Central Oregon Golf Courses: The Complete Guide
Central Oregon is one of the best golf destinations in the West — more than 25 courses within an hour of Bend, from $38 muni gems to championship resort layouts ranked among America's greatest. Here's the local's rundown of every course worth your time, what it costs, and whether you can just show up and play.
The quick answer
Best value: Juniper (Redmond, ~$37–39) and Lost Tracks (Bend, ~$45–50).
Best public splurge: Tetherow and Widgi Creek in Bend; Sunriver's Meadows and Woodlands.
Bucket-list: Crosswater at Sunriver (resort guests/members) and Pronghorn's Nicklaus and Fazio courses.
Season: roughly April/May–October (high desert); a few Bend courses play year-round.
People are often surprised to learn that this high-desert corner of Oregon is a genuine golf mecca — over 300 days of sunshine a year, dramatic Cascade views, volcanic-rock hazards, and pine-lined fairways, all packed into a compact area. For a lot of my clients, golf is a big part of why they move here. Whether you're visiting on a golf trip or scouting the lifestyle before a move, here's how the courses break down by area.
Golf courses in Bend
Tetherow Resort / Semi-private
The signature modern course on the Mt. Bachelor side of town. A David McLay Kidd design with a Scottish heathland look — fescue, rolling contours, and big Cascade views — it's ranked among Golf Digest's top-100 public courses in the country. Peak green fees run roughly $150–245. There's a resort, restaurants, and a surrounding home community, which makes it a destination as much as a round. (Tetherow is also a golf-home community — more on that below.)
Widgi Creek Public
A Robert Muir Graves layout tucked into the pines off Century Drive, right on the way to Mt. Bachelor. Tight, tree-lined, and scenic, it's consistently one of the better public rounds in Bend — roughly $150 in peak season, with twilight rates about 40% cheaper after noon. It's private-feeling without the private price.
Lost Tracks Public
The value pick in Bend proper — around $45–50 for 18 holes, and it plays up to 7,000 yards. It's known for a quirky, memorable layout, including an old railroad dining car repurposed as the bridge on the 16th. One of the few courses that stays open year-round when the weather cooperates.
River's Edge Public
An in-town public course carved into a hillside above the Deschutes, with elevation changes and river-and-city views most Bend courses can't match. Affordable and central — a great option when you want to squeeze in a quick, scenic round without leaving town.
Bend Golf Club, Broken Top & Awbrey Glen Private
Bend's three private clubs. Bend Golf Club is the historic one (founded in the 1920s); Broken Top is the gated, resort-style country club on the west side; and Awbrey Glen sits up on Awbrey Butte with big views. These are members-and-guests only — but for buyers, they're also some of the most sought-after golf-home neighborhoods in Bend.
Golf at Sunriver
Sunriver Resort, about 25 minutes south of Bend, is a golf destination all by itself, with four courses:
- Crosswater Members / Resort guests — the crown jewel. A 7,600-yard championship course routed along the Deschutes and Little Deschutes, named one of "America's 100 Greatest" by Golf Digest. You need to be a member or a resort guest to play it.
- Meadows Public — a classic resort course with Mt. Bachelor views, open to the public.
- Woodlands Public — a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design winding through the pines and lava outcroppings, also public.
- Caldera Links — a fun par-3/short nine for resort guests, great for families or a quick evening loop.
If you're weighing Sunriver as a place to live rather than visit, I compare it head-to-head with the golf communities in Sunriver vs. Tetherow vs. Broken Top.
Golf courses near Redmond & Powell Butte
Juniper Golf Club Public
Redmond's muni, and the best pure value in the region — green fees around $37–39. A links-style high-desert course with rock outcroppings and mountain views that plays far above its price. Locals love it.
Eagle Crest Resort Resort
A three-course resort just west of Redmond (the Resort, Ridge, and Challenge courses), popular with families and groups for its variety and more moderate pricing. It's also a well-established golf-community option for buyers who want the amenities without Bend prices.
Juniper Preserve (formerly Pronghorn) Private / Resort
The high-end trophy, rebranded from Pronghorn to Juniper Preserve. Two championship courses — one by Jack Nicklaus, one by Tom Fazio — plus a full resort with equity memberships and concierge service. Access is mostly members and resort guests; peak public fees (when available) run $125+. This is destination, buy-a-home-on-the-course golf.
Brasada Ranch Resort
Out in the rolling hills of Powell Butte, with arguably the biggest Cascade panoramas of any course in the region. An 18-hole layout anchoring a resort community with dining, a spa, and an equestrian center — a favorite for people who want ranch-style luxury with their golf.
Golf courses near Sisters
Aspen Lakes Public
Instantly recognizable for its red cinder bunkers (volcanic rock instead of white sand) framed by the Three Sisters peaks. A beautiful, well-conditioned public course — roughly $100 peak, ~$65 twilight.
Black Butte Ranch Resort
Two courses (Big Meadow and Glaze Meadow) set in a storied resort under the peaks near Sisters. Classic, scenic mountain golf that's been a Central Oregon staple for decades.
Outlying gems
Quail Run in La Pine is a family-owned, affordable public course about 25 minutes south of Sunriver that punches above its weight. Meadow Lakes in Prineville is a well-regarded public/municipal track to the east. And Crooked River Ranch near Terrebonne offers rugged high-desert golf near the Crooked River canyon.
Quick reference: where to play
| Course | Area | Access | Peak green fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juniper | Redmond | Public | ~$37–39 |
| Lost Tracks | Bend | Public | ~$45–50 |
| River's Edge | Bend | Public | Value |
| Quail Run | La Pine | Public | Value |
| Aspen Lakes | Sisters | Public | ~$100 |
| Widgi Creek | Bend | Public | ~$150 |
| Sunriver — Meadows / Woodlands | Sunriver | Public | Resort |
| Eagle Crest (3 courses) | Redmond | Resort | Moderate |
| Black Butte Ranch (2 courses) | Sisters | Resort | Resort |
| Brasada Ranch | Powell Butte | Resort | Resort |
| Tetherow | Bend | Semi-private | ~$150–245 |
| Juniper Preserve / Pronghorn (Nicklaus / Fazio) | Bend/Redmond | Private/Resort | $125+ |
| Crosswater | Sunriver | Members/Guests | Members |
| Broken Top · Awbrey Glen · Bend G.C. | Bend | Private | Members |
Green fees are peak-season estimates and change seasonally — always confirm current rates and tee times with each course. Twilight and shoulder-season rates are often 30–40% lower.
Thinking about buying on (or near) a course?
For a lot of people, playing these courses is step one — and living on one is step two. Central Oregon has a deep bench of golf-home communities, from Tetherow and Broken Top in Bend to Pronghorn and Eagle Crest near Redmond and the resort villages of Sunriver and Black Butte. If that's where your head is, I've written the companion piece: the best golf communities in Central Oregon, which breaks down who each one fits, what you'll pay, and the trade-offs. You can also see how the region lays out on my interactive Central Oregon map.
Want to live on a Central Oregon fairway?
Golf-course and resort-community real estate is a specialty of mine — a lot of the best listings never even hit the open market. If you're thinking about buying near one of these courses, let's talk about what fits your game and your budget. No pressure, no pitch.