Spokane County golf courses to cost a little extra scratch next year, scratch golfers included

Chipping onto Spokane County greens will cost a few more greenbacks next year.

The Spokane County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to increase charges at golf courses owned and operated by Spokane County, including Liberty Lake, Latah Creek and MeadowWood golf courses. Every available pass, from 9-hole twilight hour rounds to all-access season passes, will see an increase for 2026.

Trisha Truett, finance manager for Spokane County Parks, Recreation and Golf, said the increased rates will help offset an expected 7% rise in operating costs, as well as future capital and equipment needs.

The 18-hole, 9-hole, tournament and junior rates, as well as hotel passes, will increase by $4 next year at Spokane County courses, while prebooked 18-hole rounds will increase by $10 to a total of $62. The latter is mostly used by out-of-town visitors, Truett said. In total, the county’s courses saw a record 122,000 rounds of golf last year.

The largest jump in cost comes for the most expensive of the county’s golf pass offerings. A season pass for unlimited rounds will cost $2,800 for adults and $2,700 for seniors, which is a $400 increase from 2025. Junior passes for those under 18 years old increased by $25 to $275.

Spokane County’s 2026 rates are comparable, and at times cheaper, than what other public golf courses in the region charge, Truett said. The city of Spokane is considering a proposed $5 increase across the board excluding pre-bookings for its four public golf courses, an increase that would have the city’s rates outpace the county’s by the same margin.

“In most cases the county is below the average and our proposed 2026 rates are very competitive,” Truett told the county commission last week.

Truett said that only 13 adult season passes were purchased in 2025, and users golfed an average of 72 times last year. There were 29 senior passes purchased, and those seniors played an average of 95 times. It’ll take 54 rounds for an adult pass owner to break even in 2026, and 52 for a senior.

Junior passes were, by far, the most popular of the season pass offerings in 2025. More than 200 were sold, and those junior golfers went 22 times, on average.

The county’s cart fees will also be rising in cost, and the trend continues for the county’s passes for discounted rounds.

The discount pass, which allows users to save $10-12 per round of 18 and $3 per round of 9 year-round, rose from $65 to $75. The loyalty pass, which discounts rounds by $19-20, rose from $300 to $375.

A golfer would need to play at least eight rounds to make the discount pass worthwhile, and around 20 rounds to break even if investing in a loyalty pass.

“That might be for someone who doesn’t want to do the season pass, because that’s a big commitment,” Truett said. “But they do like to golf there, so they know they’ll be there enough to make up that difference. Folks determine how many times they’re going to play, and then buy the best pass for those number of rounds.”