Anchorage Golf Course

Anchorage Golf Course is an 18-hole public championship layout set on the lower hillside of South Anchorage, offering panoramic views of the Chugach Mountain Range, Cook Inlet, the city skyline, and Denali on clear days. Designed by Bill Newcomb and opened in 1987, the tree-lined course features fast bent grass greens, water hazards on five holes, and a beautifully sculpted routing that takes advantage of the rolling terrain.

Anchorage Golf Course opened for play in 1987 on the lower hillside of South Anchorage, Alaska. The course was designed by Bill Newcomb, a Canadian golf course architect who had developed a specialty in northern-latitude designs suited to shorter growing seasons and challenging climate conditions. The 18-hole championship layout was built to serve as a leading public golf facility in Alaska's largest city and to provide a course of sufficient quality and difficulty to host state and regional championship events. The course is situated at approximately 300 feet of elevation on a rolling hillside site that offers remarkable views in every direction. To the east, the Chugach Mountain Range rises dramatically, its peaks often snow-capped well into the summer months. To the west, golfers can see Cook Inlet, the body of water separating the Kenai Peninsula from the Anchorage bowl. The Anchorage city skyline is visible to the north, and on clear days, Denali — North America's tallest peak at 20,310 feet — is visible over 130 miles to the northwest.

Few golf courses in the world can match the scope of the visual backdrop at Anchorage Golf Course. Newcomb's design takes full advantage of the hillside terrain, routing holes through groves of spruce and birch trees with moderate elevation changes that create interesting stances and lies. The course plays 6,601 yards from the Black tees with a par of 72, a course rating of 72.6, and a slope rating of 134. Greens are bent grass and tend to be small and fast, placing a premium on accurate iron play. The fairways feature Poa annua grass, which thrives in the cool Alaskan climate. Water hazards come into play on five holes, adding strategic interest to the routing. The golf season in Anchorage is compressed but extraordinary.

The course typically opens in early May and closes in mid-October, with the peak summer months offering nearly 20 hours of usable daylight. It is not uncommon for golfers to tee off at 9:00 PM in June under full sunlight, and the summer solstice brings almost continuous daylight that allows marathon rounds and late-evening golf. This extended daylight compensates for the shorter season and makes the Anchorage Golf Course a standout unique playing experiences in American golf. The facility includes a driving range with six practice tees, a practice putting green, and a pro shop and restaurant. The course serves as the home of the Anchorage Golf Association and hosts numerous tournaments throughout the season, including the Alaska State Amateur and various junior events. The course has been ranked as the top public golf course in Alaska by multiple golf publications. Six sets of tees accommodate players of all abilities, from the Black tees at 6,601 yards down to the Green tees at 2,580 yards.

The Green tees provide a shortened executive-style layout that plays to a par of 55, making the course accessible to beginners and juniors. Women's ratings and slopes are provided for all tee sets, reflecting the course's commitment to inclusivity across playing abilities. The municipality of Anchorage operates the course as a public facility, keeping green fees accessible to the local community while maintaining championship-caliber conditioning. The course's location within the city limits makes it readily accessible, and its quality has drawn visiting golfers from across the Lower 48 states who add a round at Anchorage to their Alaska travel itineraries. Wildlife sightings are common on the course, with moose, eagles, and occasionally bears traversing the property, adding another dimension to the distinctly Alaskan experience.