Black Butte Ranch

Big Meadow is the second of two eighteen-hole courses at Black Butte Ranch, a resort and residential community in the ponderosa pine forests of central Oregon near the town of Sisters. Designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened in 1979, the course complements the property's original Glaze Meadow layout and offers a different character within the same high-elevation Cascade setting. The course sits at approximately 3,200 feet, with views toward the Three Sisters volcanic peaks and Mount Washington when openings in the forest allow. The routing moves through meadowlands and stands of ponderosa pine, with the Deschutes National Forest forming much of the surrounding landscape. Graves shaped the course to work with the natural terrain, incorporating elevation changes and native grasses alongside the fairways. Water comes into play on several holes, and the mountain air at this altitude affects ball flight. The layout generally plays more open than Glaze Meadow, with wider landing areas in places, though tree-lined corridors still define many holes. Black Butte Ranch operates as a resort with lodging, dining, and recreational amenities beyond golf, and Big Meadow serves both resort guests and members. The course provides a high-desert mountain golf experience characteristic of central Oregon, where dry summers and cooler temperatures create conditions distinct from the wetter western side of the Cascades. The setting emphasizes the natural landscape of the region rather than heavily manufactured features.