A Rooted Guide
Rooted on the Green
From Renton to the foothills, where to play, practice and make a day of it.
Not a ranking. A local guide.
I’ll start with a confession: I’m not really a golfer. Yet.
I’ve only golfed a handful of times, but learning to actually play has been on my list for YEARS. I’ve been told I have a pretty natural swing, although most of my proven golf talent currently lives at Topgolf. Haha.
What surprised me putting this guide together was just how much golf we have around here. Courses are tucked all over South and East King County, from neighborhood courses to private clubs to places with some pretty incredible PNW views. Maple Valley alone has several options within a short drive.
So consider this less of an expert ranking of the toughest back nine and more of a local guide to what’s around us. Where you can play, practice, grab dinner, take in a view, join a club or maybe, like me, finally learn how to golf for real.
Course details were checked against each course’s own site and city listings in September 2026. Rates, hours and range closures change with the seasons, so check before you head out.
The Guide
Pick your kind of day
Public courses, private clubs and a couple of spots where nobody’s keeping score. Tap any card for the story.
Price for 18 holes in season: $ is under $65, $$ is $65 to $100, $$$ is $100 and up.
Click a pin to jump to that course. Every card has a directions link.
For the rest of us
I don’t actually golf.
Same. Mostly. Haha. You don’t need a handicap or your own clubs to have a really fun afternoon at any of these.
Topgolf Renton
Ball-tracking games, food, a full bar and climate-controlled bays. Nobody cares what your swing looks like. Promise.
Maplewood’s covered range
Covered, heated and lit, so the rain is NOT an excuse. A small bucket is the cheapest way to find out if you even like this.
The Rusty Putter
An 18-hole putting course at The Golf Club at Newcastle, with the same big views as the real courses. Kids, dates and non-golfers welcome.
Take one lesson
Maplewood and Riverbend have teaching pros for private or group lessons, and Mount Si runs beginner programs. Grab a friend and split it!
Worth the drive
A little farther out
Not in a Rooted city, but worth the gas when you want to make a real trip of it.
Chambers Bay
University PlaceHosted the 2015 U.S. Open, right on the water of Puget Sound. Bucket list stuff.
Washington National
AuburnThe home course for the UW men’s and women’s golf teams.
The Home Course
DuPontA public course down past Tacoma, easy to pair with a South Sound day.
Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course
Fall CityValley golf on the way to (or from) the Falls.
Living near the course
Want to live a few minutes from the first tee?
Homes near a golf course are their own little market. Fairway views out the back window, quieter streets, and yes, the occasional stray ball in the yard.
If living close to one of these is on your list, that’s my actual job! I’ll pull what’s for sale right now and tell you what I know about the street.
Keep Exploring the Rooted Series
Course details checked September 2026. Rates, hours and range closures change with the seasons, so check with the course before you head out. Course photos courtesy of each course.