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Oregon has long been a prime golf destination, thanks to spectacular courses in Bandon Dunes and the Portland area. The Central Oregon Golf Trail, formed a year ago, is adding to that appeal by featuring nearly two-dozen spectacular golf courses in central Oregon, an area already ranked as the 23rd best golf destination in the world by Golf Digest.
“Being ranked 23rd in the world is a pretty high honor for a small, rural, high desert area,” said Tommy Berg, the PGA professional who serves as manager of the Central Oregon Golf Trail. The trail features courses designed by Tom Fazio, Peter Jacobsen and Robert Trent Jones, Jr., to name a few.
 All 22 courses can be reached within an hour’s drive of the city of Bend. Prior to the COGT formation, most visitors to central Oregon were drawn primarily by the Jack Nicklaus-designed Pronghorn course, the Tetherow Golf Club designed by David McLay Kidd, or the stunning Crosswater course at Sunriver. Now, with the formation of the Central Oregon Golf Trail, some of the other gems in the area will also become part of the overall showcase for this golfing Mecca.
“The main reason behind the formation of the COGT was to create a group marketing initiative, allowing the trail to reach markets and areas that individual courses couldn’t or wouldn’t,” Berg explained. “Central Oregon is a world-class golf destination, and we can now market the trail as such. The goal of the COGT is to attract destination golfers to our member courses.”
Courses under the COGT umbrella run the gamut for playability and pricing. According to Berg, you can play a lot of good golf for under $50. A few of the quality courses that fall into that category are Widgi Creek, Eagle Crest Resort, Meadows Lake and Crooked River Ranch. At the other end of the price scale, golfers can shell out upward of $200 for a round of golf at the Tom Fazio course at Pronghorn. The average cost for most of the COGT courses is in the $60-90 range, said Berg.
Since the courses are relatively close together, many golf groups come to central Oregon and play 36 holes or more in a day. And though golfing is the attraction emphasized by COGT officials, there are many non-golf activities available to the weekend visitor. The COGT offers golfers a complimentary concierge service to take care of the details.
“We can fully prepare their itinerary, providing lodging reservations, tee times, and even suggest alternative options for those who choose not to golf,” said Berg. “We can answer questions, point them in the right direction, or provide a full spectrum of options while making their trip planning as painless as possible.”
A few of those non-golf options include a variety of restaurants and eateries, luxurious day spas, an eclectic arts and culture scene, and tax-free shopping. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually, this High Desert outdoor playground also offers fly-fishing, rafting, hiking and cycling.
Bend Area RV Parks
For RV-golfers visiting the Bend area, there are many convenient and comfortable RV options in and around Bend. For example, Scandia RV Park is on the south side of Bend, near the factory outlets. All of the 131 sites are paved and the park has pull-throughs, Wi-Fi, spacious restrooms and large showers, and a grass area for pets. For information, visit scandiarv.com.
Crown Villa RV Resort is also located on the southern end of Bend. With 106 sites, this RV park is loaded with amenities, including spacious sites, a clubhouse, fitness center, wireless Internet, guest lounge and spa. For information, visit crownvillarvresort.com.
Located 22 miles south of Bend in La Pine is Cascade Meadows RV Resort. This classy RV park sits in the middle of a meadow and features an awesome view of Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters Mountain Range. All RV sites are pull-through. There are 101 full hookup sites and 15 partial sites averaging 70 feet in length and 30 feet in width, and the park has an additional 30 pull-through sites without hookups. The sites have nice green lawns in between them, which gives a little privacy to each. Cascade Meadows also offers a relaxing swimming pool and spa. For information, visit cascademeadowsrvresort.com.
For more information on the Central Oregon Golf Trail, visit CentralOregonGolfTrail.com.
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer and writer who lives in Yakima, Washington. Rick writes a weekly golf blog, The 19th Hole, which is published every Saturday at rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.
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