Tam o’Shanter Golf and Country Club

About This Course: A Neighborhood Nine Above Lake Sammamish

Tam o’Shanter Golf and Country Club is a private residential community in east Bellevue, and its golf course is the centerpiece. The club describes a meticulously maintained 9 hole course, staffed by PGA professionals and played since 1967, in a community with sweeping views of Lake Sammamish and the Cascade Mountains.

The nine holes play twice from different tees to make an 18 hole round at par 71. From the Black tees that round measures 6,103 yards. It is a members and guests course: every lot owner in Tam o’Shanter is a member of the club’s homeowner corporation, and there are no public tee times.

Tam o’Shanter Golf and Country Club Fast Facts

Course Overview

The club says Tam o’Shanter was established as a private homeowner association in 1965 and that golf has been played here since 1967. The community is built around the course, with homes along the fairways and Bennett Elementary School inside the neighborhood. In a 2008 review, Issaquah Reporter sports writer Kevin Endejan counted 498 single family properties whose residents and guests can play, and called the course one of the lesser known on the Eastside.

What makes the round unusual is the double loop. You play the nine once from one set of tees, then again from a second set, so the card shows 18 holes and the greens carry two sets of flags. The front loop runs 3,044 yards at par 36 and the second loop 3,059 yards at par 35, because the sixth hole becomes a long par 3 the second time through while the fourth stretches to 551 yards. Both 2008 reviewers stressed elevation and trees. Joel Willits of the Bellevue Reporter wrote that the course changes elevation more than the others he had played, with the ball often above or below your feet, and that it rewards patience over power.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Black tees.

• Hole 1, 467 yards, par 5: The 2008 Issaquah Reporter review says the fairway dips into a valley and leaves a blind, uphill second shot.
• Hole 3, 127 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on the card. The same review says a bunker nearly wraps the front of the green.
• Hole 5, 198 yards, par 3: The 2008 reviewer described a large body of water to the left and very little room behind the green.
• Hole 6, 282 yards, par 4: The shortest par 4, and a birdie chance on the first loop.
• Hole 7, 514 yards, par 5: The longest hole on the first loop. Plan three shots.
• Hole 9, 433 yards, par 4: A favorite of regulars, according to a 2013 Bellevue Reporter piece, with a steep drop from the tee to an undulating fairway; the 2008 Issaquah Reporter review adds a climb back up to the green.
• Hole 13, 551 yards, par 5: The fourth hole played from a longer tee on the second loop, and the longest hole on the course.
• Hole 15, 230 yards, par 3: The sixth hole replayed as a par 3, the longest one shot hole on the card.

Amenities and Practice

The pro shop serves members and guests with golf apparel, equipment and accessories, and the club lists Bryan Tupper as its golf pro. The 2008 Issaquah Reporter review also described a full service pro shop, a nine hole putting green and a netted chipping area; check with the shop for what is set up today.

Golf is one part of a bigger amenity list. The community has a pool with lanes for competitive swimming and a kiddie pool, plus a park with four tennis courts, pickleball, a playground and areas for volleyball, basketball and picnics. The calendar runs to family bingo nights, Easter brunch and an adult Halloween party.

Food and Drink

Mulligans is the clubhouse restaurant, described on the club’s community page as a cozy spot for meals with scenic views. The club hires servers for both the restaurant and its event spaces, and bar service is part of the job. The 2008 Issaquah Reporter reviewer singled out the hot dog as one of the best he had had in a long time.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

Tam o’Shanter is private, so there are no public green fees or tee times. Each lot owner is a member of Tam o’Shanter, Inc., and play is for members and their guests. The club does not publish a guest fee or guest rules on its public site, so if a member invites you, confirm the details with your host. For questions about the club or buying into the community, use the club’s contact form or call 425-746-3855.

The club sits between Bellevue and Redmond, a few minutes from downtown Bellevue with quick access to State Route 520 and I-90. Our Bellevue city guide covers the rest of town, the Bellevue Botanical Garden makes an easy stop, and Lake Sammamish State Park puts you on the lake itself. For a round you can book yourself, try Crossroads Par 3 Golf Course, and Brae Burn Golf Course is another private community nine just up the road in Redmond.

How to Score Here

• Learn it once, play it twice. The greens are the same on both loops, so note the breaks the first time around.
• Pick accuracy over distance. Trees and homes frame the corridors, and the 2008 Issaquah Reporter reviewer spent the day hitting punch shots.
• Get comfortable with uneven lies. The elevation changes leave the ball above or below your feet on many shots.
• Score on the par 3s. There are seven of them, from 127 to 230 yards, and they add up to more than a third of the holes you play.

Final Word

Tam o’Shanter packs a hilly, tree lined nine, a double loop routing and a full slate of community amenities into one east Bellevue neighborhood. If a member invites you, say yes and bring your straightest club.