Crosswater, Sunriver, Pronghorn, Broken Top, and new courses coming by Fazio, Coore/Crenshaw, Doak, Kidd and Jacobsen/Hardy. That's a lot of starpower in central Oregon causing this course to be overlooked.
Located less than ten miles from Pronghorn, Juniper GC shares the same landforms and views, but not the same budget. The John Harbottle design has been open since July 05. Bent grass greens and bluegrass fairways and cultivated rough cut around or through fescue stands, juniper trees and lava outcroppings. Seemingly wide corridors, when missed can cause lost balls and unplayable lies. Two lakes affect play on the 9th, 15th and 18th holes on the municipal links.
It may not stay hidden for long. Next week it host a US Amateur qualifier and next year the Oregon Open comes the the course. Those who decry municipal courses competing with private endeavors should realize Juniper was started in 1951 when golf in central Oregon was as sparse as its population. An airport expansion took the land it had leased for 99 years and this site was achieved through a swap. 50K rounds (starts) at $50 green fees make this a good bargain.
The club website
http://www.junipergolf.com/ provides a map of the course and hole by hole commentary by the architect. Tips are just under 7200, and rated 73.8/133 the shorter version white tees 6000/68.4/119 make this an enjoyable course that bites from the tips, but just gums you for everyday play.
A stout opening hole has you playing to a natural plateau on the drive. Trouble on the right is partially shielded by a fairway bunker. One of the few negative I saw on the course was the cart path crossing the fairway past the plateau. The other fairway crossing is on #7. The second offers a blind drive, with a generous landing area, and like the 1st hole the 150 yard barber pole is a great aiming point.
The 4th hole has a central hazard lava outcrop about 50-90 yards short of the elevated green. On a medium-short par 4 it must be considered on both shots. The 5th hole my notes say "foxy" as lava formations twice intrude into the fairway from the right.
The 6th is "Long Drive". Harbottle says it because its 651, I needed water on the cart path drive from the 5th green, but I did pass the portapotties. The second shot is over a massive hump which hides a rock outcropping which woul have cost $50K to dynamite. The 7th is another par five, with a gunsight narrowing at 150 and uneven lies at 100.
The 10th is a reachable 5, but you may be in a hollow and have a semi blind second shot. The 12th is a driveable par 4 made much tougher if the hole is cut on the left side. The 15th has a nice diagonal green protected by water and the 16th is the most challenging par 3. The others are level, this is slightly downhill with trouble lurking right and beyond. The 17th is the last of the four long par fours, while 18 is a reachable 5, but trouble again awaits the person trying to reach in two. Note: I did not play the course but made several circuits working a junior tournament. The previous day it was at KahNeeTa where I met GCA's Troy Alderson. Really impressed with him, and sorry he has to work with a small budget. Be in favor of the new tribal casino in the Columbia Gorge. Maybe he'll get more money.
Hands off the cart girl (an 11). I know her grandfather.