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When played from the back tees, the nine-hole golf course at Tam O'Shanter Golf and Country Club is 6168 yards. The majority of the membership generally plays from the middle tees at 5854 yards and for good reason. This can be one tough golf course.

Opened for play in 1967, Superintendent Tom Corlett's wonderfully maintained community golf course poses numerous challenges to players of all skill levels. From the first tee it is evident that good strategy and course management are just as important as the clubs in your bag.

A respectable 70.1 rating and a 127 slope only hint at what's involved with successfully negotiating this par 71 tree lined track. The par threes stretch from 124 yards all the way to a whopping 226 yards. The fairways range from somewhat tight to generous, and out of bounds lurks right of many holes. Additionally, an errant or poorly planned tee ball if still in bounds, may require a low running punch shot in order to escape some of the course's many stately old Douglas firs, cedars, or weeping willows.

If you still decide to take the "grip it and rip it" approach, you may want to note that a well "ripped" tee ball may reward you with a lie that has the ball well above or below your feet, your feet well above or below each other, or some combination of all of the above. Knowing the fundamentals of properly executing shots from uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies will go a long way toward shaving a few strokes off of your round.

These same undulating and hilly fairways however, set up some spectacular shots from elevated positions. The ninth hole for example, requires a tee shot that, if well executed, will be long and fall more than six stories to the ideal landing area. The short par four second hole has your approach shot looking down another two to three stories to a small, very well protected green that has bunkers both left and right and a severe drop off all along the back edge. It's a terrific little hole that can be very rewarding or can eat you for lunch.

Most of the greens on the golf course are very well protected. If the strategic bunker placement or water doesn't get you, a green's elevation change or its surrounding slopes can leave you with some very delicate chips or pitches. Additionally, the well manicured greens themselves are hardly defenseless. Though not penal, several greens are sloped enough to make par a daunting task if you're caught above or beside the green. Those greens that are not sloped offer many subtle and tricky breaks that can make putting as adventurous as getting to the green.

The Tam O'Shanter golf course may not be long, but it is a very satisfying test of golf. You will get to use every club in your bag, test your course management skills, and exercise your imagination with endless short game possibilities around the tricky, smooth rolling greens. The course is very fair, but a low round here deserves some recognition for a job well done.

TOS is also the home of the Interlake High School boy's and girl's golf teams. Local knowledge and training has traditionally paid off with many successful seasons for the Saint's, the most recent of which produced the 1998 King County Boy's Champions and the 1999 King County Girl's Champions. There have been many fine athletes who have learned their skills while participating in the junior golf program at TOS and gone on to earn college scholarships for their hard work. In 2002, for example, over 90 junior golfers, from beginners to intermediates, took advantage of instruction provided by our teaching professionals and volunteers to improve their golfing abilities and increase their knowledge and appreciation for the game.

You can get your round started at Tam O'Shanter's Pro Shop which features a full selection of golf equipment, clothing, cart rental and amenities. Our dedicated Pro Brian Coury services the needs of all Tam O'Shanter members and their guests including private lessons available to fit the busiest schedule. Warm up sessions are an added plus with a fully netted hitting area and satin smooth putting green.

If you want a little extra work on your game, Tam O'Shanter has a 4-hole practice area complete with a sand trap for working on those tricky recovery shots. This extensive practice facility is located just off the first fairway and allows golfers of all skill levels to improve their short game wizardry providing shots from 60 to 100 yards.