Quail Run

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Editor’s note: This is another in a seasonlong series visiting each public and semiprivate golf course in Central Oregon.

LA PINE —

Everything seemed to be going so well on the back nine of Quail Run Golf Course.

After alternating par and bogey passing the turn, I stepped up to the straightforward par-4 15th hole.

An awful shank left me under a bush in a small meadow left of the fairway. Then I got greedy trying to salvage the hole and went for too much, losing the ball right into a dense forest of ponderosa pines that can wreak havoc on a round of golf at the La Pine course.

There was no saving par from there, nor bogey. The hole was much more of a score killer than that.

The 388-yard 15th hole is a lot like many of the holes at Quail Run, a course much better and more challenging than the uninitiated might think.

From the tee, the hole is straight with a handful of bunkers. But in reality, one misstep that sends a ball bounding away from the fairway could mean doom for a scorecard.

The forest always seems to loom, ready to snatch a poor shot and turn it into a triple bogey, even without the burden of a penalty stroke.

Pine trees sure meant trouble for me on a recent cloudless and warm day.

About 25 miles south of Bend, and a few miles west off U.S. Highway 97, Quail Run is off the beaten path for most Central Oregon golfers. Even if you make the proper right turn off 97 onto Prairie Drive, you still have to find the course through a maze of roads and lackluster signage.

And the course gets more snow than most courses in the region because of its elevation, usually forcing Quail Run to open for the season later and close earlier.

So for those who have never ventured south beyond Sunriver for a round of golf, Quail Run might be nothing more than a vague concept.

If so, that’s too bad.

Quail Run lacks the fanfare of many of this region’s elite courses. But in reality, Quail Run — among the best conditioned golf courses in Central Oregon — can count itself among some of the best public courses in the region.

The course is challenging and well designed — not an easy task considering that Jim Ramey, Sunriver Resort’s longtime director of agronomy, designed Quail Run’s two nines 15 years apart. And it can be a blast to play, as long as the torturous pines are avoided.

Although its 18 holes can compete with any public course in the region, Quail Run is a bit different from its peers.

For one, it still holds a folksy charm.

My playing partner and I played in a foursome with two Quail Run members, and we caught up with another foursome on the twisting par-4 third hole. On the tee, my partner and I noticed that four golfers were using four separate motorized golf carts, a rare sight to be sure.

My partner commented that he had never seen such a thing before.

“We’ve played with three guys in three carts before,” one of our members replied. “We (Quail Run members) all own our own carts, so why not? We all hit it all over the place anyway.”

Apparently, playing one cart per person is not so uncommon at Quail Run. And it really was no bother to us.

My only wish was that I could have seen the army of golf carts later in my round. Maybe that would have taken my mind off the fact that, in a battle between Quail Run and me, the La Pine golf course was very much winning.

Difficulty of course

Though Quail Run is not a particularly long golf course at 6,897 yards, it is a deceptively difficult track. What makes it so? Though Quail Run’s fairways are generous, the course rests in a relatively dense forest, and its intermediary rough takes the form of some rather testy ponderosa pines.

Any golfer whose tee shot is hit off target and past the first cut of rough will likely turn bogey into a best-case scenario. For most average golfers, most of whom struggle with accuracy off the tee, that makes for a stern challenge.

However, novices will find at Quail Run a course that shrinks down to 5,391 yards (from the red tees) with a design that is not overly punitive, as long as the ball can be kept in play.

Favorite hole

Quail Run does not have a true signature hole, but it does offer a consistent design with good hole after good hole.

My favorite, though, is the 504-yard, par-5 fourth hole. The slight dogleg right looks rather pedestrian from the tee box, but a good drive will put a golfer at the bend in the fairway. And that sets up a gorgeous second shot with lush green grass and white-sand bunkers leading into a well-designed shallow green — all framed by a forest of tall pines.

A golfer who didn’t know better might think No. 4 at Quail Run was designed by famed course architect Donald Ross.

Strategy

Conservative play has its rewards at Quail Run considering that avoiding the pine trees is a must for a golfer hoping to card a good score.

Teeing off with a fairway wood, assuming a golfer can control it, can help to avoid the punitive forest. And because Quail Run is not overly long, strong players will still be able to make their approach shots with a short iron.

Play most approach shots short of the hole, accounting for the hard and fast greens that make stopping a ball at Quail Run a challenge.

Once on the green, go after your line aggressively, as most putts will run true on Quail Run’s well-kept putting surfaces.

Extras

Quail Run’s clubhouse will not grab anybody’s attention, but it does offer an inexpensive snack bar with a television and plenty of seating. And the course’s pro shop is roomy with gear of all kinds on display.

The facility also has an ample outdoor seating area that is well shaded.

The course’s full-size driving range offers abundant room to practice, and a short-game practice area gives golfers a chance to hone their chipping skills. The practice putting green is not huge, but it rests just off the first tee, giving golfers a chance to work on their putting while waiting to tee off.

Value

At $55 during prime time, Quail Run is not inexpensive. But the La Pine course does compare well to its peers, including the Woodlands and Meadows courses at Sunriver Resort and Bend’s Widgi Creek Golf Club and Lost Tracks Golf Club.

The green fees at Quail Run drop to $35 after 2 p.m. each day during the summer, making Quail Run one of the best bargains in the region.

Quail Run Golf Course

The basics

General information about Quail Run Golf Course

Number of holes: 18

Status: Open seasonally

Location: 16725 Northridge Drive, La Pine

Tee times: 541-536-1303 or 800-895-GOLF

Course stats: Par 72, 6,897 yards

Green fees: Through Sept. 30, $55 daily; after 2 p.m., $35 daily. Oct. 1 through end of season, $42 daily.

Power cart: $13

Director of golf: Todd Sickles

Course designer: Jim Ramey (original nine, 1991; second nine, 2006)

Extras: Driving range, putting and chipping area, practice bunkers, snack bar, pro shop

Website: www.golfquailrun.com

Breaking down the course

A closer look at Quail Run.

Difficulty

Quail Run, while fair, can be a tough test of golf for even highly skilled golfers. At 6,897 yards from the back tees, the course is not overly long, which makes it navigable for novices. But golfers with accuracy problems, particularly from the tee, can pay a steep price.

Strategy

Golfers who struggle with a driver will be well-served by leaving it in the bag. A relatively dense forest can turn even straightforward holes into an adventure. Approach shots should be played below the hole to account for Quail Run’s hard, fast greens.

Extras

Quail Run’s clubhouse is not fancy, but it houses an inexpensive snack bar and well-stocked pro shop. Full-size driving range uses grass tee boxes, and a short-game practice area rests nearby. The practice putting green is right where it should be: just off the first tee.

SCORECARD

Hole Par Yardage

No. 1 Par 4 422 yards

No. 2 Par 3 186 yards

No. 3 Par 4 382 yards

No. 4 Par 5 504 yards

No. 5 Par 4 416 yards

No. 6 Par 5 525 yards

No. 7 Par 4 429 yards

No. 8 Par 3 160 yards

No. 9 Par 4 464 yards

Out Par 36 3,488 yards

No. 10 Par 3 180 yards

No. 11 Par 4 393 yards

No. 12 Par 5 510 yards

No. 13 Par 4 350 yards

No. 14 Par 3 200 yards

No. 15 Par 4 388 yards

No. 16 Par 4 395 yards

No. 17 Par 5 542 yards

No. 18 Par 4 451 yards

Out Par 36 3,409 yards

*All distances from back tees