GOLF COURSES: PUBLIC | SEMI-PRIVATE | PRIVATE |
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Central Oregon Golf Resorts |
19 Heavenly Holes |
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by DIRK FEARING |
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Teeing off on some of the Central Oregon's best golf courses |
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Golfers constantly debate what constitutes a great hole. Among experienced “sticks” and neophyte "hacks,” it’s tough to find consensus—but it is fun to try. Central Oregon is home to more than two dozen golf courses, from posh private links to public tracks that welcome all of us and our wallets. There are many arguably great holes. But what does great mean? Dramatic scenery, cascading waterfalls or the playability and strategy involved with the layout of the hole? One of my golfing mates, Kevin, a beginner who now suffers from links fever (much to his wife’s dismay), prefers the holes on which he makes his best scores. I guess I can’t blame him. Here, in my biased opinion, but in no particular order otherwise, are the best golf holes in Central Oregon. |
Pronghorn Nicklaus Golf Course (private - shown above) |
| 15th hole: 543 yards, par 5 |
| Pronghorn is already legendary. On this signature hole, which has been pictured in nearly every golfing magazine, the Three Sisters are a backdrop to treacherous fingers of tuff and lava rock that reach into the narrow fairway like tarantula legs. As you stand over your ball, you might say a tender goodbye to this friend (or, as in Kevin’s case, a few friends). The hole crowds in on your second shot; assuming you’re still in the fairway for your third, the green is uphill and barely visible. Like all of the holes on this course, it is lightning fast and requires the touch of a surgeon. A birdie is remarkable. |
Pronghorn Fazio Golf Course (private) |
| PHOTO BELOW: The Tom Fazio Course at Pronghorn. Photo Credit: Allen Kennedy |
| 8th hole: 184 yards, par 3 |
 The new
Fazio Course at Pronghorn may very well be the best
course in Central Oregon—and maybe in all of
Oregon. Once you’ve seen the 8th hole, you’ll
understand why it’s on this list. Not only is the
green perfectly, and ominously, surrounded on all sides
by 25-foot rock walls, but an enormous rocky abyss lies
between the tee box and that green. When the desert was
dynamited to create a quarrylike chasm, a massive lava
tube was discovered beneath the rubble. It’s
enormous, expansive and stretches into infinite darkness
to the left and right. Unbelievable. I’m sure play
will slow down as players walk into the tube now and then
for a little spelunking. Speaking of which—has
anyone seen Kevin?
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Aspen Lakes Golf Course (public) |
| 3rd hole: 606 yards, par 5 |
 This
highly rated course has an incredible layout from the
first hole to the last. The 3rd combines it all in a
lengthy par 5 that demands swing talent and a balanced
psyche. A difficult drive, putting a premium on distance
and accuracy, will bring you to one of the best shots on
the course. It slopes slightly downhill, and you’ll
have to concentrate on the task at hand lest you be
dazzled by the view of the Three Sisters, so clear you
feel you could touch them. “Kevin, you’re up,
pal,” I said more than once. Nine times out of 10,
you must lay up before the small dry creek bed that
crosses the hole. The green can be tricky.
