Central Oregon Golf Trail

20/02/2024

In this High Desert climate, keeping the Central Oregon Golf Trail pristine is not for the faint-hearted. But thankfully, we have a golf community that knows what it takes to stay at the top of their game⛳ 🏌️

Last summer, Sunriver Resort wrapped up an extensive bunker renovation project at Crosswater, somehow making the perennial Golf Digest Top course even better. And Black Butte Ranch is using the offseason to put the final touches on a project to fully restore all 63 bunkers at Big Meadow to Robert Muir Graves’ original vision when he designed it a half-century ago. Just like you and your swing, the Central Oregon Golf Trail is always striving for more!

15/02/2024

We don't like to brag, but the Central Oregon Golf Trail is truly unlike any other golf destination - and here's why:

⛳ Central Oregon is home to three Golf Digest Top 100 courses, Crosswater, Tetherow, and Pronghorn's Nicklaus Course.

🌲 The diversity of the landscape of the nearly 30 courses is unparalleled.

🏔️ Views of Mt. Bachelor, the Three Sisters, Broken Top, and other mountains backdrop almost every shot.

🏌️You'll have the chance to walk in the footsteps of legends; whether playing a course by a name you know, like Jack Nicklaus, or playing a course that has challenged the greats.

🍻 With a wealth of outdoor adventures, live music, world-class restaurants, a plethora of breweries, tasting rooms, and more, you'll have endless choices for off the course fun.

06/02/2024

Dreaming of the fairway while shoveling the driveway? Now might be the time to get a bucket-list golf trip on the books⛳

🤝 First, pick your dream team.
🌄 Next, put venues on the menu. From Scottish-inspired masterpieces to mountain views, and desert beauties, Central Oregon is home to a diverse set of courses.
🍺 The 19th hole is just as important as the 18th, so leave time for a visit to a brewery, to catch a live show, or paddle down the river.
🏨 Tee time is set, so book a great place to safety. Whether you're looking to walk out your door on to the greens, or a more urban feel; we guarantee we have the spot for you.

25/01/2024

Central Oregon is home to more than one renowned golf architect, including the extremely talented Robert Muir Graves✏️

Graves was described as “a figure of great stature within the business.” Known best for his work designing public courses that were playable for golfers of every level while having enough teeth to challenge highly skilled players, he made his market throughout the West. Some of his renowned courses right here in Central Oregon are:

⛳️ Big Meadow
🏌️‍♂️River’s Edge
⛳️ Widgi Creek
🏌️‍♂️The Greens at Redmond

Graves was an inspiration to some of today’s best-known architects, and his influence can be felt all along the Central Oregon Golf Trail.⛰️

📷 : Black Butte Ranch - There is a place

10/01/2024

For the next few months, there will be plenty of this ☃️, that ⛷️, and the other 🛷

But 2024 also brings dreams of warmer days ahead. Thoughts of lush fairways in a breathtaking High Desert outdoor paradise. 🏞️ Goals of crossing courses off your bucket list. ⛳️ Visions of golf trips filled with diverse golf courses designed by some of the world’s most renowned architects. Partaking in the food, drink, and culture of a dynamic region that is the Central Oregon Golf Trail.🏌️

📷 : Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve

04/01/2024

Our 2024 resolution - tighten up our golf game🏌️

With a diversity of course designs not found anywhere else ⛳️, three courses in Golf Digest’s Top 💯, and breathtaking views at every turn ⛰️, you can make good on your resolution with a visit to the Central Oregon Golf Trail. Cheers to more golf in 2024🥂

19/12/2023

What makes a trip to the Central Oregon Golf Trail the perfect gift?🎁 You needn't play golf to have a great time!

