Ellensburg Golf & Country Club

About This Course: A Family Nine on the Yakima River

Ellensburg Golf and Country Club is a family owned 9 hole course on Thorp Highway South in Ellensburg, set along the Yakima River, and the club calls it the only golf course in the Ellensburg area. It has been open since 1931, and twin brothers Frank and Keith Crimp have owned it since 1985.

The nine plays twice from different tees, so an 18 hole round on the men’s card covers 6,360 yards at par 71. The club describes an affordable, fun round for everyone: tee times are booked by phone, walk ins are welcome, and a driving range, putting green and restaurant round out the visit.

Ellensburg Golf and Country Club Fast Facts

Course Overview

Keith Crimp told WA Golf in January 2026 that the course was first built by local farmers, with sand greens and sheep grazing the fairways. The local Elks lodge later owned it, and when the lodge listed it for sale in 1985, the twins, then 35, made the only bid. Both had worked on the grounds crew in high school and college and played golf together at Central Washington University. After Keith retired from 25 years of teaching at Sunnyside High School, he took on the upgrades himself: a new irrigation system, 12 new teeing areas, and 34 new bunkers on a course that started with five. The business is still all family. Frank is the PGA head professional, his daughter Kathryn is the assistant pro, Keith’s son Matt is the superintendent, and Frank’s son Robert helps on the course.

The routing map on the club’s scorecard shows the Yakima River along the far edge of the property, past the greens of holes 4 and 5, with a channel of water winding through the middle of the layout. The second loop is not a copy of the first. On the men’s card the front nine plays at par 35 from the White tees, while the back nine moves to the Red tees and becomes a par 36 of 3,296 yards, with holes 12 and 15 stretching into par 5s.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the men’s tees: White on the front nine, Red on the back.

• Hole 1, 350 yards, par 4: A modest start that begins near the pro shop and lounge.
• Hole 3, 436 yards, par 4: The No. 1 handicap hole on the men’s card.
• Hole 6, 459 yards, par 4: The longest par 4 on the front and the No. 3 handicap; it turns into a par 5 the second time around.
• Hole 7, 486 yards, par 5: The only par 5 on the front nine.
• Hole 9, 146 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on the men’s card, closing the first loop.
• Hole 11, 432 yards, par 4: The second hole replayed from a tee 81 yards farther back, and the No. 2 handicap.
• Hole 12, 516 yards, par 5: The third hole again, now long enough to play as a par 5.
• Hole 15, 545 yards, par 5: The sixth hole from its back tee, and the longest hole on the course.

Amenities and Practice

The driving range sells four bucket sizes, listed under Plan Your Visit below. The club also lists a putting green, and its scorecard map places the driving range, the pro shop and the lounge together near the first hole. Frank Crimp has been the club’s PGA head professional for decades, and Kathryn Crimp joined the staff as assistant pro after entering the PGA Professional program. Ellensburg Golf and Country Club is a WA Golf Youth on Course participating facility, so juniors with a Youth on Course membership can play reduced rate rounds.

The course is open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., depending on weather and daylight. Instagram, at @ellensburggolfcourse, is where the club says it posts its latest news, announcements and updates.

Food and Drink

The club lists a restaurant on site, and Kathryn Crimp told WA Golf in 2025 that her mother works in the restaurant, across the patio from her father. The club does not publish a menu online, so call the golf shop for hours before you plan a meal around your round.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

The club does not post green fees online. Book a tee time or ask about rates by calling the golf shop at 509-962-2984; walk ins are welcome too. Keith Crimp told WA Golf that the course offers discounted rates to Central Washington University students during the school’s academic quarters. Range buckets are $4 small, $6 medium, $10 large and $13 extra large.

Keith also said the mix of players has flipped since 1985: about 80 percent of rounds now come from people outside the area, so this is a natural stop on a trip through Kittitas County. Our Ellensburg city guide covers the rest of town, and Spending a Weekend in Ellensburg fills in the hours around a tee time. If you are in town over Labor Day weekend, read up on the Ellensburg Rodeo first. For a second round, head up I-90 to Sun Country Golf Course or Rope Rider Golf Course at Suncadia.

How to Score Here

• Learn the greens on the first loop. You putt the same nine greens twice, so note the breaks the first time through.
• Save something for the back nine. The Red tees add 232 yards and turn the 12th and 15th into par 5s.
• Play the 3rd conservatively. It is the hardest hole on the card at 436 yards, and bogey is a fine score.
• Know the local rules. A ball that hits a power line is replayed without penalty, and only one player may play from each bag.

Final Word

Ellensburg Golf and Country Club is a homegrown nine with nearly a century of history and a family that has run it for four decades. Call ahead, grab a bucket at the range, and play the Ellensburg golf course twice.