The 10 Best Golf Courses in Oregon You Can Play (2026)

The best golf courses in Oregon you can play are Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Golf Digest ranks them the state's top three for 2025-26. For a public round without a resort stay, Tokatee in the McKenzie River valley welcomes all golfers.

The list at a glance

| # | Course | Location | Access | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Pacific Dunes | Bandon | Resort (public tee times) | Oceanfront links | | 2 | Bandon Dunes | Bandon | Resort (public tee times) | Where Bandon began | | 3 | Bandon Trails | Bandon | Resort (public tee times) | Dunes, meadow and forest | | 4 | Silvies Valley Ranch | Seneca | Resort (day guests by reservation) | Remote ranch golf | | 5 | Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve: Nicklaus Course | Bend | Resort (public tee times) | High-desert championship golf | | 6 | Tetherow | Bend | Semi-private (public tee times) | Firm fescue in Bend | | 7 | Pumpkin Ridge: Ghost Creek | North Plains | Public | Tour history near Portland | | 8 | Gearhart Golf Links | Gearhart | Public (daily fee) | Historic north-coast links | | 9 | Bar Run | Roseburg | Public | New design in southern Oregon | | 10 | Tokatee Golf Club | McKenzie Bridge | Public | Mountain-valley round |

How we chose

Every course here takes public or day-guest tee times. We ranked them on course quality, published recognition and the experience for a traveling golfer. The picks are spread across the coast, the valleys, Central Oregon and the high desert. Facts were checked against course websites and golf media in October 2026; private clubs are listed separately below.

1. Pacific Dunes

Location: Bandon, OR · Access: Resort (public tee times) · Holes: 18 · Designer: Tom Doak (2001) · Region: Southern Oregon coast

Pacific Dunes is No. 1 in both Golf Digest's 2025-26 Oregon ranking and GOLF's 2024-25 Oregon ranking. Doak routed it along the Pacific, and it hosted the 2006 Curtis Cup and the 2015 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is walking only; carts are allowed only for medical needs. It suits golfers who want the state's top-ranked public course and are ready for a full day on foot.

Around the greens: Ocean wind makes high pitches hard to control, so keep chips low and let the ground do the work.

2. Bandon Dunes

Location: Bandon, OR · Access: Resort (public tee times) · Holes: 18 · Designer: David McLay Kidd (1999) · Region: Southern Oregon coast

The original course at the resort opened in May 1999, and Golf Digest ranks it No. 2 in Oregon for 2025-26. It hosted the 2020 U.S. Amateur and the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur. Golfers staying off property can still book tee times.

Its landing areas are relatively forgiving, and the greens run from mildly to moderately undulating. That makes it a comfortable first round at the resort for mid-handicap players.

Around the greens: On undulating greens, read where the slope will take the ball after it lands before you pick a landing spot.

3. Bandon Trails

Location: Bandon, OR · Access: Resort (public tee times) · Holes: 18 · Designer: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (2005) · Region: Southern Oregon coast

Bandon Trails is No. 3 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Oregon ranking and No. 2 in GOLF's 2024-25 list. No holes run along the ocean; it moves from dunes into meadows and forest. It served as the stroke-play co-host for the 2020 U.S. Amateur.

The resort has more than these three. In the same Golf Digest ranking, Doak and Jim Urbina's Old Macdonald is No. 4, and Coore and Crenshaw's oceanfront Sheep Ranch is No. 5. The par-3 Bandon Preserve and Shorty's round out a multi-day trip.

Around the greens: Trails plays differently from its oceanside neighbors, so hit a few practice chips to see how far the ball releases.

4. Silvies Valley Ranch

Location: Seneca, OR · Access: Resort (day guests by reservation) · Holes: two reversible 18-hole courses (par 72) · Designer: Dan Hixson (2017) · Region: Eastern Oregon high desert

Silvies' Craddock and Hankins courses share 27 greens and run in opposite directions, so the same ground plays as two layouts. Golf Digest ranks Craddock No. 13 and Hankins No. 14 in Oregon for 2025-26. GOLF ranks the reversible pair No. 7 for 2024-25.

The ranch sits about 5,000 feet up and is known for its goat caddies. Day guests are welcome with an advance reservation, a deposit and the daily resort fee. The season runs from early May through October, weather permitting.

Around the greens: Reversible routing means you approach the same greens from different directions, so re-read each green instead of trusting your first-loop memory.

5. Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve: Nicklaus Course

Location: Bend, OR · Access: Resort (public tee times) · Holes: 18 · Designer: Jack Nicklaus · Region: Central Oregon

The resort calls this Oregon's only Nicklaus-designed course, and it stretches to 7,381 yards. Golf Digest ranks it No. 8 in Oregon for 2025-26. In Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play 2025, it tied for No. 10 in the state.

The resort says it plays firm and fast. The club's Fazio course is members-only, so the Nicklaus is the one to book.

Around the greens: Firm, fast conditions punish a ball that lands too close to the hole, so land chips short and let them release.

6. Tetherow

Location: Bend, OR · Access: Semi-private (public tee times) · Holes: 18 · Designer: David McLay Kidd · Region: Central Oregon

Tetherow is No. 9 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Oregon ranking and No. 15 in Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play 2025 for the state. Kidd, who also designed Bandon Dunes, is the architect.

The turf is a mix of fine fescue and Colonial bentgrass, and the course describes conditions as very firm and fast. Its season runs from April 1 to November 1.

Around the greens: Fine fescue turf rewards a bump-and-run, so a low chip that lands short will usually beat a high pitch.