While golfers explore the fairways and greens, you can soak in the amazing views, indulge at the spa, explore the vast culinary scene, or embark on outdoor adventures exploring the hidden gems of Central Oregon's stunning landscapes.🌲

Whether you're perfecting your swing or perfecting your relaxation game, the Central Oregon Golf Trail has you covered. ⛰️🏌️‍♀️

13/12/2023

🎁 ⛳ This holiday season, give your golf buddy the ultimate gift - a trip to the Central Oregon Golf trail. With a stunning High Desert canvas painted by some of the best-known architects in the game, including three courses in Golf Digest's Top 100, they'll make quick work of their golf course bucket list.

🏌️🏔️ Lush fairways, breathtaking mountain views, and a diversity of golf courses you won't find anywhere else - you may even see a few birdies and eagles, even if you don't mark one on your scorecard✅

📷 : Tetherow Resort

05/12/2023

With nearly 30 diverse course designs all in gorgeous settings, including three Golf Digest Top 100 courses, a tee-time on the Central Oregon Golf Trail makes shopping for the golfer on your list easier than a tap-in for par.🏌️

The toughest decision will be choosing which course to pick:

⛳️ The pristine Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn.

⛳️ The postcard-perfect Crosswater Club.

⛳️ The Scottish Highlands-inspired challenge at Tetherow.

⛳️ The beauty and playability of Black Butte Ranch’s Glaze Meadow and Big Meadow.

⛳️ The smile-inducing designs of Sunriver’s Woodlands and Meadows.

⛳️ Or something under the radar like Juniper Golf Course, or the striking settings of Aspen Lakes or Crooked River Ranch?

29/11/2023

Winter can be tough for golfers - but on the Central Oregon Golf Trail it doesn't have to be. Here's a few ways to keep your game in shape during the offseason!

🎿 Hit the slopes at Mt. Bachelor or Hoodoo.
❄️ Snowshoe along the miles of groomed trails in Deschutes National Forest.
💪 Get a session in at Bend Athletic Club or Juniper Swim & Fitness.
🧘 Find your zen (and work on that flexibility) at one of the many spas or yoga studios.

⛳ And if you're aching for a few good hits, the golf simulators at Parscription Golf, Widgi Creek, and Sunriver resort will keep your game sharp.

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

14/11/2023

The three Golf Digest Top 100 courses along the Central Oregon Golf Trail each offer something to remember - which round gets your heart racing?

⛳ The shotmaking demands and pristine conditioning of The Nicklaus Course at Pronghorn Club? (pictured)

⛳ How Crosswater at Sunriver Resort uses its natural splendor to shape every shot?

⛳ The challenges of the traditional Scottish game offered by Tetherow?

The only way to know for sure is to check all three of your course bucket list🏌️ ✅

09/11/2023

Craft beer isn't the only way to toast to a day on the Central Oregon Golf Trail.⛳
Like the High Desert landscape that shapes Central Oregon's world-class golf, Central Oregon distilleries pull from natural gifts all around. Ancient junipers aren't just here to punish you for an errant tee shot - they're an essential for making gin. Try some of these top distillers for the regions best vodkas, whiskeys, gins, and more.

🥃 Gompers, Redmond (pictured)
🍸 Badlands, La Pine
🥃 Golden Coffee, Prineville
🍸 Cascade Street, Sisters
🥃 New Basin, Madras
🍸 Crater Lake Spirits, Tumalo and Bend
🥃 Oregon Spirit Distillers, Bend

10/10/2023

The sun never sets on the golf season in Central Oregon. Weather permitting, many of courses on the Central Oregon Golf Trail stay open year-round.🗓️

While winter in Central Oregon's high desert can get chilly, the off-season still offers a wealth of sunny days, even in winter; stretches of pleasantly mild afternoons are not unheard of.☀️

Of course, nice weather won't help if the course is closed - thankfully, the courses in Central Oregon's lower-lying areas, like Redmond, Madras, Prineville, and east of Bend, enjoy a microclimate that allows for great off-season golf.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn Club, Brasada Ranch, Crooked River Ranch, Desert Peaks, Eagle Crest Resort, The Greens at Redmond, Juniper, and Meadow Lakes are open more days throughout the winter than anywhere else in the region.⛳

Plan it right, and you might spend a morning on the slopes of Mt. Bachelor and an afternoon playing one of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses. We call that the perfect Central Oregon day⛷️🏌️

📷 : Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

26/09/2023

The sun hasn't set on the 2023 golf season; not when most of Central Oregon's golf courses remain open through October. Trust us - this is the perfect time to play the Central Oregon Golf Trail.🏌️

☀️ Bend's average high temperature in October is 62 degrees with plenty of sunshine to go around.

