Public golf courses in the state of Oregon provide the chance to experience some of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful scenery. Oregon golfers can play within view of the Pacific Ocean or surrounded by snow-capped mountains. They can tee off on fairways shadowed by dense forests or within view of a clear mountain stream, sink a putt in the high mountain desert or beside a wetland frequented by migrating waterfowl. It’s a glorious place to play.
And those are just a few of the scenic settings you can enjoy while playing in the Beaver State. Oregon has 144 golf courses that are open to the general public; some locations sport more than one course. Play at the right time and you may also see deer, elk, coyote or other wildlife on the fairways.
Most of Oregon’s courses are built around the land’s natural hazards and roughs; some play around rolling hills, thick forests, natural sand, ancient lava fields, rushing water hazards, canyons or gullies. Many of golf’s best designers have built courses in this state.
Along the Oregon coast you’ll find a golf course said to rival both Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, one with a green sitting 100 yards from the ocean’s edge, another with a reputation for being one of the toughest courses in the U.S., plus lots of golfing fun in the fresh ocean air.
Portland golfers will find nearly three dozen golf courses within a 30-minute drive of downtown, and by heading south on I-5 can play some of the state’s toughest holes. Blue River, Eagle Creek and Eugene all have golf courses with holes ranked among the states most difficult.
Golf resorts, along with 300 days of sunshine, make Central Oregon a golfer’s haven; several new courses have been added in recent years. Lava outcroppings and snow-capped mountain ranges add a sense of drama found nowhere else in the state.
Eastern Oregon courses offer sagebrush and tree-filled roughs, natural canyons and gullies, creeks and rivers, and high desert altitudes that will challenge your endurance.
Green fees on Oregon golf courses range from $3 to $225, but many of the more expensive courses offer discounts that let golfers play for up to 2/3 off regular rates.
An avid golfer, someone who plays 45-50 weekends out of the year, could play all of Oregon’s 144 golf courses in just a couple of years. And, with the variety of terrains offered, it’s sure to improve any golfer’s game.
