The list of the greatest gifts a golfer could receive would be long and varied. But high on the list, especially in regions that experience every bit of all four seasons, is an unexpected week of mild weather that works to stretch the golf season just a bit longer.
Glaze Meadow has officially closed for the season, but Big Meadow has reopened all 18 holes holes after the Black Butte Ranch’s maintenance staff spent the last week aerifying its greens. And Big Meadow’s reopening could hardly come at a better time.
Indeed, a gift has come to Central Oregon golfers in the form of near-perfect weather, and we need not wait for the holiday season to receive it. High temperatures this week will soar close to 70 on some days and hardly a cloud is forecasted for the days ahead.
Yes, for at least one more week, the golf season will continue to bask under the cloudless skies of Central Oregon.
“We get these kind of fall stretches every now and again, but it is certainly a time no Central Oregon golfer should want to waste,” said Jeff Fought, Black Butte Ranch’s director of golf. “Big Meadow has come out of aerification in excellent shape, too, so there is still plenty of great golf ahead.”
Using a method that minimizes the impact of aerification, Big Meadow remains abundantly playable and in excellent shape for this time of year. With the foliage still turning and the surrounding Cascade Peaks covered in a fresh blanket of snow, the scene at Big Meadow could hardly be prettier, either.
Late October is unlike any other time of the golf season.
“I really do love to play this time of year,” Fought said. “Every warm, sunny day is a bonus from here on out, and Big Meadow is absolutely beautiful.”
How much longer can this last?
The weekend looks like a particularly good time to tee off, and the forecast remains mild into early next week.
This weekend, though, will be the last time golfers get a chance to play all 18 holes at Big Meadow. Next week, Black Butte Ranch will close all but nine holes, leaving nine holes open as long as weather permits.
The price is right, too. Cost to play is $54 during primetime before 1 p.m. and $49 after. The optimal tee times this time of year tend to either late morning or very early afternoon.
With relatively light crowds compared with summer, the pace of play tends to be brisk, allowing golfers to squeeze in every last hole they can into the final days of the golf season.
Give yourself one last gift this golf season.
To book a tee time, book online or call 855-210-5305 or the Big Meadow Golf Shop at 541-595-1545.