Oregon is loaded with top quality golf resorts

By
Updated: April 2, 2012

Here is a list of interesting things to look for when you make your visit.

Bandon Dunes: Now five
When Bandon Dunes opened for play in 1999, the course with the scenic views of the Pacific Ocean in Bandon, Ore. was quickly voted among the best in the country.

When Pacific Dunes opened in 2001 next to Bandon Dunes, the new course received even higher praise and loftier awards. A third course, Bandon Trails, is up and running along the Oregon Coast and a fourth course called Old Macdonald opened in 2010.

Welcome to Bandon Dunes, home of four of the top golf courses in the country, In fact, a fifth course is on the way this summer with the 13-hole par-3 course called Bandon Preserve.

All four courses top the lists of every golf publication’s best course list. There might not be much to see in and around the Bandon area, but there is the golf and it’s enough. And golf in its purest form, with no golf carts allowed, a prevailing wind blowing off the Pacific Ocean and native fescue grasses growing along the fairways.

Located on the south-central Oregon Coast, Bandon might be considered out of the way. But if you’re a golfer, it’s a drive you need to make. And with five courses, there is plenty of golf to try.

Salishan: Coastal experience
Salishan Golf Links offers a remodeled golf course and a terrific place to stay on the Oregon Coast in Gleneden Beach.

With its great ocean-side location, Salishan is a place that people keep coming back to for weekend getaways – with or without the golf clubs in the car.

Salishan has recently undergone a major re-model by Peter Jacobsen and added a new spa, too, in hopes of keeping people coming back for more.

Eagle Crest: Plenty of golf
There is no shortage of golf at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, located just north of Bend in Central Oregon.

The resort opened in the 1980s with its resort course and hotel. Since then, there have been some serious upgrades. The hotel is first class, an athletic center has been added and two golf courses have also been put into the mix.

The Resort course is a solid public course while the newer Ridge course is a bit more challenging at nearly 7,000 yards.

Eagle Crest has also added what it calls a Challenge Course as well as an 18-hole putting course.

Brasada Ranch: Golf paradise
Oregon saw a new golf resort open in the central part of the state in Brasada Ranch in Redmond. All 18 holes of the Peter Jacobsen-Jim Hardy were open for play in 2007.

The resort is a family paradise with lodging, restaurants, bike trails, tennis courts, swimming pools and more. Housing lots are selling quickly, too.

Resort at Mountain: Golf and ski
The Resort at the Mountain is just a drive and wedge away from Mount Hood. In fact, during the spring and summer months, golfing and skiing are both possibilities in the same day.

But for just golf, the Resort at the Mountain has it all. With new renovations to the lodge, accommodations and golf course, the Resort at the Mountain is a first-class operation. The facility offers three different sets of nines to try, called Thistle, Foxglove and Pine Cone.

Black Butte: New at Glaze
One of Central Oregon’s best hideaways is Black Butte, located northwest of Bend. Located on nearly 2,000 acres, Black Butte is the perfect place for golfers and their families.

Black Butte comes complete with miles of bicycle trails, swimming pools, tennis courts, horseback riding . . . and, of course, golf.

With two golf courses, Black Butte offers something for everyone. The Glaze Meadow Course is carved out of the trees while the Big Meadow course is routed through a meadow and provides great views of nearby mountains.

The resort has also come up with an eight-year plan for some scheduled changes. One of the first major projects at Black Butte was the addition of 74 bunkers at the Big Meadow course. A newly remodeled Glaze Meadow opens for play this summer. The course was shut down for a year while architect gave the course a new look.

One other major change is the addition of a recreation center at Glaze Meadow complete with a new pool, tennis courts, spa and more.

Crooked River: River setting
Crooked River Ranch offers Central Oregon golf in a stunning setting, just north of Bend. The course might not seem long (5,700 yards) but you need to keep it straight.

The par-4 fifth hole is a perfect example. It is a hole which says just 260 yards on the scorecard, but the Crooked River sits to the left and out of bounds marks the right.

Crooked River is a popular stop for people with RV’s because of the full service amenities, which include tennis, swimming and hiking.

Pacific Northwest professional Chuck Milne shot a 59 in a tournament there in the summer of 2004.

Wildhorse: Gambling and golf
Many golfers talk about the “game within the game,” the mental challenges that make each round so enjoyable. But at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Pendleton, they also talk about the games after the game. Because at Wildhorse, you can play 18 holes of golf followed by a round of casino games.

Situated in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Wildhorse’s 7,112-yard course is a blend of Scottish Links and traditional American golf. The 18th hole is perhaps one of the top finishing holes in the Northwest, with a lake running along the right side and white sand bunkers guarding the approach.

Looking for more, the area is also home to the Pendleton Round-Up, a top attraction as well.

Kah-Nee-Tah: A dry place
Kah-Nee-Tah Resort opened in the early 1970s and since then has become a popular place for families, with its indoor and outdoor accommodations, Indian themes and great golf course.
Besides, it’s hard to beat a place where the sun shines nearly every day and the rain stays away.
For travelers, Kah-Nee-Tah offers a first-class hotel, and for those more adventurous, outdoor tee-pees are another way to stay. And the golf is a sun-splashed adventure.

Sunriver: Family oriented
Sunriver is able to offer its guests a veritable hat trick of golf – three golf courses and all are treats.

In addition to the lodging, which includes anything from condo-type rooms to rental houses, Sunriver is a golfer’s paradise with the public Woodlands and Meadows courses and the private Crosswater course. Crosswater, however, is open to resort guests. A new nine-holer has also opened up near Crosswater called Caldera Springs.

Families from up and down the West Coast have targeted Sunriver as a popular destination stop, with its pools, tennis course, bike trails, horseback riding, river rafting and more.

Running Y: An Oregon treat
The Running Y Ranch in Klamath Falls is one of the major contenders on the resort scene and has all the ingredients to keep people coming back–climate, scenery, activities, terrific accommodations and amenities for guests, and of course the Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf course.

The course, the only Palmer designed course in Oregon, has hosted some of the biggest Northwest professional and amateur events since opening.

This is a place you can really relax and kick back and enjoy yourself with plenty of amenities around the resort.