Just a few minutes off I-5, tucked between Interurban Avenue and the Duwamish River, lies one of Tukwila’s best-kept treasures: Foster Golf Links. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, this public course isn’t just a great place to play a round — it’s a cornerstone of community connection, a slice of local history, and a sanctuary for both people and wildlife.
Foster Golf Links is the kind of place that brings people together through generations, across backgrounds, and out into nature.
Foster Golf Links opened in 1925, making it one of the oldest public courses in King County. But its story starts even earlier — with Joseph Foster, a pioneer who settled the land in the 1850s and lent his name to both the course and the surrounding neighborhood. In 1924, George Henry Eddy took a leap of faith and purchased the property “against the advice of others,” mortgaging it heavily to bring his vision to life: a community golf course for the growing population south of Seattle.
The original 9-hole course quickly grew to 18 holes, with green fees starting at just .50 cents for the whole day. The Foster farmhouse served as the clubhouse. George’s wife made sandwiches for golfers. Their friend Joe Aliment — who started as caddie master and greenskeeper — would later buy the course from the Eddy family and help carry it into the next generation.
In 1978, the City of Tukwila purchased the course, ensuring it would remain a publicly accessible space for play, recreation, and connection for decades to come.
Today, Foster Golf Links is a par-68 course that stretches 4,804 yards — about 10,000 steps, if you’re counting — and it’s anything but exclusive. Open to all skill levels, it averages 58,000 golfers a year, with more than half over the age of 62. It’s one of those rare places where a retiree perfecting their short game can end up teeing off with a teenager trying the sport for the first time.
“There are set groups that play here consistently, even twice a week,” says Head Golf Professional Deron Pointer. “But plenty of folks just show up and join a foursome. You might have lunch together after. You might not. But it’s still a good way to get out and meet new people.”
That spirit of connection has been central to the course since its earliest days. Over the years, Foster has hosted community events, charity tournaments, and skills clinics — welcoming everyone from seasoned pros to first-time swingers. And with more than 110 tee times available on summer days, there’s plenty of room to join in.
The trend isn’t just local. In 2024, golf hit a national high not seen since 2008, with more than 28 million people picking up clubs — including record-high representation among women and people of color. The slow pace, outdoor setting, and social nature of the game make it uniquely accessible — a silver lining that many discovered during the pandemic and have carried forward ever since.
Foster Golf Links isn’t just a place to play — it’s a place to breathe. The course was designed around the Duwamish River and serves as a surprising but vital greenspace in the middle of an urban landscape. Surrounded by mature trees and open space, it’s a natural buffer against noise, traffic, and stress.
Eagles nest overhead. Beavers, frogs, and ducks wander near the water. Golfers share the course with everything from squirrels to salmon — the latter of which thrive thanks to the Duwamish’s flow and the course’s low-impact design. In fact, the course doesn’t draw from the city’s water supply at all. Instead, it pulls and stores water from the river — without affecting fish populations or downstream habitats.
For all its regional traffic and infrastructure, Foster has quietly become a refuge — for wildlife, yes, but also for people. Whether you’re swinging clubs or strolling with friends, the course offers a way to slow down and take in the natural beauty in Tukwila.
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From its humble beginnings as a family-run operation to its role today as a vital public resource, Foster Golf Links has stood the test of time. It’s seen record-setting rounds (shoutout to Joe Korn’s 56), played host to thousands of tournaments, and helped generations fall in love with the game.
As it celebrates its centennial year, Foster is more than just a golf course. It’s a community legacy, a pocket of nature in the city, and a reminder that sometimes, the best way to connect is by stepping outside and taking a swing.
Explore the course, check tee times, and see upcoming events at FosterGolfLinks.com.
