Crooked River Ranch Golf

Crooked River Ranch Golf Course occupies high desert terrain in central Oregon, approximately 15 miles north of Redmond and within view of the Cascade Range. Designed by Gene Mason and Jim Ramey, the course opened in the 1970s as part of a planned residential community development along the rimrock above the Crooked River canyon. The layout reflects the era's approach to desert golf, working with the natural basalt outcroppings and juniper-dotted landscape rather than attempting dramatic transformation of the site. The course plays across rolling terrain with elevation changes that reveal expansive views of the surrounding high desert and distant volcanic peaks. Several holes run along or near the canyon rim, where the land drops sharply toward the river below. The design incorporates the native vegetation and rock formations as hazards and visual markers, giving the routing a sense of place specific to central Oregon's geology. Fairways are generally open but require accuracy to avoid the sage and lava rock that define the edges of play. Crooked River Ranch serves primarily as a community amenity for residents of the development, though it welcomes outside play. The course offers a straightforward test of golf in a setting that emphasizes the stark beauty of Oregon's interior plateau. Conditioning and pace of play reflect its role as a daily-fee facility serving a rural recreational community, with the natural landscape providing much of the course's character and challenge.