Sand Point Country Club

About This Course: A 1927 Hillside Layout Above Lake Washington

Sand Point Country Club is a private golf and country club in northeast Seattle, and its 18 hole course sits on a hillside above Lake Washington. The club says that on clear days the views stretch from Mount Baker near the Canadian border south to Mount Rainier. The course opened in 1927, and a 2020 renovation by Scottish architect David McLay Kidd gave it firm, fast, heathland style conditions and more than 90 fairway and greenside bunkers.

Play is for members and their guests. The card measures 6,099 yards from the Black tees at par 72, modest by modern standards, but the club is clear that the hillside is the real test: rolling terrain, sidehill lies and small, fast greens.

Sand Point Country Club Fast Facts

Course Overview

The club dates its founding and its course to 1927 and credits the original design to British golf architect Francis L. James, who the club says built several early Northwest courses. In a May 2020 interview with the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, Kidd said the course had closed late the previous year for the work, and he described a site with about 200 feet of elevation change in barely over 100 acres. The club lists the scope: a complete redesign of two holes, major changes to 10 greens, tee and bunker renovations, 57 percent more short cut fairway turf and 15 acres of native areas.

The result plays firm and fast, with slick, tilting greens. Director of Golf Craig Hunter says the tight conditions let you use the contours and slopes, so run up and bank shots often beat flying the ball at the pin, and around the greens you can putt, pitch, run a straight faced iron or flop a wedge. On the card the front nine runs 3,124 yards and the back nine 2,975 yards, each at par 36. There are four par 5s (415 to 519 yards), four par 3s (149 to 175 yards) and par 4s from 251 to 423 yards.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Black tees.

• Hole 2, 251 yards, par 4: The shortest par 4 on the course.
• Hole 4, 423 yards, par 4: The longest par 4 on the card.
• Hole 6, 516 yards, par 5: The first of two par 5s on the front nine.
• Hole 8, 519 yards, par 5: The longest hole on the course. Plan three shots.
• Hole 9, 149 yards, par 3: The shortest hole closes the front nine.
• Hole 10, 252 yards, par 4: The back nine opens with another short par 4 and a chance to start fast.
• Hole 12, 445 yards, par 5: A short par 5, so a good drive can leave a long iron or hybrid in.
• Hole 17, 415 yards, par 5: The shortest par 5 on the card and the best birdie chance coming in.

Amenities and Practice

You can warm up on the covered and heated driving range, then move to the short game area and putting green. The full service pro shop stocks everything from balls and gloves to clubs for players of all ages. The club’s guest information sheet says most players walk, and the club offers push carts to encourage it.

Beyond golf, members have a junior Olympic sized swimming pool, four lighted outdoor tennis courts and a 24 hour fitness center. Sand Point is a member of Audubon International and is pursuing certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf.

Food and Drink

Dining at Sand Point is for members and their guests, in three rooms described on the club amenities page. The Main Dining Room looks out on Lake Washington and the Cascades and serves lunch Tuesday through Friday, dinner Wednesday through Friday and Sunday brunch, with patio service in summer. The Cascade Grill sits above the pool and next to the practice putting green, with pizzas, a full menu, a full bar and a golfer’s breakfast on weekends all year. The Pan Room Bar is adults only, 21 and over.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

Sand Point is private, so there are no public green fees or tee times. You play as a member or as a member’s guest. Golf comes with the Equity Golf membership, which the club limits to 400 members and which requires an initiation fee and the purchase of a share of stock. The other membership categories center on swimming, tennis, fitness and dining. For membership questions, use the club’s contact page or call 206-525-5766.

The club’s guest information sheet sets the house rules. Golf attire means soft spikes, no denim and, for men, shirts tucked in. Phone calls are not allowed on the course, practice areas or range except for emergencies or calls to the golf shop. A foursome should finish in under 4 hours and 3 minutes. Guests park in the upper lot or along Lakemont Drive, because the lower lot is for members. The entrance is a stone fence and gate on NE 75th Street at 49th Avenue NE; follow the Clubhouse signs.

Our Seattle city guide covers the rest of the city, and a day in the Green Lake neighborhood fills out a north Seattle visit. For a round you can book yourself, try Jackson Park Golf Course.

How to Score Here

• Play the ground game. Firm, tight turf rewards run up and bank shots into the greens.
• Expect uneven lies. The club calls the hillside its predominant feature, so adjust when the ball sits above or below your feet.
• Take your chances on the short par 4s at 2 and 10 and the 415 yard 17th.
• Score on the par 5s. All four measure under 520 yards from the Black tees, and two of them, the 12th and 17th, are under 450.

Final Word

Sand Point packs a 1927 routing, a 2020 heathland renovation and views from Mount Baker to Mount Rainier into one compact hillside property. If a member invites you, take the tee time.