Last winter, Big Meadow and Glaze Meadow were both blanketed in the year’s first snow on Dec. 4. The next time Phil Lagao, the longtime golf course superintendent at Black Butte Ranch, would see the turf free of snow again would be 111 days later. What he found once the snow melted was a surprise to even Lagao, one of the most respected superintendents in Oregon: A course with little to no ice damage and tees and greens that were in some of the best post-winter shape he had seen. Not surprisingly, the sight was a welcome one for [...]

Black Butte Ranch has no doubt had a 2016 to remember, and for so many reasons. As the season winds down to his final days, it gives us time to reflect on another wonderful golf season. Black Butte Ranch hosted some of the premier events in the state this season, and the conditioning of Black Butte Ranch’s two championship golf courses remained at an elite level all year long. More than that, Central Oregon’s weather was idyllic for golf. And the fairways and greens at Big Meadow and Glaze Meadow were once again filled with golfers. What sticks out the [...]

With Big Meadow open, golf has not yet flown south for the winter. Yes, limited as they may be, there are golf days left in the 2016 season. That includes this weekend, which appears to be relatively mild, at least for late October. Make no mistake, though, the clock tolls for the golf season at Black Butte Ranch. With season’s end comes opportunity. In fact, there may be no better time of year to find a deal on golf equipment and apparel, whether shopping early for the holiday season, or stocking up for yourself before the start of the [...]

The mere mention of aerated greens can give a golfers a case of night sweats. For many, the thought of putting on those sandy, bumpy greens is too unpredictable to be comfortable. Big Meadow will reopen on Monday, Oct. 17, with 18 newly aerated greens and $35 green fees. And Black Butte Ranch has improved the aeration process over the years to make it less intrusive for golfers than what some might remember. The holes punched during aeration are smaller and the greens heal more quickly than the old days of course maintenance. Still, there is no denying that [...]

Golfers can be a fickle sort. We want our our greens to roll at just the right speed, our golf balls at just the right compression, and our clubs to be custom fit. Any deviation from just right can inexplicably send our game south. Like the circumstances that get us in the right frame of mind for a perfect round, every now and again Black Butte Ranch gets a narrow window of golf perfection that will make any round perfectly pleasant. One of those rare moments of confluence is upon us this weekend, and any golfer hoping to extend [...]

The turf of Big Meadow flashed a bright green under the blue, cloudless sky. The putting surfaces were immaculate, holding each line true. Each tee box and fairway was well manicured. But the breeze was up, spreading nature’s debris around the course. And the afternoon temperatures were a touch cool, though pleasant. There in an instant to any golfer playing at Black Butte Ranch on this recent day in the middle of September was a perfectly lush golf course at Black Butte Ranch, in near-perfect condition, with just a hint of fall. It was a reminder of what is [...]