Green Lake Pitch and Putt

About This Course: Nine short holes at the south end of Green Lake

Green Lake Pitch and Putt is a nine hole, all par 3 course tucked into the south end of Green Lake Park in Seattle, where East and West Green Lake Way meet. It has been here since 1947, and every hole is a short pitch. If you want to play golf without a driver, a dress code or half a day to spare, start here.

The course is owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation and run by a private operator under a city concession agreement. It is seasonal, open daily from March 1 to November 1, and walk ins are welcome every day.

Green Lake Pitch and Putt Fast Facts

Course Overview

According to the City of Seattle’s historical sites survey, a private concessionaire built the nine hole par 3 course in 1947 for pitching and putting only. A small wood frame clubhouse followed in 1948 to 1949: flat roof, a 16 by 24 foot plan, wide cedar siding and Roman brick on the front. The Parks Department acquired the improvements in 1953 and kept the course running under a concession agreement, the same arrangement that holds today. That little clubhouse is still the pro shop. In 2024 Seattle Parks put the operation out for proposals, and in August 2025 the City Council approved a five year agreement, with options to extend, for Lost Evenings to run the course.

The card is simple. Nine par 3s run from 60 to 115 yards for 705 yards in total, from a single set of tees. Most players need only a pitching wedge for the fairway and rough and a putter on the greens, which is how the course itself explains the game. Rows of trees separate the holes and throw plenty of shade on a hot afternoon, so a straight ball matters more than a long one.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the published scorecard. There is one set of tees, so everyone plays the same numbers.

• Hole 1, 75 yards, par 3: A gentle opener. Use it to find the swing length that carries your ball 75 yards.
• Hole 2, 60 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on the card and the best birdie chance of the round.
• Hole 3, 65 yards, par 3: Another very short hole. A soft pitch to the middle of the green is all it asks.
• Hole 4, 80 yards, par 3: The first of four holes at 80 yards or more, and a good test of whether your distance control is holding.
• Hole 5, 115 yards, par 3: The longest hole by 35 yards and rated the hardest on the card. Take more club than you want to and swing smoothly.
• Hole 9, 75 yards, par 3: A short closer and one more chance to pick up a stroke.

Amenities and Practice

Check in at the pro shop in the old clubhouse, or bring your own clubs. If you need gear, a rental set is $4 for two clubs and two balls, and extra clubs are $2 each; the shop holds your ID while you are on the course. The course also runs group lessons and social events on its calendar. A May 2026 beginner session with PGA coach Robert Wells cost $40 and included instruction, club rental and a free return round, and the Short Game Social Club meets Mondays at 5:30 PM for a low pressure round built around conversation. Groups of 20 to 200 or more can book the course for private events through the website.

Food and Drink

There is no restaurant, but the pro shop sells beer, and a September 2026 visit by the neighborhood blog Wallyhood found nonalcoholic drinks and several canned beers at $5 to about $7. Do not bring your own alcohol; the course asks players to buy on site.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

The 2026 season runs March 1 to November 1, daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. Monday through Thursday, a round is $14 for adults and $10 for seniors and players under 18, and a second round is $4. Friday through Sunday, a round is $16 for adults and $12 for seniors and players under 18, and a second round is $6. A 2026 season pass is $450, good any time the course is open to the public, and it saves you the rental fee. WA Golf lists the course as a Youth on Course participating facility with no restrictions. Prices are on the course’s Come Play page.

You do not need a tee time. Walk ins are welcome all day, every day: go to the pro shop and you will be sent out at the next opening. Weekday mornings from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. are usually wide open, while evenings, weekends and holidays fill up fast, so reserving ahead makes sense then. See the Tee Times page or call the pro shop at 206-659-9195; online bookings close two hours before the tee time. Check the course calendar before you go, because private events sometimes close the course to the public early, and on November 1, 2026 the course is reserved for the End of Season Invitational. A few house rules: children under 16 must always be with an adult, players 16 to 18 need an adult on their first visit, dogs are not allowed, and you play at your own risk. Seattle Parks plans drainage work here to reduce ponding, with construction scheduled for 2027.

Make a morning of it at the lake. Our guide to spending a day in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood covers the loop trail and the rest of the park, and Zoka Coffee Greenlake is a short walk away on North 56th Street. When you are ready for full length holes, the city’s own Jackson Park Golf Course in north Seattle and West Seattle Golf Course are the next step up.

How to Score Here

• Learn two pitch lengths before you tee off: one for 60 to 65 yards and one for 75 to 80. That covers eight of the nine holes.
• Attack holes 2 and 3, the two shortest on the card, and treat par on hole 5 as a good score.
• Aim for the middle of every green. Two putts from the center beat a chip from under the trees.
• Play early on a weekday if you want to take your time; evenings and weekends move with a crowd behind you.

Final Word

Green Lake Pitch and Putt is Seattle golf at its simplest: nine short holes, a 1949 clubhouse, cheap green fees and a lake loop waiting when you finish.