Hardest Public Golf Courses in Washington
The hardest public golf course in Washington is Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course in Chelan, with a slope of 152 and a course rating of 73.5 from the GOLDEN tees (6,849 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Gold Mountain Golf Course (slope 148) and Desert Canyon Golf Resort (slope 144).
6 hardest public courses in Washington, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course | Chelan | Public | 152 | 73.5 | GOLDEN | 6,849 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Gold Mountain Golf Course | Bremerton | Municipal | 148 | 74.9 | Pro/Gold | 7,038 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Desert Canyon Golf Resort | Orondo | Resort | 144 | 76.3 | Black | 7,285 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Washington National Golf Club | Auburn | Public | 143 | 74.9 | Husky | 7,282 | Nov 2026 source |
| 5 | Indian Summer Golf & Country Club | Olympia | Semi-private | 142 | 75.1 | Black | 7,171 | Nov 2026 source |
| 6 | White Horse Golf Club | Kingston | Public | 141 | 74.5 | Green | 7,080 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Washington, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 200 golf courses in Washington have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 10 of them so far.
Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Washington public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Washington?
Of the Washington courses Stymie has checked for public access, Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course in Chelan has the highest slope rating: 152 from the GOLDEN tees, with a course rating of 73.5. Gold Mountain Golf Course is next at 148. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
What is the hardest municipal course in Washington?
Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton, with a slope rating of 148 from the Pro/Gold tees. It ranks No. 2 on this list of checked public courses.
Can anyone play Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course?
Yes. Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against bearmtgolf.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Washington golf
- Hardest golf courses in Washington, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Washington
- Every rated course in Washington
- All Washington golf courses