Golf Shop Hours

Daily: 8:00am – 5:00pm

First Tee Time: 8:30am

Starting March 9

Mon-Sat ~ 8:00am-5:30pm

Sun ~ 8:00am-5:00pm

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

Greetings from the Golf Course

It looks like we have made it to March without a snow event this year as Spring is right around the corner and we all can look forward to the longer days and the warmer temperatures as our WGA, Niners and Men’s seasons get geared up. That extra hour we get with daylight savings time means more time to enjoy the golf course and hopefully knock the rust off ahead of the season. 

The mild conditions in February also meant that Shawn and his team were able to complete a number of projects in addition to the tree limbing. Taking advantage of the weather, they were able to address some of the soft conditions on and around green complexes by “spot aerifying” and topdressing which will further push the goal of firmer the turf up while allowing for less water to be trapped near the surface. In addition, bunker work continued with both greenside bunkers on the 1st hole getting new drainage, grading and sand. We appreciate all of your patience and support as we strive to make the golf course better and more enjoyable for all. During the soft conditions, your help has been greatly appreciated and goes a long way to help with the overall conditions. Let’s continue to do our part! 

If you have not already signed up, registration forms for the Niners and WGA are available in the Golf Shop. We got a busy 2026 ahead, and in addition to our scheduled fitting days, spring merchandise will begin arriving this month from Cutter & Buck, Imperial, Columbia and Straight Down. Headwear from Richardson, Branded Bills and Imperial, shoes from Skechers and Ecco, and golf bags from Titleist and putters from Odyssey. 

The 2026 Fitting Schedule has expanded to seven dates featuring commitments from Callaway (April 9, June 11), TaylorMade (April 4, June 25), Srixon/Cleveland (April 17, June 18) and Titleist (July 16). You will find links to schedule a fitting for our April 4 Callaway event and our two Srixon/Cleveland fittings later in the newsletter. Additional fitting links will follow as they are made available from each company. For those of you who may looking for an equipment upgrade, there are some very exciting new products out there this year so I hope you will take advantage by scheduling a fitting early. This may also be you chance to see and try some of the new zero torque putters from TaylorMade and Odyssey. Remember that this may also be the perfect time to replace your old worn-out wedges and get fit for some new “scoring clubs”. Properly fitted wedges can really make a difference as these clubs are used for such a variety of situations.

We are committed to continuous improvement at Port Ludlow and hope that each visit and club experience is better than the last and as always, thank you for your loyal patronage and support of the Golf Course and Club. 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

Greens Aerification

Sunday, Monday & Tuesday

March 22 - 24

It’s that time again with our scheduled Spring greens aerification beginning Sunday, March 22 at 3pm on the Front 9. No tee times will be taken after aerification begins on Sunday and the golf course will be closed all day on Monday, March 22 as aerification continues. If needed, clean-up and the completion of the project will be Tuesday & Wednesday, March 23 & 24. A little about the process and the “why”.

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!

Tip of the Month ~ Up Against the Rough?

How many times has this happened to you? You’ve just hit a really nice shot that hits the green and rolls across the green and stops on the fringe, right up against the rough. Not a great place to be and a predicament that leaves us with quit a few options, none of them easy to pull off.

First things first, we need to check the lie and make sure we understand our options. In most cases, we are just looking to get it back on the green with the chance of making our putt. There are 3 basic ways to play this shot and they all utilize your normal putting stroke. Let’s go in order of safest way to proceed. You’ll notice that none of them are with a wedge as trying to “chip” from this lie is only asking for trouble.

1 Putter

• Advantage - if the rough is not too high and you can make solid contact with the ball; this will promote a descent roll.
• Challenges - tough to judge the distance as we usually get some grass between the putter and the ball.

2. Hybrid/Fairway

• Advantage - when used like a putter, it will glide through the rough leading to a smoother stroke and better contact.
• Challenges - without practice, hard to control the speed of the shot. Tends to roll out much easier because of the added loft of the club. 

3. Sand Wedge

• Advantage - ball will roll just like a putt when stuck correctly. Club also glides right through the rough.
• Challenges – the shot needs to be played with a putting stroke using the leading edge of the club striking the ball at its equator…extremely difficult to do without practice.

Video Link
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As with most things, there is no one right way to get out of this situation, but with a little practice, I’m sure you’ll find the best way for you. All three of these shots can be found in the video below. Get out there have fun!

February saw Shawn and the crew continue with a variety of on-course projects as our overnight temperatures continue to stay above freezing. Tree limbing has been suspended for a short while to take advantage of those conditions and begin work on the greenside bunkers on Hole #1.

The old sand gets removed, old drainage is replaced and any regrading gets completed along with installing new drainage as needed before the new sand is brought in the bunker is completely transformed and ready to go. In the pictures below, you will see some of the different steps involved and we hope you will enjoy the finished product.

Preparing for new drainage

Ready to go

Tree limbing and clearing continues throughout the course and will finish up in late February, weather permitting. Additional projects will include opening up vegetation on areas of the Back Nine on holes 14 & 15 along with our continued work on course drainage. 

Hauling excess fill

Liner's installation

New sand

Back bunker regrading

In mid-February, the crew completed “spot aerifying and topdressing” of areas that were holding a significant amount of moisture on and around the green complexes. The process can be seen in the following pictures and hopefully along with some warmer weather we will be able to re-open the 3^rd, 8^th and 13^th greens and move off of our temporary greens. All of these projects will provide for firmer and smoother turf long-term and is always the case, create the best possible conditions for all golfers.

Aerifying hole 7 approach

8th green and approach

Topdressing at #9

3rd green and approach

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

March's Wine Tasting on Tues, March 10 at 4pm will feature Azzurro Wine Company, a leading importer of Italian wines.

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

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sundays in March ~ Seafood Sundays

March 14-15: Spring Retail Sale

Browse a selection of discounted items in the Olympic Room at the Inn from the Inn, Marina gift shop and Pro Shop.

March 18: Open Studio

Connect with a variety of local artists, guests are invited to create their own art alongside or simply enjoy watching them at work.

March 19: Dichotomy Vineyards Winemaker Dinner

Join us in welcoming the South Australian & WA winemakers to Port Ludlow.

• As our days start to get longer, please note that we still require golf carts to be in 30 minutes prior to sunset

• Always take note of the daily carts rules which are posted at the 1st tee especially and during times of “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

• 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.