek both conclude with a carry over water to a double green. Nature abounds here along the Sammamish River with nesting osprey, wood ducks and, seen at least once, a bobcat.

Dinner: 520 Bar & Grill presents live music several nights a week on its expansive deck, a great space to cool down after a sun-soaked round on the Willows links. The gastropub’s menu includes local favorites like Northwest crab cakes and grilled salmon.

The Quick 18

Bellevue Golf Course remains one of the most popular Munis in Washington, a charming, compact track for your Bellevue golf getaway nestled beneath towering Douglas fir trees. Navigating the narrow fairways feels like you’re wandering through the forest following your golf ball. Though set within the residential Bridle Trails neighborhood, one barely sees a house when playing here. The two-tiered driving range and practice areas are perfect for a quick workout when in town.

Dinner: The Old Mediterranean Kitchen is an excellent spot for meeting the family after your getaway round at BCG. Known for its generous portions, this family-owned restaurant offers a warm atmosphere where you can relax and refuel after your walk in the Bellevue Golf Course woods.

Party Golf

No Bellevue golf weekend is complete without a visit to the Topgolf Swing Suite in the Forum Social House. The suites can accommodate as many as ten people. The Clubhouse combines a lounge setting with sim golf for up to 45 guests. ParOne Miniature Golf is a new take on putt-putt. The Forum Social House kitchen offers a full bar, great snack and handheld options as well as an impressive array of chicken wings.

Bellevue Breakfast Go-To’s

Chace’s Pancake Corral has served Bellevue breakfast since 1958. Gilbert’s on Main provides familiar breakfast plates and excellent deli takeaway items. Lil’ Jon Restaurant & Lounge presents a no-frills diner experience that often tops the “Best Breakfast in Bellevue” lists. Blazing Bagels and Farine Bakery & Café are favorite spots for grab-and-go golfing sustenance.

Where to Stay in Bellevue

Bellevue offers a variety of accommodations for golf getaways, whether you're planning a group outing or playing a round or two with the family in tow. Book an elevated stay at W Bellevue, The Westin Bellevue or Hyatt Regency Bellevue, choose a full kitchen at Embassy Suites or go boutique with Hotel 116 or AC Hotel by Marriott, just a few of over 30 lodging options in the city.