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Crooked River Ranch Golf Course (public) |
| 5th hole: 260 yards, par 4 |
| CRR, northwest of Redmond, belies its boondocks location. The fairways along the canyon cliffs can be terrifying. The tee box on this very short, dogleg-left par 4 causes vertigo, as it is mere inches from the abyss. I had to walk Kevin to the tee—he says he fell off a ladder in fifth grade. A short, precise shot is the best approach to a tight fairway heading dead left; you can go for it, but only if you hate your ball. The second shot faces certain death to the left edge of nowhere, while a devious tree guards the right side of the small green. A par is well earned. |
Juniper Golf Club (semiprivate) |
| 15th hole: 438 yards, par 4 |
| The “new” Juniper in Redmond is drastically different from its predecessor. Rock, juniper and prairie grasses abound just off the fairways and greens, swallowing golf balls like Mentos. The tee box on this hole looks down a fairway that crowds in just where you want to hit it. You’ll need good distance to get a fair chance at the green, but you’ve got to be on the left side of the fairway to best play the medium-length second shot, one of the best on the course. The large green sits behind a small lake; a tall, rock wall glares beyond that. Play this hole in the evening, and even a bogey (or a double bogey, Kevin) will be worth it. |
Broken Top Golf Club (private) |
| 7th hole: 468 yards, par 4 |
| This course has many good holes, but the 7th is the best of the bunch. With trees on both sides of the tee, your opening shot can’t go left or right—unless you want to invite yourself to a barbecue on a neighbor’s back deck. Kevin had a nice steak sandwich with his two-stroke penalty. Play short of the strategically placed fairway bunker and you play for a bogey. The green is flanked by bunkers and rock to the back; to the left, it drops 25 feet onto passing single-track mountain bikers, who are not likely to help you find your ball. A birdie is rare, par is great, and five is a worthy score. |
Eagle Crest Ridge Golf Course (public) |
| 12th hole: 219 yards, par 3 |
 The
Ridge Course offers spectacular vistas and a sneaky-tough
layout. This particular hole offers what the best par-3s
do: beauty and difficulty. Judging wind and distance from
the elevated tee box is one of the greatest challenges
facing golfers here. The green is guarded by a thirsty
pond to the right and bunkers to the left and back: This
hole does not overlook error. Hitting the green is a
triumph. Making par is a “Get out of Jail
Free” card, and a bigger number is par for the
course. The bright side? Kevin made par, so you can, too.
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Quail Run Golf Course (public) |
| 8th hole: 545 yards, par 5 |
| Nine miles south of Sunriver is Quail Run, ranked as the nation’s second best nine-hole course by Golf Digest. When the highly anticipated second nine opens this summer, it will be one of the top 18s in Oregon. At 545 yards, the dogleg 8th is not long by today’s standards, but you’ll have decisions to make as you’re distracted by nearby Newberry Volcano. Hit it long and straight, and you’ll be sipping a mai tai in one of three corner bunkers. (Kevin seems to like exotic drinks.) Play a draw around the corner and have a chance to get home in two—by ripping a long second to a quick green that slopes back to front. Or do the smart thing and lay up, letting your wedge do the work. Kevin chose the first option—after several mai tais |
Sunriver Crosswater Golf Course (private) |
| 12th hole: 687 yards, par 5 |
 Crosswater’s
12th may present the ultimate High Desert links
challenge. You read it right: 687 yards. The green may as
well be in Sacramento. The hole begins with fear and
trembling that will echo through you long after
you’re done. A lake stretches nearly the entire
length of the fairway on the left. “Looks like Lake
Erie,” Kevin quipped from his fetal position. The
drive must be long and straight to avoid both Erie and
the bunker on the right. You may deviously reach for a
tee for your second shot—which, again, must be long
and dead straight. The tiny green is protected by water
and bunkers. If you make 8, join the rest of us in
therapy.
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Sunriver Woodlands Golf Course (public) |
| 11th hole: 427 yards, par 4 |
| The Woodlands is no place for the claustrophobic. It is heavily tree-lined, with a fair amount of water, so forgiveness is in short supply. After the round, Kevin, an avowed tree-hugger, swore he would become a logger. The course’s only generosity is its relatively short yardage. But even in the case of the 427-yard 11th, short does not mean easy. On the left from the tee box, you must first avoid a lake that calls to your shot like the sirens to Odysseus and, second, a rudely placed bunker. If you play short and safe, the much longer second shot is uphill to a narrow green with puzzling breaks—a staple of this course. |
Sunriver Meadows Golf Course (public) |
| 18th hole: 467 yards, par 4 |
 The
final hole on the Meadows Course is a gorgeous bruiser.
The 18th on many courses is designed to put a final stamp
on the day, and this one succeeds. It’s a long
hole, and wind is a big factor more often than not. You
need a long first shot to give yourself a chance of
reaching the green on your second, but you must avoid the
lake that skirts the entire left side of the fairway. To
the right are scattered trees and prairie dogs. Kevin
took his daily dose of Xanax before hitting the second
shot, which can be a long carry over water to the green.
Left is either wet or in a bunker. Short is the only
bailout—which is why a bogey is your probable fate.
