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

BLACK BUTTE RANCH —

With Black Butte Ranch’s Big Meadow course around, who needs Hawaii to kick around in the sand?

Of course at Big Meadow, you won’t need to bring a beach towel and an umbrella. A good sand wedge and some game-management skills are all a golfer needs.

Big Meadow, designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened for play in 1972, has long challenged Central Oregon golfers to find the right position around a picturesque golf course that is lined with ponderosa pines and aspen trees. Big Meadow’s gorgeous mountain views, particularly from the course’s back nine, have also attracted many a golfer.

But since a revamp that was completed in 2007, sand has also become an important part of the course’s character. It now features 65 mostly mounded bunkers, and on some holes, such as the par-4 ninth and 18th holes, that sand can define the hole.

The bunkers were added to help put some teeth back into Big Meadow’s original design, without changing the course’s character.

Standing on the eighth green, my playing partner gazed over his left shoulder and got a glimpse of what was in store on the ninth hole, a 396-yard par 4.

“Man, there are a lot of bunkers on that hole,” my friend stated rather matter-of-factly.

The ninth has four sprawling fairway bunkers that jut into the fairway, cutting off a massive section of the landing area.

From the tee box, a golfer sees — or believes that he sees — at least seven bunkers in the fairway, making the shot even more intimidating.

“This hole looks kind of nasty,” my friend commented.

But the hole has more bark than bite. What looks like seven bunkers is really four, and the fairway has a deceptively generous bailout area on the left side.

Longer hitters can choose to carry over all of it, so long as the tee shot does not drift right, where the bunkers are deeper and cut off all but the longest drives.

Beyond the first four bunkers, the hole opens to a large green protected by three more bunkers.

The par-4 18th includes similar fairway bunkering. But smart golfers should have little trouble with such a hole. And it can be entertaining when a golf course forces its challengers to be conservative off the tee.

Other holes at Big Meadow such as the par-4 12th and the par-3 13th feature diabolical greens that make hitting a near-perfect approach a necessity to make par.

With all the bunkers, golfers might think Big Meadow can be a task to play. But the course is a joy to play.

The course shares some of the characteristics of the heavily wooded Widgi Creek Golf Club in Bend, which was also designed by Graves some 20 years after Big Meadow.

Like Widgi, Big Meadow is primarily a position golf course. But the beauty of Big Meadow’s straightforward design is that no matter the obstacle, the course is not trying to trick a golfer. The hazards are plenty, but they are generally out in the open for a player to see.

Doglegs are prevalent, but the turns are not awkward. In fact, some entice a golfer to cut the corner and shave distance on a hole, such as the par-4 15th hole.

The greens at Big Meadow are not as severely sloped as those at Widgi Creek. But like at Widgi Creek, the greens are roomy enough to allow golfers of most skill levels to find the putting surface even with marginally struck shots.

Walking off the spectacular back nine, my playing partner perhaps summed up Big Meadow best: “Yeah, there are lot of doglegs, but that course is still a blast to play.”

Difficulty of course

A moderately difficult course for low-handicappers, Big Meadow remains a relatively easy golf course for novices to navigate.

Designing a course like that is no easy feat.

Stronger players must decide when to be aggressive and when to play conservatively around Big Meadow’s numerous bunkers and its multitude of doglegs.

Players of less skill will find a course that, despite its many trees, offers generous fairways and no forced carries over water.

The approach shots at Big Meadow can be treacherous with all that sand, but the greens are generally roomy (save for the narrow, sloping 12th and 13th greens) and predictable.

A good score can be had at Big Meadow for golfers having success finding the fairway. Golfers putting themselves in poor positions, however, might have a particularly long day.

Favorite hole

Few golf holes in Central Oregon look as beautiful from the tee box as Big Meadow’s signature 401-yard par-4 14th hole.

From the elevated tee box, a golfer can see the entire fairway, including multiple intimidating fairway bunkers on the left and right sides. And the rugged mountain peak Three Fingered Jack is framed perfectly behind the green.

The large putting surface, of course, is also protected with more bunkers.

The hole has everything that makes Black Butte Ranch a fun golf course to play.

