Looking to play the best golf courses in Oregon? GolfReviewsGuide.com picks out the top courses to play in Oregon.

When it comes to Oregon golf, the easy thing to do with a rankings list is to just list the four best courses at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and be done with it.

While we do have a couple of those courses to start our top five, we include some diversity.

Old MacDonald and Bandon Trails, though great courses at Bandon Dunes that should be noted, are not in this list so that the readers get a broader taste of what Oregon has to offer than just one resort.

Our top picks for the best golf courses in Oregon are:

1. Pacific Dunes Golf Course

What stands out with the Pacific Dunes Golf Course is that it has an immaculate score among golfers who have played it.

The golf course, which was designed by Tom Doak, opened as recently as 2001. It is on the Pacific Ocean just north of Bullards Beach State Park, and it is broadly considered to be among the best courses in the state of Oregon.

Located at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Pacific Dunes is a par-71 and 6633-yard effort. The course features natural bunkers in a native seaside landscape.

The conditions may be windy at times but that adds the element of calculation into approach shots.

If you are planning to visit this golf resort, for major airports, think of Portland first (PDX) and Sacramento (SMF) second.

2. Bandon Dunes Golf Course

For our No. 2 we stay at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, which was opened in 1999, just a little earlier than Pacific Dunes did.

It was one of the earlier courses that designer David McClay Kidd took on, however, it can’t be merely called a learning experience for him as the course is considered among the best that Oregon has to offer.

The difference between Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes is not one of geography as they are at the same golf resort. However, Bandon Dunes emphasizes more of a long game with 7,212 yards in length from the longest tees.

The par-72 course overlooks the Pacific Ocean at some point on nearly every hole.

Marked as a “thinker’s course” at the homepage for Bandon Dunes, they likewise warn of “ever-present” winds. So expect a serious test of your skills on the course.

3. Waverley Country Club Golf Course

Located in Portland, Oregon, if you are looking for a quality historic golf course in a major city, the Waverley Country Club golf course is our top recommendation.

The club, founded in 1896, had a golf course for the first time a year later in 1897. In later years, the current course was designed by Henry Chandler Egan, the winner of the 1904 and 1905 amateur US Opens.

Currently, the Waverley Country Club course is 6,668 yards in length and a par-71 test on the east bank of the Willamette River. Players can expect short grass, a river-valley backdrop, and regular elevation changes.

Held in high esteem, the club hosted the 1952 US Women’s Amateur event, the 1964 US Senior Amateur event, and a few other historical tournaments.

Tiger Woods has a connection to this course as he won the 1993 US Junior Amateur event prior to his rise on the PGA Tour.

4. Pronghorn Club (Tom Fazio Course)

There are a couple of courses that have caught the attention of golfers at the Pronghorn Club. One is the Jack Nicklaus Course and the other is the creation of legendary designer Tom Fazio, a course aptly named the Tom Fazio Course.

Located near Bend, Oregon, the Tom Fazio Course at the Pronghorn Club is a par-72 course with a lengthy 7,456 yards.

Set near the scenic Cascade Mountain Range, other area attractions include the Willamette National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest.

Opened in 2007, the Fazio Course is considered to be the legendary architect’s best work in the northwest region of the USA.

Despite the forests on the horizon, the course itself is a high-altitude test that is tucked into a desert area of Oregon. The air is dry and there are not a lot of water hazards.

The Fazio Course is private and more difficult to get on that the The Nicklaus Course, which is accessible through stay-and-play packages.

5. Silvies Valley Ranch (Hankins Course)

The Hankins course at Silvies Valley Ranch isn’t the easiest to get to. It’s about halfway between Bend, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho, near the small town of Seneca, Oregon.

The par-73 course has a total yardage of 7,075, making it about average compared to most great courses.

One interesting thing with this course is that the course direction is reversed each day to create a different layout with a variety of pin placements and tee box options, creating thousands of unique rounds.