The Timber Nine, the original back nine of the first 18 holes, has a series of highlights that one expects from a stretch of holes originally designed to bring closure to the experience here. Most of the Timber nine charts downward into the valley of the property, making for a series of enjoyable tee shots with great views, and the chance to hit some heroic drives. The 403-yard second is one such scenario, but any tee shot running down the right might be blocked out by a stand of pines. The play is a bomb up the left edge, which will bound down to a relatively flat lie and leave a simple shot into a welcoming green. Conversely, the 428-yard fourth plays up the same hill, typifying the gradual elevation changes of the area. With a green literally set between towering stands of conifers, the approach, like many at Port Ludlow, must be razor-straight. To find a tucked pin, here and everywhere else on the course, one has to work the ball expertly toward the hole. Generally speaking, playing smartly to fairways and greens is of paramount importance at Port Ludlow, where errant shots always create pitch outs, from the woods back to the fairway.

In the closing run of holes, a soft 7th hole sets up the 171-yard eighth, the final short hole on the nine and one of the prettier, if deceptively difficult, holes at Port Ludlow. A small pond lies at the bottom of the hill between tee and green, out of play but ominous nonetheless. Small moss and rock gardens spot the fairway and the greenside, adding an odd aesthetic element that works quite well with the hole, located almost in a meadow-like area of the property. The problem is that the gardens will cost players a shot, so the sight must be ignored until a well-struck iron is played to the middle of the green.

The most recent addition to the resort is the Trail nine, which Muir Graves came back to design in the early 1990s, some 16 or so years after the original 18 opened. Although it is apparent the styles are somewhat different, given the passage of time and direction of design trends, the striking difference is the much more rugged land that Graves had to use. Set farther up the hillside, the Trail nine must navigate across a couple of ravines and sharp elevation changes. Rather than gradual coastal slopes, this can qualify as mountain golf, and offers an interesting contrast to the original 18. The scenery is more striking, the photo opportunities more numerous, and the shot values, unique, if unusual.

The second hole on the Trail Nine is a microcosm of the experience, a perfect example of the ruggedness and beauty of the golf. From an elevated tee, players shoot out to a green set far below, flanked on three sides by sand and set before Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. There is something particularly thrilling about watching the tee shot rise against the drama to fall to a small green peacefully perched, making a par even sweeter. Downhill approaches are a recurring theme on the Trail Nine: at the following hole, a reachable par five with a green fronted by a thick stream, and at the beginning of the final three holes, a par 3-5-4 configuration that brings the drama of the nine to a climactic close.

The seventh is a 181-yard par three that plays across a gulch to a green fortified in front by two bunkers. The aforementioned change in styles from the original course extends particularly to the greens and seven is no exception, with a tiered green that demands the golfer find the appropriate shelf. Balls left above the hole can make par a trying result. At the 551-yard eighth, the tee shot is over a large swath of gully to a plummeting fairway that seems to run downhill along a narrow ridge: misses to either side usually result in a lost ball. Obviously the hole plays shorter than its listed yardage, but the challenge remains. With forest bordering both sides of the hole, accuracy is the key ingredient and will help the golfer set up for a short-iron approach to a green that protected by a couple of large bunkers. The left side of the fairway opens up the approach and leaves a relatively easy chance at par or better.

Another elevated tee awaits the golfer on the closing hole, a 403-yard par four. The fairway levels out at the 150-yard mark and then plays back up the hill to the multi-tiered green. The key trouble is the hazard that flanks the left side of the fairway, pushing golfers to the right side and leaving a more difficult approach over the lone greenside bunker. At least one extra club is needed on the approach, forcing the golfer to muster up one more mighty blow to have any chance of finishing strong.

The three nines offer the golfer an interesting diversity of holes that highlights not only the fabulous landscape, but the evolution of Graves' work. The greatest tribute to the greatness of the golf course is the fact that the three nines are probably equally favoured by golfers, proving the property does not have a weak link. It is this solid golf and stunning setting that have secured Port Ludlow as one of the great golf resorts in the northwest.