Editor’s note: This is another installment in a seasonlong series in which Bulletin golf writer Zack Hall visits each public and semiprivate golf course in Central Oregon.

CROOKED RIVER RANCH —

Most amateur golfers have days on a course when nothing goes right.

During rounds like these you stand clueless over the ball before spraying shots with your driver. Your iron shots are weak and inaccurate. And the hole seems half of regulation size.

Play like that at one of Central Oregon’s elite golf courses, and you might need an abacus to add up the score.

Not so at Crooked River Ranch. As I hacked my way around the shortest regulation course in Central Oregon on a recent cloudless and warm afternoon, this much was made clear: You need not play well to enjoy a round at forgiving Crooked River Ranch.

“I wouldn’t call it easy, but I just call it user-friendly for the majority of golfers,” says Pat Huffer, the head professional at Crooked River Ranch.

Huffer’s description is apt. Better players can get an ego boost at Crooked River Ranch, which plays at just 5,669 yards from the back tees unless the 5,818 tees are set up for a tournament. Lesser players can make their way around the course without getting beaten up. Players like me who are fighting their own golf swing can stay in play and salvage a respectable score.

What separates Crooked River Ranch from an easy course is a series of risk/reward holes that can pay big dividends — or send a golf ball plummeting hundreds of feet to the bottom of the Crooked River Gorge.

The course is almost always in excellent condition. And it rests on the edge of the gorge, making it among the most spectacular and unique settings for a golf course anywhere.

Especially impressive is a three-hole stretch that begins on the 279-yard par-4 third hole.

With two drivable par 4s and a par 3, play along this stretch can get backed up on a busy day, which was the case when I was there. But with tee boxes on the two par 4s that butt against the edge of the awe-inspring canyon, nobody seemed to mind much.

My playing partner and I nearly forgot we were playing golf as we stared at red-tailed hawks swooping in and out of the canyon.

“The view is pretty damn nice,” Huffer says. “I never get tired of it. Every time I play that No. 3 and No. 5, I walk over to look down into the gorge and think, ‘God, it’s so cool.’”

The fifth hole is the coolest of all.

A 260-yard, dogleg left par 4 that can also be played as a 215-yard hole if a golfer is willing to take a shortcut over a sliver of the canyon, the fifth is easily among the most fun golf holes in Central Oregon.

As I always do, I took the shortcut. This time my shot with a 3-hybrid made it to safe ground. But an ill-timed draw left my ball short of the green and it trickled back into a poor position near a fence. That led to bogey.

The fifth proved to be a precursor: Often my poor play would put me in bad positions, yet I would most often do no worse than bogey. (If I score a 5 on the 149-yard par-3 seventh hole, which CRR members refer to as “the shortest par 5 in Oregon,” can I consider that par?)

Despite the memorable holes on the front side, the back nine (designed by longtime Sunriver Resort agronomist Jim Ramey 16 years after the front nine was completed) is the stronger and longer section of the course,

The gorge comes into play again on the 338-yard par-4 13th hole, and the two par 4s that concludes the round are tremendous finishing holes by any measure. (I bogeyed those, too.)

Despite my struggles, I strolled off the easily walkable course with a smile on my face and some energy to burn. That is hardly typical for me on such a day.

Perhaps the lesson is that playing shorter tees really does mean more fun.

Difficulty of course

The shortest regulation golf course in Central Oregon is also among the most forgiving layouts in the region.

Even from the back tees, which are set at just 5,818 yards, better players can make runs at eagle on all three par 5s and two drivable par 4s. And most of the course’s fairways are welcoming, even with a poor tee shot.

Novices will find Crooked River Ranch far less daunting than the typical regulation course in Central Oregon. Its short length will give a lesser-skilled golfer an opportunity to hit greens in regulation. With only one forced carry over water (the par-4 No. 8), most golf balls will stay dry.

Favorite hole

Played as a 215-yard par 3 over a sliver of the Crooked River Gorge, the fifth hole provides among the most exhilarating shots in all of Central Oregon. Played as a 260-yard par 4 — something, admittedly, I have never tried — the dogleg left becomes decidedly less interesting, requiring two short-iron shots into a large green.

The decision on what route to take is all part of the fun.

Aside from the allure of the fifth, the twisting, 405-yard 17th hole and the uphill, 401-yard 18th — both par 4s — might be the most challenging holes on the course.

How to approach the course

Aggressive golf can pay big dividends at Crooked River Ranch. In fact, skilled golfers not afraid of some risk should put themselves in position for at least one eagle putt (and probably more, if a golfer is playing well) during the course of an 18-hole round.

The risks, such as playing the fifth hole as a par 3 despite the danger, seem universally worth taking on a course where birdies seem so attainable.

The greens are often speedy and firm, and they are maintained nicely by Crooked River Ranch and offer true rolls (a testament to the work of Richard Jensen, who recently was named Oregon’s superintendent of the year.) Nail the right putting lines — and few present dramatic breaks — and a personal best can be had.

Off the course

Crooked River Ranch packs a lot onto a relatively small chunk of land. It has a limited driving range, but range balls are free before and after a round of golf. The course also has two practice putting greens, one set at the beginning of each nine, and a chipping and bunker practice area.

The relatively large pro shop is well-stocked and the Sandbagger Saloon is just steps away with a full bar. A snack bar near the swimming pool is open during the summer for a quick bite at the turn.

Verdict

Somewhere along the line, golf course architects came up with the idea that to be fun, the course had to be difficult. Crooked River Ranch disproves that theory. For such a short course, it is undeniably enjoyable to play for golfers of all skill levels.

At $49, Crooked River Ranch is not cheap during weekend mornings. But the track is easily walkable, so renting a cart is not necessary, and it gets considerably less expensive at any other time. A green fee of $42 for a weekday round is a solid deal for a golf course that nearly every golfer will enjoy, and $31 after 2 p.m. on weekdays is a steal.

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