Kitsap Golf and Country Club

About This Course: A Century of Golf in the Bremerton Woods

Kitsap Golf and Country Club is a private, member owned club on the west side of Bremerton, and it has been here since 1924. The club says its par 71 course (par 73 for women) was designed that year by architect Francis “Frank” James, with tree lined fairways that open to views of Mount Baker and Mount Rainier, the landscape James believed would make it a “jewel” of Northwest golf.

Golf is for members and their guests, and the card measures 6,290 yards from the Blue tees. The clubhouse is the part of the club anyone can book: nonmembers can rent the ballroom and other rooms for weddings, meetings and parties.

Kitsap Golf and Country Club Fast Facts

Course Overview

The fullest history of the club is a 2023 paper by Martin Pool of the Northwest Hickory Players, built on research by club historian Pat Brewitt. It says the club incorporated on March 13, 1924, and that James laid out a nine on what is now the lower back nine, which opened on July 4, 1925. During the Depression the club tried opening the course to the public on a limited basis, then dropped the idea after a few years as members complained. After World War II the club bought about 100 acres up the hill and hired Macan, who reportedly planned the new holes from an airplane. Eighteen holes were announced in 1956, the last of Macan’s holes were finished in 1962, and holes 1 and 10 arrived around 1969 with the new clubhouse.

The club went on to host the 1957 Washington State Men’s Amateur, the 1959 Washington State Women’s Amateur and the 1962 Washington State Open. On today’s card the front nine runs 3,149 yards at par 35 and the back nine 3,141 yards at par 36. There are only three par 3s and two par 5s, so the round is mostly par 4s, from the 269 yard 13th to the 441 yard 10th.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Blue tees.

• Hole 1, 186 yards, par 3: Pool calls this opener difficult and unusual.
• Hole 2, 386 yards, par 4: Lengthened from a par 3 around 1969.
• Hole 4, 420 yards, par 4: The number 1 handicap hole on the card.
• Hole 11, 546 yards, par 5: The longest hole on the course, on the routing of an original 1920s hole.
• Hole 12, 301 yards, par 4: Played as a par 3 in the early days, when the club pro made Kitsap’s first hole in one here in 1925.
• Hole 13, 269 yards, par 4: The shortest par 4. In 1956 a member holed his 261 yard drive here, but it did not count: winter play was on a temporary green.
• Hole 17, 156 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on the card.
• Hole 18, 349 yards, par 4: Members doubted Macan’s narrow fairway would work; Pool calls it one of the most distinctive holes on the course.

Amenities and Practice

The club has a driving range, and golfing dues include unlimited range use. The pro shop sits next to the clubhouse; stop there to book tee times, sign up for tournaments, buy merchandise or schedule lessons. Head Golf Professional Kevin Sullivan runs the shop, open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and from 10:30 a.m. on Monday. Members also get a fitness center, a dry sauna, a seasonal pool and a Junior Golf Program for players under 19.

Food and Drink

The clubhouse has a Dining Room, a Lounge with a full bar and a Coffee Shop, and the club’s dining page posts the hours and menu. The menu runs from a $12 Clubhouse Breakfast Burrito to wings, street tacos and seared ahi tuna. Fall and winter hours for the Lounge and kitchen are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. into the evening and weekends from 7 a.m.; the Lounge is closed Mondays. Take out orders go to 360-377-0166, extension 123.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

Kitsap is private, so there are no public green fees or tee times. The club’s junior golf information sheet gives the guest rule for all golfing members: anyone can play as a member’s guest up to three times a year with payment of a green fee, which the club does not post. If you live nearby, current dues are on the membership page. Golf dues run from $78 a month for juniors to $627 for a family, plus initiation, and a $51 a month Social membership allows six rounds of golf a year.

Wear a collared shirt and slacks or golf shorts; denim, T shirts and athletic shorts are out. A foursome should play nine holes in two hours or less and 18 in four hours or less. For an event, you do not need to be a member: the 2025 banquet guide lists the ballroom for up to 300 at $1,500 for four hours.

Our Bremerton city guide covers the rest of town, the Puget Sound Navy Museum is a short drive downtown, and Illahee State Park sits on the east side of town. For rounds you can book yourself, try Village Greens Golf Course or Trophy Lake Golf and Casting in Port Orchard.

How to Score Here

• Start warm. The round opens with a 186 yard par 3, so hit balls on the range first.
• Make your birdies on the short par 4s: the 8th (310), 12th (301), 13th (269) and 16th (294).
• Respect the 4th. At 420 yards it is the number 1 handicap hole, and par is a good score.
• Put the ball in the fairway on 18. Its narrow fairway is the one Macan’s critics worried about.

Final Word

Kitsap Golf and Country Club pairs a 1924 Frank James nine with a Vernon Macan hilltop expansion, plus a century of club lore. If a member invites you, take the tee time.