💰 Most Central Oregon golf courses turn to shoulder season rates, even those on the Golf Digest's list of America's Top 100.

🌲The majority of the courses on the Central Oregon Golf Trail are grown with bentgrass turf, which grows best in cooler temperatures, so the mild weather in late summer and early fall brings peak conditions.

⛳With peak season passing, tee sheets just got a bit looser. This means those prime weekend times are easier to get and most rounds can be played in less than four hours.

🍁Autumn colors, emerald turf, with snow-capped peaks jutting into the blue sky in the background make the perfect scene. Central Oregon's is blessed with natural beauty at any time of year, but the fall is something truly spectacular.

So don't put those clubs away just yet, Central Oregon is calling for one more tee time this season!

📷 :

21/09/2023

The Central Oregon Golf Trail is home to many great eats, both on and off the course. Add the new Lodge Restaurant at Black Butte Ranch to the ever-expanding list.🥗

Part of Black Butte Ranch's new $20 million Lodge, which opened in May, the Lodge hasn't been around long, but is already made the quite the impression.

The menu was curated by Chef Don McCradic, who spent 15 years at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort before landing at Black Butte Ranch earlier this year. McCradic combines the finest locally sourced ingredients with unbounded creativity to create incredible dishes with a unique Northwest flare.

The Lodge Restaurant is now the focal point of the Ranch, not far from the 18th green at Big Meadow. Whether you sample the ahi tun tartar, the locally sourced cocoa-rubbed pork tender, or try the mushroom adobo, you will not be disappointed. And like the Central Oregon Golf Trail's best holes, the experience at the Lodge includes spectacular views of the Cascades.

The Lodge makes the perfect place to celebrate another great round on the Central Oregon Golf Trail.🥃

13/09/2023

The shift from summer to fall offers so many things to look forward to on the Central Oregon Golf Trail. Peak conditions and sunny, mild weather make for prime golf, but that's just the beginning of the fall fun to be had.🍁

Fall brings about fresh hops; the best time of year for those who love a great beer as much as a tap-in birdie putt. For a few weeks every fall, Central Oregon's breweries pluck the hops right off the vine and use them to create some of the best beers you'll find. Here's a few more fall events to look forward to:

🍺 12th Annual Sisters Fresh Hop Festival (Sept 24): more than 30 breweries from around the region will be pouring fresh-hopped brews. From noon to 6pm, two dozen breweries will be showing off their freshest creation at Three Creeks Brewing's production brewery in Sisters.

🎻 Sisters Folk Festival (Sept 29 - Oct 1): All the town is a stage in Sisters with more than 30 artists from across the globe representing a range of roots music taking over seven venues throughout town. The festival is one of the most beloved traditions in Central Oregon, just a pitch and a putt away from Aspen Lakes and Black Butte Ranch.

🎥 BendFilm Festival (Oct 12-15): Bend's yearly celebration of independent film turns 20 this year. This Academy-qualifying festival showcases unique and imaginative films shown on big screens across town.

🍂 Bend Fall Festival (Sept 29-Oct 1): Live music, art, and more take over downtown Bend, ramping up to Bend's Oktoberfest celebration on October 1.

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

05/09/2023

Those who know the Central Oregon Golf Trail best know that Labor Day does not mean an end to the golf season. In sunny Central Oregon, some of the best golf of the year awaits once September hits.