Strategy

Position off the tee is everything at Big Meadow. The many bunkers at Big Meadow guide a golfer into choosing better routes to the hole. In fact, few shots on the entire course are without at least one bunker around which to navigate.

It is OK to throttle down from the tee box and play conservatively. In fact, Big Meadow’s mostly roomy greens allow for success even on approaches with longer irons.

And hitting a 3-wood instead of a driver gives a golfer a better chance to avoid sand, or worse yet, the thick lining of ponderosa pines, aspens and other native trees.

However, aggressive golfers can play for birdie or better on Big Meadow’s reachable par 5s. (Three shorter par 5s range from 514 yards to 555 yards.)

But golfers would be strongly advised at Big Meadow to be selective when choosing when to take risks.

Extras

Big Meadow boasts practice facilities that are among the nicest around. Big Meadow’s driving range, which rests just across the entrance road from the clubhouse, is relatively roomy. A short-game practice area, which includes practice bunkers, sits in a relatively secluded area on the far corner of the range.

Another short-game practice area is located just behind the ninth green. And Big Meadow’s practice putting green rests mere steps away from the first tee.

Big Meadow’s clubhouse includes a large pro shop and features a full bar and restaurant area named Robert’s Pub, which was recently remodeled.

Value

At $73, Big Meadow’s prime-time rate is comparable to other high-end, public-access golf courses in Central Oregon.

The course is a joy to play, and like most Central Oregon facilities these days, better deals can be had later in the day. The course offers a twilight rate of $53 after 3 p.m. every day during the summer, and on Sunday through Thursday, golfers can play for $59 after 1 p.m.

Early birds willing to tee off before 7:30 a.m. can also play for $59. Those rates are fair for such an enjoyable course, though some comparable courses in the region do offer steeper discounts in the afternoons.

The basics

General information about Big Meadow

Number of holes: 18

Status: Open seasonally

Location: Eight miles northwest of Sisters on U.S. Highway 20

Tee times: 541-595-1545

Course stats: Par 72, 7,002 yards

Green fees: Through Sept. 30: $59 before 7:30 a.m., $73 from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m., $53 after 3 p.m., $59 from 1-3 p.m. (Sun.-Thur.). After Oct. 1: $59 before noon, $53 after noon.

Power cart: $32 (can be shared)

Director of golf: Jeff Fought

Head golf professionals: Terry Anderson, Tom Baker

Course designer: Robert Muir Graves (1972)

Extras: Driving range, putting green, chipping and bunker practice area at Big Meadow

Website: www.blackbutteranch.com

Breaking down the course

Black Butte Ranch Big Meadow

A closer look at Big Meadow.

Difficulty

Big Meadow has a relatively straightforward layout. But with 65 bunkers and numerous doglegs, the course offers plenty to challenge even highly skilled golfers. Novices will be pleased to find a course with generous fairways and no forced carries.

Strategy

Distance off the tee is not crucial at Big Meadow. Avoiding the many bunkers and finding the correct positions around doglegs will pay dividends. Greens are roomy, so even long-iron approaches have a reasonable chance of finding the putting surface.

Extras

Big Meadow offers a top-notch practice facility with a spacious driving range and secluded short-game area with practice bunkers. The course’s practice putting green rests just off the first tee. Robert’s Pub, the restaurant at Big Meadow, has recently been remodeled.

SCORECARD

Hole Par Yardage

No. 1 Par 4 385 yards

No. 2 Par 4 365 yards

No. 3 Par 5 555 yards

No. 4 Par 3 190 yards

No. 5 Par 4 427 yards

No. 6 Par 4 439 yards

No. 7 Par 5 583 yards

No. 8 Par 3 243 yards

No. 9 Par 4 396 yards

Out Par 36 3,583 yards

No. 10 Par 5 535 yards

No. 11 Par 4 409 yards

No. 12 Par 4 379 yards

No. 13 Par 3 185 yards

No. 14 Par 4 401 yards

No. 15 Par 4 349 yards

No. 16 Par 5 514 yards

No. 17 Par 3 234 yards

No. 18 Par 4 413 yards

Out Par 36 3,419 yards

*All distances from back tees

Tee Rating Slope

Black M 71.6 125

Blue M 70.2 123

White M 68.3 118

White W 73.8 133

Red W 70.1 126