Meg Roussos / The BulletinA flag waves on the par-5 15th hole at Pronghorn Club's Nicklaus Course in Bend.

I know what most readers must be thinking: Playing each one of Central Oregon’s 22 public and semiprivate golf courses must be a tough way to spend a summer.

From a nine-hole pitch-and-putt course to nationally renowned layouts, one by one I have hacked my way around an area golf course each week since early April.

Poor me.

Playing that much golf at such an assortment of facilities is bound to leave an impression, even on those who have played every course in the region before.

Sure, most golfers know that here in Central Oregon we have a nearly unparalleled selection of golf options, at least for a population base as small as this one. Heck, for some of us, golf is the very reason we moved to this region.

But there is far more to our golf than just the number of courses.

So for those golfers who are not golf nomads, here are a few random thoughts that came to me during my golf tour.

• We live in an area where golfers can play through the forests at Black Butte Ranch and Quail Run Golf Course, both just minutes away from Juniper Golf Club, which carves its way through the mostly barren desert.

Courses sit in along river gorges, in pristine meadows and on the side of buttes. The varied terrain in which our courses are situated truly separates Central Oregon from most every other golf destination.

• Along a similar line, Tetherow Golf Club and Crooked River Ranch are among my favorites, but for exactly opposite reasons — Tetherow because the fescue-carpeted links style is so incredibly challenging and interesting, CRR because it offers a chance to shoot a personal best in a magnificent setting on the edge of the Crooked River Gorge.

• Central Oregon boats countless great holes. But the 543-yard, par-5 15th hole at Pronghorn Club’s Nicklaus Course — an uphill hole with lava outcroppings that requires both precision and length — is my personal favorite for this year. I say this after having made a triple bogey there, ruining what could have been a decent back nine.

• The region’s golf courses were often more sparsely populated by golfers than I would have expected during the peak season. In no way is that a scientific analysis, and I rarely play during busy weekends, but often I could find a soft spot on a given weekday to whip around the course.

• The tee times just before the first twilight rate kicks in are fantastic for getting in a round in less than three hours. This, of course, is not universally true. But in general, teeing off in the minutes before the green fees drop often means clear sailing.

• Central Oregon golf courses are almost never cheap, and that can be tough on many recreational golfers. The good news is that discounted rates for locals are becoming more prevalent. Currently, nearly half of all public courses in the area offer some sort of locals-only rate, including many of the big names such as Black Butte Ranch, Sunriver Resort and Tetherow. And Quail Run’s $49 anytime locals rate, which includes cart, has proven popular and has increased play at the La Pine facility.

The discounts, to me, are a good thing, and not just because I am a local. Our golf courses rely heavily on tourists, but that should never mean that locals should be forgotten.

• Considering the weather extremes that our high desert climate can produce — this year I played in snow flurries, raced through two different rounds to beat thunderstorms and drank gallons of water while playing in near-100-degree heat — we must have some of the best superintendents anywhere. Seriously, how many municipal courses are in better-than-par condition like at Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville and Juniper in Redmond?

And finally, I stink. No, really, my golf game is a mess.

My decaying game is a product of years of neglect and, to a small extent, age. I hope that my decline on the golf course at least helps me inject a little humor into my columns.

Regardless, I enjoy the game more now than I ever have before. In fact, there are few places I would rather be than on a golf course, even when I am playing poorly.

Perhaps I appreciate the quality of golf that we have in Central Oregon. Or maybe I am maturing as I near 40, now enjoying the game for the slow-down from a busy life that it provides rather than obsessing about my score.

Most likely it is some sort of combination of factors.

As I played all those courses there was one thought I could never escape: I love the feeling of standing on that first tee.

— Reporter: 541-617-7868, zhall@bendbulletin.com.