Against the emerald green of Central Oregon's best golf courses, the leaves turning makes the experience all the more colorful.🍂

Mild, sunny days that reach into the 70s are the rule more than the exception well into October. Perfect for a golfer looking to extend the season. The mild weather fosters turf growth and an overall healthy golf course, giving fall players some of the best conditions of the year.

Bonus: the summer crowds have returned home for the start of the school year, making the best tee times a bit easier to land.⛳

📷 : Black Butte Ranch - There is a place

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

29/08/2023

Three Top 100 Courses all within 20 minutes of each other, but none quite like the other. We’d venture to say that nowhere are there three more highly touted, yet distinct, golf experiences so close to one another than along the Central Oregon Golf Trail.

The golf legend who designed the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn (No. 42), put a premium on shotmaking. Its lightning-quick and immaculate greens provide challenging targets. Its fairways are shaped by its volcanic soil and an ancient juniper forest. The panoramic views of the Cascades are stunning. A round at the Nicklaus Course just feels special.

Crosswater (No. 54), the course that first brought Central Oregon into the national spotlight as a golf destination, is shaped by water and wetlands. The Deschutes and Little Deschutes rivers are ever-present, coming into play on a majority of holes. That puts a premium on precise iron shots into the greens. The setting could hardly be more beautiful either — native wildlife makes the course feel like a scene from a nature show, all while Mt. Bachelor towers high above.

Meanwhile, Tetherow (No. 57) took inspiration from the ancient heathland courses of the Scottish Highlands. Designed by Scotsman (and Bend resident) David McLay Kidd, Tetherow’s firm and fast fescue fairways, thin lies, striking bunkers, and pronounced elevation changes present unique challenges. The course presents multiple options with every shot, making no two rounds the same.

This combination of diversity and quality is rare in one place, even on a list of the country’s best⛳

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

23/08/2023

The food, drinks, and culture of Bend coupled with the world-class golf courses of the Central Oregon Golf Trail? That’s one heck of a pairing.🍺 ⛳ 🍔

Some golfers might want to stay just off the first tee, and really who could blame them? But for those who want to be a bit closer to Bend’s nightlife for that post-round fun, the Central Oregon Golf Trail has plenty to offer.

Some of the top picks?

The Oxford Hotel offers a chic, boutique experience right in the heart of downtown Bend. Oxford is both upscale and urban, and puts Central Oregon’s best restaurants, breweries, and bars just steps away.🌃

McMenamins Old St. Francis School sits just on the outskirts of downtown. Converted from an old Catholic school, Old St. Francis is home to good beer, great food, a soaking pool, a movie theater, and even a hidden bar called the Broom Closet. (But we’re not telling where it is.)🥃

Meanwhile, the Campfire Hotel is at the heart of the burgeoning Central District of Bend, and perhaps the most unique stay in Central Oregon. Just outside downtown, Campfire has a modern vibe, with a seasonal heated pool and pool bar, an outdoor fire pit in a communal courtyard, and plenty of extra storage space for your clubs in every room.⛺

Of course, the options don’t end there. From no-fuss rooms to stylish stays, and national brands to locally owned and operated options, Central Oregon has you covered.💤

📷 : Campfire Hotel

18/08/2023

You don’t put three courses on Golf Digest’s 2023-24 list of “America's 100 Greatest Public Courses” without having some memorable golf holes. The Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn, Crosswater, and Tetherow all have so many great holes that it might be difficult to pick a favorite.🏌️

But of the three Top 100 courses, only one can be the shortest. That one? The 173-yard 14th hole at Nicklaus, but don’t let the short length of the 14th fool you. The hole may shrink to just 105 yards from the forward tees, but this is no gimme-par.

The first thing you notice when stepping on the tee box of the 14th is the breathtaking view of the Three Sisters. The view is so good, it almost helps you forget about the challenge of your next shot.⛰️

To start, you must carry a native area that separates the tee box from the green: miss it short and it’s no easy dig out to safety. And a menacing bunker surrounds the putting surface from short right to back left. That leaves the large green and a bailout area that rests just short and left of the green as the only safe harbor for your tee shot.

