Public courses offer scenic and challenging golf along the Oregon coast
In Oregon, spring can mean lots of rain and very little golf, unless you know where to find wet-weather courses. But once the sun finally peeks through the clouds, one of the best places to enjoy some beautiful and challenging spring and summer golf is the Oregon coast.
Some of this state’s coastal courses are truly spectacular, with seaside holes, forested hills, beautiful vistas and windswept challenges, and many are open to the public. Most offer discounted times, so expert golfers can take advantage of reduced rates, allowing them to play even the most expensive courses for less.
Public golf courses along the Oregon coast include some pretty spectacular spots; You’ll find courses designed by world-renowned golfers, a one-of-a-kind golfing opportunity, and a course said to rival Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, as well as a couple of cities that are great golfing destinations.
Oregon’s beachside resorts, plethora of hotels and vacation homes make the coast an excellent area for anyone looking for a weekend of golf; some are situated in places where it is only a short drive to three or four good courses. Golf couples will also find plenty of romantic places to stay.
Green fees for a round of golf along the Oregon coast range from $6 to $225 per round; this area includes a large number of moderately priced courses, as well as some of the most expensive in the state. Discounted rates are available; check The Northwest Golfer by KiKi Canniff for times and seasons. From north to south, the coastal cities where you’ll find public golf courses are Gearhart, Seaside, Manzanita, Tillamook, Neskowin, Lincoln City, Gleneden Beach, Newport, Toledo, Waldport, Florence, Reedsport, North Bend, Coos Bay, Bandon, and Gold. . Beach.
In Gearhart there are two public golf courses. These include the oldest in the state, established in 1892, as well as a fast 9-hole course; both are year-round courses where you can find good golf in wet weather. At Seaside, the second green of the Seaside Golf Club is situated just 100 yards from the Pacific Ocean. At Manzanita you will find a well-maintained 9-hole course with tree-lined fairways that provide a pleasant place to spend a sunny afternoon.
Tillamook has two fairly level public golf courses; one offers a fast game of 9 holes and the other is an 18-hole course with beautiful views. To the south, the Neskowin field floods in the winter, but that’s why it’s so lush and green all summer; save this course for later in the season. In Lincoln City, the casino course is tough and they have a high definition golf simulator upstairs over the pro shop for rainy days.
Along the central Oregon coast, golfers can tee off at the spectacular seaside Salishan Golf Links at Gleneden Beach, enjoy a round of golf surrounded by forests at the Agate Beach course in Newport, play a quiet family game at Waldport and if the fog settles over the coast they can make the 7 mile drive inland where the Toledo course often provides an opportunity to play in the sun.
Florence has a public course designed by Rees Jones and a golf course built on undulating sand dunes; both offer challenging golf year-round. There’s a relatively flat summer course at Reedsport, a year-round 18-hole course at North Bend, and two interesting courses at Coos Bay. The first, the Sunset Bay Golf Course, is located just east of the Bay Bridge; the Watson Ranch Golf Course sits on the site of the former Coos Country Club and includes overnight RV space for traveling golfers.
Bandon is the queen of the coast with three public golf courses: Bandon Crossing, Bandon Dunes and Bandon Face. The Crossing opened in 2007, the Dunes in 1999, and The Face has been around since 1929. Bandon Face Golf Course was originally known as Bandon Golf Links and has the distinction of being the only golf course in the United States that offers golfers the opportunity to to play as the first golfers did, with real walnut clubs and real gutta-percha balls.
And, at the southern tip of the Oregon coast, Gold Beach offers a year-round John Zoller-designed golf course with plenty of water to test your aim and the occasional wildlife roaming the fairways.
So why not consider the Oregon coast the next time forecasters forecast a sunny weekend? With sixteen towns offering public golf, the endless beauty of the Pacific Ocean, plenty of activities to keep the family busy, and the laid-back atmosphere of Oregon’s coastal towns, everyone is sure to have a good time.