Lake Chelan Municipal Golf Course

About This Course: The City Course Above Lake Chelan

Lake Chelan Golf Course is the City of Chelan’s municipal 18 hole course, set on rolling ground less than two miles from downtown. The reason to make the drive is lake and mountain views at a city course price: the fall 2026 rate is $58 for 18 holes, any day of the week. Holes 12 and 13 sit highest on the property, with outstanding views of the lake.

It is a traditional par 72 of 6,459 yards from the back tees, with small greens, two ponds and only 11 bunkers. A busy practice area, daily PGA lessons and a full service restaurant round it out.

Lake Chelan Golf Course Fast Facts

Course Overview

The city built the course in 1969 as both a recreation amenity and an economic driver for Chelan, and it still owns and runs it today. A 2026 National Golf Foundation evaluation describes about 115 acres in the foothills above downtown, holes routed in parallel corridors, trees planted when the course was built, and a simple design with small greens and few hazards. The same report found the course at record levels of play and revenue, with 29,180 rounds in 2025. The city is now comparing its own business plan with proposals from private management companies, and its FAQ says no sale is before the council and no management decision is made.

The card is balanced: four par 5s, four par 3s and ten par 4s, with the front nine at 3,332 yards and the back at 3,127 from the Blue tees. Two ponds bring water into play on three holes, and most of the 11 bunkers are on the front nine. The greens average about 3,500 square feet, so approach shots matter more than length. The scorecard sets four hours as the expected time for 18 holes.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Blue tees, from the course’s own scorecard.

• Hole 1, 550 yards, par 5: The round opens with one of the two longest holes on the card. Play it as three shots.
• Hole 3, 400 yards, par 4: The number 1 handicap hole for men, the hardest on the course.
• Hole 9, 550 yards, par 5: The front nine closes the way it opened, on the number 3 handicap hole.
• Hole 10, 399 yards, par 4: The number 2 handicap hole. A local rule covers the canyon here: a ball in the canyon costs one stroke, with a drop by the forward tee.
• Hole 12, 270 yards, par 4: The shortest par 4, at the high point of the course with views over Lake Chelan.
• Hole 14, 488 yards, par 5: The shorter of the two back nine par 5s and a real birdie chance.
• Hole 15, 390 yards, par 4: The number 4 handicap hole, the toughest test on the back nine after No. 10.
• Hole 18, 182 yards, par 3: The round ends on a par 3, tied with No. 2 as the longest one on the card.

Amenities and Practice

The driving range has 12 hitting stations with both natural grass and artificial turf. It runs about 225 yards, so go easy on the longest clubs, and it faces south, out of the low sun. Buy range balls in the pro shop; the 2026 fee table in the National Golf Foundation report lists a small bucket at $8 and a large at $13. A large practice putting green sits next to the clubhouse, and a chipping area with a practice bunker and a second green is down the hill by the first tee.

PGA Professional Jim Oscarson and Assistant PGA Professional Mark Lawrence run the pro shop, and the staff teaches daily. A half hour lesson is $30, a package of six is $150, and group lessons are available. Rental clubs and carts are both available; carts are $16 per rider, and the city posts a cart rental waiver online.

Food and Drink

The Albatross runs the restaurant and bar in the clubhouse, with a full bar, a covered patio and space for parties and catered events. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday, dine in only, with plates such as crab cakes, salmon piccata, fish and chips and burgers. The golfers’ snack counter, the Fairway, is closed for the season. Call the restaurant at 509-888-4078.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

These are the 2026 rates on the city’s rate card and the live tee sheet as of October 4, 2026. The off season daily fee of $58 for 18 holes runs from October 4 to the close of the season, and the same price applies on weekends. Monday through Thursday, the tee sheet drops to $38 for 18 holes from 2 p.m. Carts are $16 per rider, and every rate includes sales tax. The peak season rate was $84 from May 15 to October 4; check the 2027 rate card before next season.

Book up to 30 days ahead on the Lake Chelan Golf Course online tee sheet, in the course app, or by calling the pro shop at 509-682-8026. In July and August the 7 to 10 a.m. block is held for daily fee players. Shirts are required, each player needs a set of clubs and a bag, carts stay on the paths where they exist, and all alcohol must be bought on the property.

The course is an easy add to a weekend in town; the Lake Chelan guide covers where to eat, stay and play. The Lake Chelan Historical Society Museum fills a 1907 bank building with the valley’s history, and for a longer, steeper round nearby, book Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course.

How to Score Here

• Aim for the middle of the greens. They average about 3,500 square feet, so a safe target beats a tucked pin.
• Take your chances on the short holes: No. 12 is a 270 yard par 4 and No. 14 a 488 yard par 5.
• On No. 10, keep the ball out of the canyon. It costs a stroke and a drop by the forward tee.
• Know the local rules before you tee off: a ball that hits the power lines must be replayed, and the entrance road is out of bounds.

Final Word

Lake Chelan Golf Course pairs a classic par 72 and lake views with a strong practice area and a real restaurant, at a city course price.