The green itself is a three-tiered beauty, but you’ll want to find the correct tier for a good chance at par. The back pin position is particularly difficult to get close, with little margin for error. Bail out short, and a three-putt looms.

The bottom line? Sometimes great things come in small packages.🎁

📷 : Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve

15/08/2023

With Avelo Airlines’ new twice-weekly nonstop flights connecting Santa Rosa, CA and Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM), and twice-weekly service connecting Redmond and Las Vegas coming in September, it’s getting even easier to jump on the Central Oregon Trail.🛩️

And more good news. Alaska Airlines recently announced that seasonal service to Portland will return later this year, as will Avelo’s seasonal connections to Palm Springs, CA. The added flights are a trend for Redmond Airport, which sits just 20 minutes from downtown Bend and is Central Oregon’s only commercial airport.

With existing nonstop service to Burbank, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, Redmond Airport puts every West Coast hub within reach and every major city in the U.S. reachable in one stop or less.

Of course, traveling by car is easy too and is a beautiful drive. Bend is barely more than a well-struck 3-wood from Eugene (130 miles), three hours from Portland (175 miles), five hours from Boise (300 miles), six hours from Seattle (325 miles), and about eight hours from San Francisco (500 miles).

So what's stopping you, Central Oregon golf awaits!⛳

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

11/08/2023

Juniper Golf Course in Redmond has a rich history as one of the oldest golf clubs in Central Oregon. But its current iteration, designed by John Harbottle III and opened in 2005, bears little resemblance to the course’s original design, which was just down the road on land owned by Redmond Municipal Airport. Harbottle’s design is considered by many to be one of the great municipal golf courses in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to its challenging design, immaculate greens, and gorgeous High Desert setting.⛰️

For a challenge, look no further than the 651-yard, par-5 sixth hole. Among the longest holes in Central Oregon, the sixth is also the first of two consecutive par 5s that often make or break the front nine of any round.

The challenge starts on the tee. On one hand, the tee shot presents a forced carry over the native desert. On the other, that tee shot is played into a generous fairway that offers plenty of room to miss, particularly left.

The second shot, though, is where the hole will be won, thanks to a massive mound that blocks the entry to the green. Aggressive players will aim for the top of the mound to set up a short iron for their third shot. But it’s easy to fall short. Those who do will likely trickle down to the mound’s base, forcing a long blind approach shot into the green.

The sixth is one of the many ways that Juniper challenges and exhilarates players of all skill levels, a true hidden gem on the Central Oregon Golf Trail.💎

📷 : Juniper Golf Course

08/08/2023

Top 100? Try Top 57. ⭐

Golf Digest’s 2023-24 list of “America's 100 Greatest Public Courses” was recently released and, no surprise, the Central Oregon Golf Trail was well represented. The Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn, Crosswater, and Tetherow once again made the list, as they have done in every version of the biannual ranking since 2011.

The Nicklaus Course (No. 42) stayed relatively even. But Crosswater and Tetherow made big moves. Crosswater, which reopened in July after the completion of its bunker renovation project, improved to No. 54 from No. 61 on the 2021-22 list. And no other course in the Top 100 improved its standing more than Tetherow, which surged 25 spots to No. 57.

Scottish Heathland-inspired designs really do get better with age.⛳

The Top 100 isn’t the only list that Central Oregon made its mark on either. With Pronghorn’s Fazio Course (No. 6), joining the Nicklaus Course (No. 8), Crosswater (No. 9), and Tetherow (No. 10), four of the top 10 on Golf Digest’s list of best courses in Oregon are in Central Oregon, too.

Time to start making a dent on that golf course bucket list.✅

📷 : Tetherow Resort

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

05/08/2023

Black Butte Ranch’s Big Meadow has held a special place in the Central Oregon Golf Trail lore since it was first unveiled in the 1970's.⛳

One of the pioneers in Central Oregon golf, Robert Muir Graves designed a course that welcomes golfers of all ages and skill levels, and it remains a beloved course both for its design and its beauty.

