Paden Lacoursiere of Hermiston, from left, sinks a putts on the eighth green while Max McGee of Bend High and Nathan Som of Pendelton watch while playing the Crook County Invitational Golf Tournament at Meadow Lakes Golf Course on Thursday.

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.

PRINEVILLE —

My playing partner’s tee shot soared into the blue sky like a fly ball to center field.

With his ball in midair on the par-4 15th hole at Meadow Lakes Golf Course, I could not help but quip about his relative lack of distance.

“I don’t care how far it goes, I only care that it is straight,” he replied as his ball began to fall from the sky toward the fairway.

Nothing better describes the strategy of playing at Meadow Lakes, which is a relatively short 6,783 yards from the back tees.

For anyone driving east down the grade on state Highway 126 into Prineville, the shimmering lakes and hue of a well-tended golf course is often the first sight.

That view of Meadow Lakes is striking on a sunny day, calling golfers to give the course a try.

Those who resist the beckon are making a mistake. After all, Prineville’s municipal golf course is among the best values in Central Oregon.

And Meadow Lakes always seems to be accommodating.

On a sunny day last week I gave Lori Ontko, the golf shop manager at Meadow Lakes, all of 20 minutes’ notice that I might be coming. She still found a way to slip us in on the tee sheet.

“Very rarely are we not able to get somebody out within a reasonable amount of time,” says Zach Lampert, the head pro at Meadow Lakes, who learned to play golf as a child on the same municipal course.

The course is simple and the experience is homey and unpretentious, yet it is an inarguably interesting place.

Meadow Lakes has made some modest changes since my most recent previous visit. Most important for golfers, the course added a fifth tee box last year and can play as short as 4,858 yards.

In addition, the course recently filled in the pond that bordered the left side of the par-4 10th hole and is in the process of converting the area into a hazard filled with native vegetation.

Even with one less pond, Meadow Lakes serves up constant reminders of its dual purpose — the course doubles as Prineville’s wastewater treatment facility — in the form of nine man-made lakes.

Those lakes, along with the Crooked River, which slices through the course, provide Meadow Lakes its character. In fact, to some degree, water comes into play on every hole, which keeps the course interesting.

“I’ll go out and play Meadow Lakes pretty much every day and have fun every day,” Lampert says. “And I think that is most people’s experiences.”

Most of Meadow Lakes’ holes are quite straightforward, especially if you do not zero in on the water.

But that is easier said than done.

Take the 16th hole, a 372-yard par 4 that on most days for me plays like the famously brutal 18th at Doral.

The 16th at Meadow Lakes is short but with a hard dogleg right — almost a right angle — that wraps around two ponds.

On this round, I had largely played under control even if the results were unspectacular. But standing on that tee, with its disappearing fairway, just makes me feel uncomfortable. As if on cue, I pushed a 4-iron into the lake.

Ouch … at least until my partner reminded me that I had yet to use the mulligan we grant ourselves in our standard game of Nassau.

This time, I would not make the same mistake. I hit a pure 4-iron down the fairway, then followed that with a crisp 7-iron that landed about 12 feet from the pin. From there, an easy two-putt left me with a mulligan-aided 4.

That effectively gave me a sweep of our Nassau game. More important, it taught me a truism about Meadow Lakes and all that water.

“It’s not bad after you’ve played it a few times,” a Meadow Lakes regular told me in passing after the round. “But the first time or two it can be tough.”

Difficulty of course

With a well-spaced group of five tee boxes, ranging in distance from 6,783 yards to 4,858 yards, Meadow Lakes is accommodating for golfers of all skill levels. However, the nine man-made lakes and the Crooked River do present challenges for players who struggle with control.

Trees rarely get in the way at Meadow Lakes, the course is laid out on relatively flat piece of land, and most holes are straight. Most important, only the ninth and 18th holes have forced carries over water.

The result is that better players should be able to score well regardless of the water. And lesser-skilled players should be able to manage the round so long as they play with just a modicum of control.

Favorite hole

I have come around quite a bit on the par-5 14th hole over the years. At 593 yards, it is relatively long. Two ponds, one on each side of the fairway, bring water into play on each shot.

The hole also offers the riskiest approach shot on the golf course for anyone trying to reach the small green in two. While there is ample room right of the green to miss, an accurate shot must account for the pond guarding the left front of the relatively small green.

The 351-yard, par-4 sixth hole also serves up a nervy approach shot around water into a difficult three-tiered green.

How to approach the course

For golfers who can control a driver even moderately, aggressive play can yield big rewards. The rest of us, however, will be best served throttling down a club off the tee to avoid water.

Thankfully, Meadow Lakes’ wide fairways and modest yardage allow golfers to put accuracy over distance and keep the ball in play.

Off the course

There is nothing lavish about Meadow Lakes, and that is just fine for most.

“We try to take really good care of the course,” Lampert says. “Some of the other stuff we might not be as fancy as other places.”

Meadow Lakes does offer everything a golfer needs. Its practice facilities are well taken care of and include a large putting green and a full-size driving range. The small pro shop is well-appointed, and the restaurant and bar offer a comfortable 19th hole.

Verdict

With a peak rate of $39, it is hard to argue with what Meadow Lakes has to offer.

Golfers of all levels will be challenged without being overwhelmed. And the course, including its greens, is almost always in great shape.

The bottom line is that it is difficult to find a better value in Central Oregon, even for those driving from Bend or Redmond.

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