Runnin' with the King in Southern Oregon

June 18, 10:28 AMGolf Travel ExaminerVic Williams

While Bend and Bandon continue to get the lion's share of coverage when it comes to great golf for Oregon travelers, no birdie buffet in the Beaver State will truly hit the spot unless Running Y Ranch gets a place at the table. Owned and operated by Jeld-Wen, an Oregon-based company known for its doors and windows and big-time support of the PGA Tour, the Klamath Falls resort was among the first to reach out to Northern California golfers, back in the late 1990s. And it never fails to gain in flavor, and favor, each time people visit.

The golf course alone is reason to add a jaunt up Highway 97 from Mt. Shasta — or over Highway 140 east from Medford — to any Oregon Trail trip. It remains Arnold Palmer and the late, great Ed Seay’s only Oregon effort and brings all the elements of their best work into full focus. The first five holes skirt cattle-grazed meadows, then veer into the Caledonia Marsh, the centerpiece of a water restoration project which helped Running Y earn Audubon International certification as a Cooperative Sanctuary. It’s also where longtime visitors will see some changes since 2006, when a broken levee flooded holes 4 and 5 and led to some tasty design updates. The course then moves into its second distinctive phase, rising along a piney ridgeline for three holes. The back nine begins a with a rolling, open, fairly flat par 5 and par 4 moving from right to left around ponds, streams and meadows, then takes golfers gradually uphill into a narrow canyon for five holes before emerging back into the meadow for No. 17 and the excellent final hole, a 469-yard par 4 pinched between a lake on the left and big, grassy mounds and stands of trees on the right.

Golf is just one ingredient in Running Y’s rich recreational stew, along with horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, hiking, cycling, tennis and swimming. The 83-room Lodge offers a full-service spa, fitness center, pool and game room, plus activities for adults and kids alike—anything from aerobics to movie night to story time. A new set of shopping options opened onsite earlier this year, and a variety of two- to five-bedroom chalets and townhomes are also available for rent to families and groups. North of the lodge is the understated, Western-themed clubhouse and Ranch House restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner including fresh seafood, steaks, sandwiches and pasta.

There's a certain “don’t worry, be like Arnie” mantra spilling over to all of Running Y. For folks driving six or seven hours from the Bay Area or five hours from Portland, that’s the kind of mood they need to find. And it’s there in great supply, along with fresh air, smiling people and the spectral grin of the King himself.

Running Y Ranch Resort
www.runningyranch.com | 888.850.0261