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.

WARM SPRINGS —

One thought was inescapable as I walked from the 16th green to the 17th tee at Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort.

I had just made bogey on the par-3 16th, and walking down from the elevated green I could see the Warm Springs River rushing by the par-5 17th, easily the coolest hole on the course.

With a red-tailed hawk soaring above and not another person in sight, a real possibility for any round at Kah-Nee-Ta played during a weekday, it hit me just how beautiful the setting truly is on the only golf course on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

Kah-Nee-Ta rests at the bottom of a steeply walled canyon about 11 miles from the town of Warm Springs, creating a unique landscape for a golf course, at least in these parts.

The serenity of the setting is reason enough to make the hour-plus drive from Bend to Kah-Nee-Ta, if a golfer has the time. The turf at Kah-Nee-Ta also tends to green up earlier in spring than at many of Central Oregon’s other courses because of its relatively mild microclimate. And perhaps most important for a golfer, because play here is typically light, you can feel like you have the entire 6,352-yard, par-72 layout to yourself.

“If you play more than four hours you should be bowling,” jokes Joe Rauschenburg, who is in his 17th season (spread over two tenures) as the head professional at Kah-Nee-Ta. “We are a four-hour course no matter how you look at it.”

He should have said four hours or less.

Since the Indian Head Casino was relocated from Kah-Nee-Ta’s resort grounds to Warm Springs in 2012, the weekday golf traffic that has always been sparse at the golf course has thinned even more, Rauschenburg says.

When I played here on a recent Tuesday morning, it was the busiest weekday so far this year.

That meant a smattering of cars in the parking lot at any one time, and for me it meant playing 13 holes by myself in about two hours with barely an interruption. (My first five holes were played considerably slower with a leisurely threesome of friendly residents of the tiny town of Maupin, about a 45-minute drive away in central Wasco County.)

“You can come out here and zip through in an hour and a half if you are riding (in a cart),” Rauschenburg says. “If you are walking, maybe two.”

Having that kind of freedom to play at your own pace is not common in Central Oregon, particularly during the peak of the golf season. So it can be exhilarating to whip through a round in seemingly no time.

Of course, none of that would matter if the track itself was no fun to play.

Highlighted by slick greens that get dialed in by the middle of March, Kah-Nee-Ta definitely has its strong points. The 418-yard, par-4 ninth hole with a pond and a fountain fronting the green, the sneaky-difficult, 174-yard, par-3 10th hole, and the weaving 17th, which forces approach shots to be played over the Warm Springs River to a tiny green, are the best on the course.

Kah-Nee-Ta does have some quirky holes, like the 334-yard, par-4 fifth hole, with an extremely elevated green that spells doom for anyone who ventures to its left. But overall the playing experience at Kah-Nee-Ta is enjoyable, if a bit uneven.

Besides, with rates that include unlimited play for the day — allowing for an almost unfathomable number of holes to be played — what is there to complain about?

“You come out this far,” Rauschenburg says, “you should be able to play as much as you like.”

Difficulty of course

At 6,352 yards from the back tees, Kah-Nee-Ta is not a long course. And its distance from the red tees — 5,195 yards — makes it manageable for novices.

The front nine is far more forgiving than the back nine, but for the most part, the course is ideal for players who struggle to keep the ball in play at some of Central Oregon’s most difficult layouts.

Though the Warm Springs River runs alongside Kah-Nee-Ta, it becomes a forced carry only on the par-5 17th hole. In fact, water of any kind is not a factor with the exception of the par-4 ninth hole and the par-5 14th. And trees only rarely come into play on the lightly wooded layout.

Out-of-bounds areas are present on the majority of the 18 holes. But even most of those border on just one side of the fairway, leaving plenty of room to bail out on the opposite side.

Favorite hole

Simply put, the 515-yard, par-5 17th hole happens to be among my favorite par 5s in the region.

The hole weaves in and around a hill, native vegetation, some trees and, of course, the Warm Springs River. The third shot is a tough one, forcing a perfect placement on your second shot for a clear look at the small green on the other side of the river.

However, do not sleep on No. 10, which is among the toughest little par 3s you will find anywhere.

How to approach the course

Playing Kah-Nee-Ta is almost like playing two different courses.

Designed in 1972 by William F. Bell, a prolific West Coast architect who also designed famed Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif., the front nine for the most part is the far more forgiving side at Kah-Nee-Ta.

Be aggressive to take advantage of the front’s relatively short 2,980 yards.

The back nine, designed in 1976 by legendary Central Oregon professional Gene “Bunny” Mason, is a position course. Play it safe and wait for scoring opportunities on the three par 5s and the short par-4 13th hole.

Off the course

Kah-Nee-Ta’s driving range sits atop a hill overlooking the golf course and the modest clubhouse. Kah-Nee-Ta also has a medium-sized practice putting green. The clubhouse has a fully stocked pro shop, and during the summer the course opens a reasonably priced snack bar.

Though Kah-Nee-Ta’s casino is now 11 miles away in Warm Springs, the resort is just up the hill from the course and has both a hotel and an RV park, with pools, horseback riding and tennis.

Verdict

The course has a quirky design, to be sure.

But the serene setting, quick greens and light play on the course make Kah-Nee-Ta worth the drive.

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