More Great Golf
            Tee it up at the Northwest’s finest golf resorts

1 if you’re looking for some quality golf at a great resort, the Northwest has plenty of options. Black Butte Ranch, at the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains near Sisters, offers a pair of 18-hole courses, Glaze Meadow and Big Meadow. The surrounding scenery is awe-inspiring, with ponderosa pines, quaking aspen, and five mountain peaks. Big Meadow recently had a facelift, with tee renovation and a remodeled driving range. Glaze Meadow will challenge you with its par 72, 6600-yard design featuring an uphill, 590-yard par 5 at the 12th hole.

Choose from a variety of options for your lodging, from traditional hotels to multi-bedroom condos, suites, or elite vacation homes. (866-901-2961; www.blackbutteranch.com)

2 Salishan represents the ultimate coastal escape with endless ways to pamper yourself. In 2003, former University of Oregon Duck and 2004 U.S. Senior Open champ Peter Jacobsen’s firm was hired to renovate the golf course. The result was a masterpiece that included all 18 greens rebuilt to USGA specifications. The scenery, views, and quality of the course are spectacular. The resort is just packed with amenities like shopping, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, a kid’s center, and a spa added just two years ago. The rooms are incredibly spacious, with a gas fireplace, private balcony, high-speed Internet access, and 24/7 room service. The dining options range from a quick bite to dining at their world-class restaurant. (800-452-2300; www.salishan.com)

3 Semiahmoo Resort offers two top-rated courses. The Loomis Trail course was designed for year-round play, and was rated the No. 1 course in Washington by Golf Digest in 2005. “All 18 holes have water features, whether it is a pond or a canal running through it,” says Brett Eaton, Semiahmoo’s PGA director of golf. Loomis also has the highest slope rating in Washington for course difficulty.

The second course, the tree-lined Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club course, was designed by Arnold Palmer and is 7005 yards from the back tee with rolling fairways.

“Every hole has it own characteristic,” says Eaton. With 67 strategically placed bunkers and challenging greens, golfers are sure to relish the experience.

For golfers that are serious about improving their game, Semiahmoo hosts the Jeff Coston Golf Academy. Jeff Coston, who played professionally on the PGA and Nike Tour, provides instruction in day and multiple-day clinics.

The bay-side hotel features many rooms with balconies or patios, wood-burning fireplaces, and stylish Northwest-inspired décor. Choose from four different restaurant experiences, from casual to fine dining. Relax with a European spa treatment and enjoy the health club’s fitness center, hot tub, steam room, sauna, or pool. (800-770-7992; www.semiahmoo.com)

4 There’s no getting around it. A round of golf at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course is an experience to remember. Nestled between the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene, the course was rated America’s Most Beautiful Resort Golf Course by Golf Digest and is an Audubon-approved sanctuary. A day of golf begins with a ride from the resort to the course via an elegant mahogany water shuttle followed by a warm-up and sports massage. After a few rounds, lunch from the Floating Green Restaurant can be delivered in a rustic picnic basket. But golfers are drawn to the famous 14th hole, home of the floating green. The island-like green actually changes distance from the shore every day. A finished round of golf is rewarded with a custom engraved bag tag. Unwind at the 30,000-square-foot spa and then top the day off with dinner at Beverly’s, featuring cuisine fused with the Northwest’s finest ingredients, such as Idaho potatoes, morel mushrooms, and wild huckleberries. Pampering from this 5-star resort is complete with a stay in one of the lakefront rooms or suites. (800-688-5253; www.cdaresort.com)

5 The word at The Resort At Port Ludlow is variety. Three par-9 courses challenge and reward players of all levels, and provide scenery that is unparalleled. “Esquire magazine referred to them as ‘the most scenic in the world,’” says Miriam Villiard, marketing manager at Port Ludlow Associates.