7. Pumpkin Ridge: Ghost Creek

Location: North Plains, OR · Access: Public · Holes: 18 (par 71) · Designer: Bob Cupp and John Fought (1992) · Region: Portland metro

Ghost Creek is No. 16 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Oregon ranking and the top pick in our Portland guide. It hosted the Nike Tour Championship in 1993 and 1994 and the LPGA's Safeway Classic from 2009 to 2012.

It stretches to 6,839 yards. Its private sister course, Witch Hollow, hosted the 1996 U.S. Amateur. More Portland options are in our guide to golf near Portland.

Around the greens: On a course you are seeing for the first time, hit a few practice chips to learn how far the ball releases before you trust a landing spot.

8. Gearhart Golf Links

Location: Gearhart, OR · Access: Public (daily fee) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Opened: 1892 (restored 2013) · Region: North Oregon coast

Gearhart calls itself the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi. A 2013 restoration was led by architect John Strawn.

At 6,176 yards, it is short by modern standards. It takes daily-fee play, which makes it an easy add to a coast trip.

Around the greens: Coastal wind makes high pitches harder to judge, so a low chip that lands short and releases is often the safer play.

9. Bar Run

Location: Roseburg, OR · Access: Public · Holes: 18 · Designer: Dan Hixson · Region: Southern Oregon (Umpqua Valley)

Bar Run is No. 15 in GOLF's 2024-25 Oregon ranking, where it is marked as a public course. Hixson, who also designed Silvies Valley Ranch, built it on reclaimed sand-and-gravel mine land along the South Umpqua River.

Large ponds and riverside holes shape the round. The course is open daily, and Roseburg's spot on the I-5 corridor makes it an easy stop on a north-south drive.

Around the greens: With ponds and the river in play, choose landing spots that keep a mishit chip away from the water side.

10. Tokatee Golf Club

Location: McKenzie Bridge, OR · Access: Public · Holes: 18 · Designer: Ted Robinson · Region: McKenzie River valley

Tokatee welcomes all golfers and takes tee times online. Robinson routed it through the McKenzie River valley east of Springfield, with native ponds and streams and views of the Three Sisters.

It is the list's best choice for a relaxed round away from the resorts, and a good fit for a mountain weekend. Its 2026 calendar includes a club championship and an open.

Around the greens: With ponds and streams on the course, favor a chip that lands safely on the green over a risky flop.

Private clubs worth knowing

• Eugene Country Club (Eugene): Founded in 1899 and No. 7 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Oregon ranking. Member invitation required.
• Waverley Country Club (Portland area): Founded in 1896; hosted the 1970 U.S. Amateur and 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open. Member invitation required.
• Portland Golf Club (Portland area): Hosted the 1947 Ryder Cup. Member invitation required.
• Pronghorn: Fazio Course (Bend): No. 3 in Golfweek's 2025 Best Private Clubs for Oregon. Member invitation required.
• Pumpkin Ridge: Witch Hollow (North Plains): Hosted the 1997 and 2003 U.S. Women's Opens. Member invitation required.

Tips for playing golf in Oregon

• Expect wind on the coast. Bandon and Gearhart sit on the Pacific, so plan for wind and keep the ball low around the greens.
• Bring walking shoes to Bandon. The resort is walking only, with carts limited to medical needs.
• Watch the season inland. Tetherow's season runs April 1 to November 1, and Silvies opens in early May and closes after October.
• Know which courses need a stay. Crosswater at Sunriver and Brasada Canyons in Central Oregon are reserved for members and resort guests.
• Adjust for firm turf. Fescue courses release more on landing; see chipping on firm, wet and sloped greens and what club to chip with.
• Cross the border. Pair a trip with the best golf courses in Washington or Idaho.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best public golf course in Oregon?

Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is the best course in Oregon the public can play. It ranks No. 1 in Golf Digest's 2025-26 Oregon ranking and in GOLF's 2024-25 Oregon list. Tom Doak designed it, and it opened in 2001 on the southern Oregon coast.

What is the best municipal or everyday golf course in Oregon?

Portland's city-run Heron Lakes Great Blue course hosted the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links, and Eastmoreland dates to 1917. Both offer senior discounts from age 65. Outside Portland, Tokatee and Bar Run are public courses you can play without booking a resort stay.

Can the public play Bandon Dunes?

Yes. Golfers who are not staying at the resort can book tee times. Day guests can reserve golf-only times up to a year ahead at the day rate. Every course is walking only, and booking early is wise because tee times fill well in advance.

When is golf season in Oregon?

It depends on the region. Tetherow in Bend runs from April 1 to November 1, and Silvies Valley Ranch opens in early May. Many western Oregon courses, including several near Portland, stay open through the wet winter, though summer is the driest stretch.

How do I handle unfamiliar green speeds on a new course?

Ask the pro shop for the day's stimpmeter reading, then hit a few chips on the practice green to see how far the ball releases. Faster greens need a landing spot closer to you; slower greens need one closer to the hole. Our green speed guide explains how to adjust.

Find your landing zone on every green

From firm fescue at Tetherow to wind-exposed greens at Bandon and high-desert turf at Silvies, Oregon's courses roll at very different speeds. Green speed changes where every chip should land, and it changes from course to course. ELZS (Essential Landing Zone Systems) turns three inputs, your distance to the hole, your club and the green speed, into the number of paces to land the ball so it rolls out to the hole. It was built by former teaching pro Chaz H. Smith and comes as an app for iOS and Android and as a waterproof pocket chartbook. Before your next round, ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, then look up your landing zone and chip with a plan.

Download ELZS for iPhone · Get ELZS on Android · Learn how landing zones work