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Awbrey Glen Golf Club (private) |
| 13th hole: 190 yards, par 3 |
 Awbrey
Glen is known for its glassy greens. Any member will
remind you not to hit above the hole on any of the 18
greens. Standing at the open tee box, you see a chute of
rock and tree reach to a green hugged by bunkers and, um,
a two-story rock wall. You may, like Kevin, start
considering playing the forward tees. (“Just this
hole,” he begged.) Wind on the tee can be tricky;
without a high, towering tee shot, only your short game
will give you a chance at par. But the deep green’s
subtle tilt can carry your ball away faster than a
pickpocket. A par is worth a thank-you prayer to the golf
gods.
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Lost Tracks Golf Club (public) |
| 16th hole: 160 yards, par 3 |
 This
choice may seem too obvious, but who can deny the appeal
of a par 3 with an island green and an old train-car
bridge? The train car is full of musty furniture,
cobweb-draped memorabilia and a collection of bag tags
left by previous victims. Even the short shot from the
tee box—which ought to be stocked with
Dramamine—can seem unsettling when the wind is
blowing. I’ve played this hole with great players
and with players like Kevin (sorry, pal), and I’ve
seen them all hit into the water. You can make six as
easily as three. Is it a little kitschy? A little wacky?
Yes, and yes. But is it memorable? You betcha, and who
doesn’t like a little ballyhoo in a sport riddled
with stuffiness?
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Bend Country Club (private) |
| 17th hole: 482 yards, par 4 |
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Bend’s oldest golf club is the most classic and
traditional course in the area. In that spirit, Kevin
opted to don classic garb and chose to wear knickers.
While the formidable 18th is a close runner-up to this
one for challenge, the testy 17th is simply a great hole.
There is no room for error from the tee box, as you aim
for three mounds almost 260 yards away: Slices and hooks alike are doomed. Your lengthy second shot may be totally blind, as the fairway heads downhill like a run off Mount Bachelor’s Summit Chair. The enormous green runs away from the player, and long putts are the norm. A par is tremendous and calls for a round on you after you’re finished. |
Black Butte Big Meadow Golf Course (public) |
| 12th hole: 389 yards, par 4 |
 Playing
the Big Meadow course is like taking a forest hike with a
set of clubs in your backpack. Although the signature
14th hole boasts a priceless view of Three Fingered Jack,
the short, devilish 12th is both more difficult and more
fun to play. This tight dogleg left requires accuracy and
a putter from heaven. The tee shot goes through a narrow
chute of trees and hopefully ends up near the base of a
steep uphill. From there, your second shot should find a
green that will slap you silly if you hit above the hole.
Kevin had putted five times when I finally left him
there.
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River’s Edge Golf Course (public) |
| 16th hole: 216 yards, par 3 |
| River’s Edge seems as if it could slide off Awbrey Butte at any moment. Standing on the tee box of the 16th, you face a whopping 300-foot drop to the green below. This shot is about as fun as it gets, with the ball so high in the air it calls to air-traffic control for a safe approach and landing. A pond on the right entices the slice-prone; tight bunkers to the right of the hole and an unplayable mountain slope to the left force a straight shot. Long is dead. Short is the safe road. Either way, this hole will stick with you no matter what your score. Kevin hit two balls into the water and one over the green before finishing with 10. He kept smiling. |
Widgi Creek Golf Club (public) |
| 11th hole: 216 yards, par 3 |
| No matter what tee you’re playing from, you won’t face a more daunting hole on this tree-lined course: It’s beautiful, but also downright frightening. The back tees are so close to a homeowner’s patio, Kevin considered asking if he could use the guy’s phone to call for a ride home. A placid pond in front of the green swallows even the priciest of golf balls. The green itself—behind a deep, nasty bunker—resembles a small shoebox covered with a silk bed sheet. Hitting the green is a triumph; putting is an exercise in futility. A five is common, a bogey a success. |
Black Butte Glaze Meadow Course (public) |
| 12th hole: 590 yards, par 5 |
| Glaze Meadow is an exercise in patience and precision. A lack of either of these will turn your golf round into an eco-tour (and a beautiful one, at that). Today’s golf technology has made par 5s shorter than 560 yards much less ominous than they once were. But this hole is what par 5s used to be. The layout requires the first two shots to be very long and very accurate, setting up a medium length third shot into a lightning-quick green that slopes from back to front. You may find that this hole plays into a wind that blows through a chute of enormous ponderous pines. They call it the Monster. I called it a couple of other names. Kevin sounded like Lenny Bruce. |
