APRIL HOURS

Mon-Sat: 7:30am – 6:00pm

Sun & Holidays: 7:30am–5:00pm

First Tee Time: 8:00am

Practice Tee opens 30 minutes prior to the first tee time of the day.

Hours of operation may change depending on weather.

Greetings from the Golf Course

Spring is here and as we head into April, it’s time for the Masters Tournament and all of the anticipation of the excitement that is sure to be on full display come the back nine on Sunday. And a little closer to home, the MLB baseball season has kicked off and following the Super Bowl run of the Seahawks, could the Mariners carve out their own magic this summer, we’ll wait and see.

As for us, with our Spring aerification now behind us, it’s time to kick it into gear and get back into the WGA, Niners and Men’s Golf seasons in April. If you have not already signed up, registration forms for the Niners and WGA are available in the Golf Shop. Grab your clubs and join in as we will have a busy 2026 ahead. In addition to our scheduled fitting days, spring merchandise will begin arriving this month from Cutter & Buck, Columbia and MV Sport. Headwear from Richardson and Branded Bills, with shoes from Skechers and Ecco, and golf bags coming in any day. 

For all of you who may be thinking about new equipment, it’s fitting season and to make things easier, links to sign up are included in this newsletter and we encourage you to sign up early as spots are filling up fast. This is your chance to see and try the latest offerings from the major manufactures who will be coming to the Port Ludlow range this spring. Fittings will be conducted by certified fitters from each manufacturer and will be assisted by our staff. This may also be you chance to see and try some of the new zero torque putters from TaylorMade and Odyssey. 

As we have detailed in past issues, work continues on a number of areas on the golf course. Shawn and his team have the course looking and playing beautifully heading into the spring and have stayed extremely busy all winter. With our scheduled greens aerification behind us (more details later), the focus for now will getting the areas disrupted during the tree limbing and removal, back into shape. The comments have been great and continued thanks to Shawn and his team for their hard work all winter to get us headed in a strong direction for the season. All of the work done on and around the golf course is in a concerted effort to continue to elevate the golf experience while increasing the overall turf health and quality. 

Thank you again and I am privileged to serve you as your Head Golf Professional. If there is anything we can do to elevate your experiences at the Club, please feel free to reach out to me at any time. 

Jim Mancill

Golf Course News & Notes

New Arrivals in the Golf Shop

We are proud to announce that we will be bringing the PGA Jr League to Port Ludlow Golf Course this year. The PGA Jr League is all about fun and brings the team concept to the game complete with player jerseys with numbers. 

With practices and matches beginning in June, we look to establish 2 teams in-house to start our 13u program for all levels of junior golfers. Practices will be held on Thursday’s beginning in June and matches (6) will be held on Sunday afternoons. All matches are 9 holes and are played with a team scramble format. 

Registration is open and will run through May 1. For more information, scan the QR code to the left and for an in-depth look at what the PGA Jr League is all about click the following link that is full of a lot of great information.

Hope you or someone you know has a junior ready to get started!

Save the Date

Port Ludlow GC Women’s Invitational

Tuesday, June 30

2 Player ~ Better Ball of Partners

Our scheduled Spring greens was completed on Tuesday, March 24 without any major interruptions from mother nature and are the road to full recovery. In the pictures below, you will see some of the steps that occur during this operation…aerification, topdressing, fertilizing, and dragging. All of which are necessary to help provide the best and healthiest possible greens. Your patience is always appreciated as the crew will continue to “drag” in the top dressing before the greens get back to their normal schedule of cutting and rolling.

As we get nearer to the start of the season, work has continued on tree limbing and thinning throughout the golf course. With the golf course pushing past its 50th anniversary, the need to manage the amount of sun and moisture available to the greens, fairways and tees becomes a delicate balance to the design of the course and the integrity of the challenge from the natural surroundings. In the case of the trees that surround the Port Ludlow course, the 50 years of growth that has occurred since opening in 1975 has both changed the look of the course and in many cases the way the turf reacts to less light and in some cases, less water.

Below are pictures of examples of each. At the 15th green, the tree removal behind the green was to open up additional sunlight to the green and the approach as well as providing the rear of the green with more moisture as each tree there could use up to 100 gallons of water each day causing weak and thinning turf. On hole #7, the trees on the right-hand side of the fairway were thinned out in an effort to let more air and sunlight in to promote drying and firming up the turf in the rough as well as strengthening the turf in the fairway with the additional sunlight. 

Opening up the area around #15 green and approach

Opening up the right-hand side of #7

As always, thank you for your continued patience and support as all of the on-course projects continue. By not hitting shots in the vicinity of work being done allows the staff to work safely as in most cases, the machinery being used makes it difficult to hear golfers yelling “fore”.

Resort Updates

April's Wine Tasting on Tues, April 14 at 4pm will feature Hyatt Vineyards, one of Washington State’s pioneering vineyards, with a long history of estate-grown fruit and a commitment to sustainable vineyard practices.

Pre-purchase your tickets online for $10 and save ($15 at the door).

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 16: Rocky Pond Winemaker Dinner

Known for crafting elegant, expressive wines from some of the state’s most celebrated vineyards, Rocky Pond Estate Winery brings a taste of the Columbia Valley to Port Ludlow.

April 30: Truffle Dinner with River the Trufflehunter

Mary & River the Lagotto Romangnolo will guide you through a fascinating demonstration of River’s training, showcasing her remarkable skills and enthusiasm as a true Truffle Hunter.

• As we are still in our off-season “cart path only” conditions, please be observant and take special care on all wet areas around the tees and greens as they can get quite slippery at times.

• The daily cart regulations are always posted at the first tee so please check before you head out.

• When using the chipping greens throughout the offseason, please do your part and repair any ball marks you make or see. A little assistance goes a long way to keeping them smooth and healthy.

• Care of the golf course is all of our responsibilities so do your part by using the sand/seed mix available on your cart to repair your divots. Also take the time to fix your ball mark and one other on each green and when in a bunker, please use the rake to smooth out the sand for the next player. A little help goes a long, long way .