Land in Seattle, play Chambers Bay while everyone's fresh, then road-trip ~4 hours east to Gamble Sands for two days of links golf at one of the best resorts in the country. Loop back west for Salish Cliffs and a final round at The Home Course before flying out. Five days, six rounds, two ecosystems, one unforgettable Pacific Northwest trip.
Day-by-Day
Day
1
1
Arrival (Night Before) → Chambers Bay → Drive East
Fly in the night before — land at Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), grab dinner downtown, get a hotel near the airport. Don't try to play Chambers Bay same-day as the flight.
Day 1 morning, fresh: Play Chambers Bay (the 2015 US Open host). Walking-only links course on Puget Sound — wide fescue, dramatic coastal views, the iconic lone fir on the 15th.
After the round, drive ~4 hours east to Gamble Sands in Brewster, WA — mostly highway, scenic through the Cascades
Check into the resort and settle in
If there's daylight + energy: play Quicksands (the 14-hole par-3 course) or hit the extensive putting course
💡 Fly in the night before — non-negotiable. Even a 2-hour flight delay puts your morning tee time at risk, and Chambers Bay is too important a round to mess up. Get there fresh.
Day
2
2
Gamble Sands + Scarecrow — The Big Day
Morning: Gamble Sands — David McLay Kidd's masterpiece, top 50 public in the US. Wide fairways, sandhills routing, and views down to the Columbia River.
Quick lunch at the resort
Afternoon: Scarecrow — the 2023 sister course by Rod Whitman & Dave Axland. Same dunescape, different routing, slightly more rugged feel.
Soak it in with the crew — sunset over the orchard ridge is unbeatable. Drinks on the property, debrief the day.
💡 If you only have one 36-hole day on a Gamble Sands trip, this is it. Both courses are walkable but the 36 in a day is no joke — pace yourself.
Day
3
3
Round 2 at Gamble Sands
Up for another 36? Replay Sands and Scarecrow!
Or scale down: 18 holes on either Gamble Sands or Scarecrow (you cannot go wrong) + Quicksands par-3 in the afternoon
Either way, end with drinks on the property — last night at the resort, savor it
💡 Don't dismiss the replay. Sands and Scarecrow are the kind of courses where Day 2 is always better than Day 1 — you finally see the strategy.
Day
4
4
Back West — Salish Cliffs
Pack up and drive ~4 hours back toward Seattle
Play Salish Cliffs Golf Club (Squaxin Island Tribe course in Shelton) — 18 only since you've been driving. Mature evergreens and dramatic elevation, totally different feel from the eastern WA links.
Grab a hotel in the Seattle / Tacoma area for the night — easy access to your final round in the morning
💡 Salish Cliffs is about 1.5 hours from Seattle proper. Plan the morning departure from Gamble Sands accordingly to make the afternoon tee time.
Day
5
5
The Home Course → Fly Home
Morning: The Home Course in DuPont — host of the 2010 US Amateur, and arguably the best public-access value round on the West Coast. Tournament-quality conditioning at budget pricing.
Quick drive to SEA airport for your flight home — already planning next year
💡 The Home Course is conveniently right on the way to SEA airport — perfect close to the trip.
Destinations Covered
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