The visuals are what strike you first. Big Meadow has always offered a sense of peace and connection to the outdoors. The region’s abundant wildlife are frequent spectators and the breathtaking mountain views of the Cascade Range frame hole after hole.

Once you’ve teed off, the fairways are generous, and forced carries over trouble are nonexistent, keeping even novice players in play. But Big Meadow’s cape-and-bay bunkering — the dramatic, high-faced flair of those bunkers are a trademark of Graves’ designs — and elevated green complexes provide resistance to even elite players.

Big Meadow has also evolved over time. Damian Pascuzzo, a longtime associate of Graves, returned in 2008 for a significant renovation to bring back and update Graves’ original vision. And Black Butte Ranch has completed two-thirds of a three-part bunkering rejuvenation project, with the final leg expected to be completed in spring 2022.

Today, it is fair to say that golfers are treated to a course that has stood the test of time; a course that is a quintessentially Central Oregon experience.

📷 : Black Butte Ranch - There is a place

02/08/2023

Can’t decide where to stay for your trip to the Central Oregon Golf Trail? Why not a place nicknamed “The Hub City”?

Redmond has long served as the gateway to Central Oregon, and not just because it’s home to the region’s only commercial airport. A stay in Redmond puts Juniper Golf Course, the Greens at Redmond, and the three courses at Eagle Crest Resort at your doorstep. And just 20 minutes to Bend and to Sisters, none of Central Oregon’s top courses are far away.

Redmond is also home to a thriving downtown, some of Central Oregon’s most innovative restaurants, and ample lodging with options that stretch from hip urban hotels like SCP Redmond to destination resorts like Eagle Crest Resort.

The SCP Redmond has been a particular game-changer for Redmond. The 49-room hotel opened in 2019 and was redeveloped from a 100-year-old historic building, helping spur the transformation of downtown Redmond. SCP Redmond’s Terra Kitchen boosted an increasingly diverse culinary scene, and the rooftop bar is an experience you won’t want to miss.

📷 : SCP Redmond

27/07/2023

The Scottish have long had an appreciation for the risks and rewards presented on a short par 4. Whether playing a coastal links course or a Heathland course in the Scottish Highlands, there’s a good chance you’ll play a risk-reward par 4 along the way.

The appeal is obvious. Few things are more tantalizing to a golfer than a realistic shot at an eagle.

As you’d expect from a Heathland-inspired design, Tetherow offers the challenge of the drivable par-4. At just 316 yards from the back tees, the par-4 10th is easily one of the most enjoyable and memorable holes in Central Oregon.

It starts with a visually stunning downhill tee shot to a tiered green. The fairway is generous, inviting conservative players to lay up. With a short approach, most players will have a good chance of par or better.

But more aggressive players will shoot for the opening on the right side of the green, being careful to avoid the treacherous bunker that blocks the entry to the green’s left side. Shots that fly long of the green, though, will likely find their way into the thick native area that backs the green.

Stopping a tee shot on the firm, fast fescue greens of Tetherow is never easy. And it’s particularly difficult on the 10th. But if the wind is favorable, longer hitters can make a run at the hole with a fairway wood, giving themselves a better chance.

Be warned, though. Bury a tee shot into the bunker or the manzanita behind the green, and a bogey suddenly becomes a good score.

The 10th is but one way that David McLay Kidd’s design at Tetherow forces golfers to think their way through every shot. But it’s also a hole that can make or break a great round.

📷: Tetherow Resort

25/07/2023

Pronghorn Club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Juniper Preserve is no ordinary golf experience. Sure, anyone can guess that just by looking at the course’s lofty ranking on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest.

You must experience it to truly appreciate what makes it stand out, though. The legendary golfer and architect for which the course is named, designed an unrelenting challenge for even the most skilled of players, yet playable for golfers of all levels. The transitions are stunning and the putting surfaces are always true. The ride is exhilarating, with a variety of holes that will require every club in your bag by round’s end.

