Highlands Golf Course

About This Course: Tacoma’s Nine Hole Par 3 Gem

Highlands Golf Course in Tacoma is a nine hole par 3 course in the city’s west end, toward the Narrows Bridge, and the reason to go is simple: nine real chances at a hole in one in a round that takes less than 75 minutes. The course calls it “Half the Time, Twice the Fun,” and it is home to the Washington State Par 3 Championship.

The course describes itself as a 1,250 yard, par 27 layout with holes from 100 to 200 yards, eight bunkers and three water hazards. It is privately owned, open to everyone, and the green fee for nine holes is $20.82 plus tax.

Highlands Golf Course Fast Facts

Course Overview

Inside Golf Newspaper dates the course to 1931; its April 2021 story marked Highlands’ 90th anniversary and said more than a million and a half rounds had been played there. The course nearly disappeared. WA Golf reported in 2022 that Jack Connelly saved Highlands from demolition after the property was slated for condominiums, and Inside Golf described how the Connelly family, all nine children included, improved every hole, put new sand in the bunkers, remodeled the clubhouse and added a patio with an outdoor fireplace, a fire pit and a water feature behind the ninth green. In April 2021 Inside Golf reported that golfers had played 12,500 more rounds than the year before, with a new irrigation system on the way.

Connelly built Highlands into a competitive venue too. The first Washington State Par 3 Championship was played there on September 10 and 11, 2022, with 66 golfers playing the nine four times over two days for the Tartan Vest and the Angus Cup; Brett Manke won by a shot over Sam Highsmith. The course says Golfer’s Choice voted it the number 5 short course in the United States for 2024. For everyday golfers, the appeal is the variety: the shortest holes are a wedge and the longest ask for a long iron.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Highlands does not post a hole by hole scorecard online, and the third party cards we found are out of date (one still lists a 250 yard par 4), so we are not printing hole yardages until the course confirms them. What the course and Inside Golf do confirm:

• Every hole is a par 3, so every hole is a hole in one chance, and the course record is 23 for nine holes.
• Holes range from about 100 to 200 yards, from a wedge to a long iron for most players.
• Eight bunkers and three water hazards are spread across the nine.
• Hole 9, par 3: The closing hole, with a water feature behind the green added in the 2020 remodel and a carved wooden statue of Angus McDuff at the hole.
• The 18 hole course record is 50, built from rounds of 24 and 26 over two loops of the nine.

Amenities and Practice

There is no driving range. Inside Golf describes a practice putting green and two hitting stations next to the clubhouse, which is enough to loosen up before a nine. Club rental is $20 and a pull cart is $5; GolfNow’s course profile says power carts are not offered, and walking is the way to play.

The pro shop is also home to Mojean’s Golf Gear, run by Don Mojean, a PGA professional with more than 40 years in golf retail and a long history at Allenmore and Highlands. He sells like new used clubs, helps golfers get more for their own sets than a trade in would, and keeps an antique and collectible corner for older clubs.

Food and Drink

McDuff’s Highlands Cafe opened in March 2020 in the remodeled clubhouse, surrounded by the course. It serves beer, wine and non alcoholic drinks and is open daily from 7 AM, until 7 PM Sunday through Wednesday and until 8:30 PM Thursday through Saturday. The cafe seats 65 inside and 140 with the patio, pergola and fire pits, and it books receptions, parties, reunions and meetings. The cafe line is 253-301-0163.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

The rates on the course site, which match what the online tee sheet charged in October 2026, are $20.82 for 9 holes and $33.83 for 18, plus tax. The replay and junior rate is $13.01, and a 10 round punch card is $175. Regulars can buy a 12 month unlimited play plan for $1,250, plus $450 for a spouse. WA Golf lists Highlands as a Youth on Course course with no restrictions.

Book a tee time online or call the pro shop at 253-759-3622. The course lists daily hours of 8 AM to 6:30 PM. Singles may be paired with another group, a tee time can shift 10 to 20 minutes with availability, and cancellations need 24 hours’ notice. Fivesomes are not allowed, metal spikes are out, and a shirt is required at all times. The 2026 Par 3 Championship field filled, so watch the events page early if you want in next year.

Our Tacoma city guide covers the rest of your trip, and Best Coffee in Tacoma has 43 shops, stands and roasters for the drive in. For a full 18 nearby, Allenmore Golf Course is about 3 miles southeast and Chambers Bay in University Place about 5 miles southwest.

How to Score Here

• Know your carry numbers. With holes from 100 to 200 yards, nearly every club in the bag gets used.
• Aim for the middle of the green. Eight bunkers and three water hazards punish a flag hunt.
• Roll a few putts on the practice green first; on a par 27, putting decides the score.
• Play it twice. A second loop costs $13.01 at the replay rate and doubles your short game practice.

Final Word

Saved from the bulldozer and polished into a championship par 3, Highlands Golf Course is a quick, cheap and genuinely testing round, with a shot at an ace on every hole.