Golf in Oak Harbor

The blue and white peaks of the Olympic Mountains overlook the greens at Metchosin Golf & Country Club, where westerly breezes from the Salish Sea stir the pompoms of golfers' hats. Fir trees and deciduous flora have grown up alongside the course's 2,760 yards for more than four decades. The nine-hole, par-34 layout consists mostly of par 4s. Sand traps hug the edges of the putting greens on holes 1, 3, 6, and 9, their coarse textures thwarting clubs and stupefying golfers with the geological miracle called sand.

Between Tuesday and Thursday, the course invites golfers to Nine and Dine during afternoons or evenings. The event pairs nine holes of golf with repast such as flat-iron steaks, pork back ribs, and vegetarian burgers.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 34 course
• Length of 2,760 yards from the farthest set of tees
• Course rating of 67.7 from the farthest set of tees
• Slope rating of 113 from the farthest set of tees
• See the scorecard

Award-winning Recreation Oak Bay exercises minds and bodies with classes and camps at numerous locations. The facilities all foster a safe, welcoming environment where community members can come together and splash into the pool during children’s or adults’ swim lessons, work out in fitness studios, stretch in sync during yoga classes, or swing through the nine-hole Henderson Park Golf Course. Recreation Oak Bay also keeps children safe from the video-game-proffering witches that lurk in most public parks with a variety of kids' sports programs, including skating and hockey, soccer, and tennis.

A graduate of the CPGA's Professional Golf Management program, Adam Novosad combines his education and more than three years of teaching experience as he continues to build personal relationships and polished golf games at the training facilities of Prospect Lake Golf Course. Since each golfer learns in his or her own unique way, Adam customizes private and group lessons to each individual student's skill level and swing tendencies, whether that means lending expertise in individual skill areas or recommending a wardrobe of only argyle. By the end of sessions, players see improvement in their swinging motion, putting consistency, and chipping accuracy from unoccupied bald spots of passersby.

Nestled in the bucolic scenery of coastal Washington, Whidbey Golf and Country Club’s par 72 course stretches across 6,467 yards of water-kissed terrain. The round begins with a challenge, as the first tee gives way to the longest and most difficult hole, a 516-yard par 5 where drives must touch down on a narrow landing strip flanked by bunkers or circle in the atmosphere until they get signal clearance. Multiple ponds come into play throughout the round, upping the ante on certain shots with high-risk, high-reward scenarios. Before embarking on their pin-hunting expedition, duffers can trace power draws into the sky or take aim at invading weather balloons at the driving range.

Those hoping to more thoroughly scout their verdant foe can pore over the website’s hole-by-hole description. A one-hour drive or ferry trip north of Seattle, the course is playable year-round, with closures only for Christmas, New Year’s, and Chi Chi Rodriguez Day.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,476 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 70.7 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 123 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options

Cleaved through rows of muscular pine trees and mature arbors, Gleneagle Golf Course's 18-hole course stretches across 5,851 yards of meandering fairways and treacherous hazards. Though the relatively short course does not demand gargantuan drives to contend for par, it counters with an ensemble of strategically placed bunkers, ball-hungry water hazards, and shape-shifting greens to affect a moderately challenging course. Patrons can prepare for the picturesque par 70 with a stint at the driving range, where an irons-only restriction keeps unruly drivers at bay and fosters the type of short-yardage precision that will prove advantageous on the course. After looping the emerald links, players can recess to the Gleneagle Family Restaurant Bar & Grill, where three large flat-screen TVs fill the room with sports-world happenings.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-70 course
• Length of 5,851 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 69.1 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 138 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options available
• See the scorecard