Despite the challenge, though, a round at the Nicklaus Course is also a beautiful nature walk, taking you on a journey across its volcanic landscape and through an ancient juniper forest. The panoramic views of the Cascade Range are striking, too. And the quiet High Desert setting offers a sense of serenity, even though Juniper Preserve – which includes Pronghorn’s two championship courses – is less than 30 minutes from downtown Bend.

With such a unique natural environment, it’s no wonder Juniper Preserve has embraced the wellness movement, incorporating it into every facet of the resort. Including golf.

It makes for a one-of-a-kind golf experience. And one that will rejuvenate you as much as it will challenge your game.

📷 : Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve

The COGT features more than two dozen diverse and challenging golf courses in Central Oregon.

20/07/2023

What is the best finishing hole on the Central Oregon Trail? There are so many to choose from. The way Black Butte seemingly towers over the 18th green at Glaze Meadow, the challenging par-5 at Tetherow with its wickedly beautiful green complex, or the postcard-perfect par-4 18th at Pronghorn’s Jack Nicklaus are all worthy of the title.

With its only-in-Central Oregon setting and an approach shot that has befuddled even the legends of golf, Crosswater’s par-4 18th is iconic, too. What more would you expect from a design that has spent 20 straight years on Golf Digest’s list of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses?

What makes it special? With Mt. Bachelor creating a spectacular backdrop, the tee shot must be played over a meadow that can swallow a golf ball whole. And a well-struck drive runs the risk of running into the Little Deschutes River. But it’s the approach that is magic.

A well-positioned tee shot puts a short iron into your hands. But the shot must be played over the Little Deschutes River to a narrow green. A back pin is particularly hazardous, bringing bunkers in front and back of the green into play.

In the four years that Crosswater hosted The Tradition (2007-10), a major championship on the PGA’s Champions Tour, the 18th played an outsized role. First, the national TV visuals were unforgettable, with golf fans on kayaks and canoes floating along the Little Deschutes as legendary golfers played their approach overhead. And in 2009, the 18th made all the difference.

John Cook, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, took a one-shot lead over Mike Reid into the tournament’s 72nd hole. But he buried his approach into the far green side bunker. Cook hit a poor shot out of the bunker and could not get up and down, making a bogey and forcing a sudden-death playoff that started on the 18th. Reid took the championship with a perfect approach that set up his birdie putt to win.

So what’s your favorite finishing hole on The Central Oregon Golf Trail?

📷 : Sunriver Resort

18/07/2023

Deciding where to eat and drink on the Central Oregon Golf Trail can be as challenging as what club to hit on approach at a David McLay Kidd-designed, Scottish Healthland-inspired masterpiece. So. many. options.

Central Oregon has become a haven for foodies, with creative cuisine created by innovative and renowned chefs found in every corner of the region. One outgrowth of this foodie community is the region’s booming food truck culture.

Food trucks are a way of life here–often found in pods, which include a variety of food trucks situated around a central location that more often than not acts as a tap house or beer garden. Many of them offer indoor and outdoor seating, a variety of beer, wine, and cider along with firepits, stages for musical performances, and more.

Some of Central Oregon’s most notable restaurants, such as Spork and Barrio in Bend and High Camp Taphouse in Sisters began as food trucks. It’s one of those quintessential Central Oregon experiences.

Food truck pods are found across the region. With The Lot and Taproom, On Tap, The Podski, River’s Place, The Office at Silver Moon, Midtown Yacht Club, and The Patio at 9th Street Village, among others, Bend has the most. But The Bite in Tumalo, Wild Ride Brewing in Redmond and Prineville, General Duffy’s Waterhole in Redmond, and The Barn in Sisters ensure that food carts are never far, no matter what course you tee it up on that day.

With a taste for everyone in your group, food truck pods may just be a perfect way to toast a great round.🍻 🍔 🌮