Local favorite Timber course is shrouded in fir trees while the Trail course tempts even the most focused golfer with views of Mount Baker, Puget Sound, and Ludlow Bay. The Tide course is perfect for water-lovers, with several water hazards and three creeks, but is also the most novice-friendly of the three courses. Not to be outdone are the accommodations at the waterside Inn At Port Ludlow, with New England-inspired architecture and well-appointed guest rooms. Many rooms at The Inn include water and mountain views. For a more private setting, the Pintail House affords room for the whole family in seclusion along a cove or your choice of condominium accommodations. Explore tranquil waterways in small craft from the marina, or rent a bike and discover the Olympic Peninsula. Fresh seafood and other sumptuous fare highlight the bounty of the area at the resort’s two restaurants. (877-805-0868; www.portludlowresort.com)

The Resort at Port Ludlow

Many people know JELD-WEN as a premier window and door manufacturer, but the company has also brought world-class golf resorts—such as Eagle Crest, Running Y, and Brasada—to Oregon and is expanding into Washington and Idaho with Suncadia and Silver Mountain resorts.

But golf is more than business for JELD-WEN. “Golf is a part of the company culture and we try to get as many people involved as we can,” says Ken Cates, vice president of sales and marketing.

JELD-WEN supports the sport by hosting Northwest PGA tournaments, such as the Northwest Open, Oregon Open, and the PAC-AM. “As soon as there is a nice place to play, everyone wants to have a tournament there,” says Cates. The company also sponsors a tournament on the Champions Tour. The JELD-WEN Tradition is played this year at Crosswater Golf Club in Sunriver, August 13–19.

The resorts are the perfect place to spend a golf vacation, with amenities such as restaurants and spas to complete a relaxing weekend or extended getaway.

6 Eagle Crest Resort is just outside the city of Redmond and has the majestic Cascades as a backdrop. This area bucks the Oregon reputation for rain with an average of 300 days of sunshine a year. Eagle Crest has three courses, each offering a completely different golf experience. The Resort layout—aesthetically pleasing and a tad tough—plays to a par 72 at just shy of 7000 yards. The signature second hole is an attention-grabbing par 5 dogleg right with its tee box 80 feet off the canyon floor. The Ridge course is a tad easier, approaching 6700 yards from the tips. The Challenge course is perfect for the beginner or for the player looking to improve that short game. Links magazine called it the best short course in the Pacific Northwest. Eagle Crest offers comfy rooms and suites at the Inn, plus furnished chalets and luxurious condos. You can kick back at the pool or spa and enjoy some terrific dining choices at any of their quartet of restaurants. (800-682-4786; www.eagle-crest.com)

7Just short of the California border near Klamath Falls sits the full-service resort community known as the Running Y Ranch. Tee it up on Oregon’s lone Arnold Palmer-designed course. The layout showcases a spectacular natural landscape with lakes, wetlands, and a venture into Payne Canyon on the back nine. The 83-room lodge overlooks the 10th fairway and simply invites relaxation and serenity. Guests enjoying their comfortable rooms or suites have access to the Sandhill Spa and Sports and Fitness Center plus the pool complex. Dine at the more casual Wetlands Lounge or go upscale at the Ranch House Restaurant featuring Northwest cuisine. (888-850-0275; www.runningy.com)

8 Joining Eagle Crest and Running Y in the JELD-WEN family is Brasada Ranch, an 1800-acre playground just east of Redmond and Bend. Get ready for another Jacobson gem as the front 9 of this phenomenal creation opens in July. The backside begins with a slight dogleg par 5 and wraps with a downhill par 5 through a canyon. Jacobsen says he and his partner Jim Hardy have never seen a property quite like this. The course is private, but if you stay there you can play there. Brasada offers a truly peaceful high-desert lifestyle with some of the most luxurious rental cabins in Central Oregon. They take pride in their unparalleled panoramic views of the Cascades and in the fact that vacationers can enjoy a stay pretty much uncomplicated by civilization but with all the modern comforts. (888-244-6015; www.brasada.com)

Running Y Ranch, near Klamath Falls, is Oregon's only Arnold Palmer-designed course (Right).

Northwest Travel July/August 2007