[Norbert P]

Pete,  you probably noticed that there were an abundance of long swales throughout the course.  Did you happen to play from them often, or a few times?


 Zooming in on the photos to help bring the "BIG" to the place, I see a rake that almost looks like a Henry Fownes design.  They look heavy. 


  Did you play any holes randomly? 


  (BTW, eclipse was awesome . . . you going to the next one between Mexico and Maine in 2024? )

[Pete_Pittock]

Pete,  you probably noticed that there were an abundance of long swales throughout the course.  Did you happen to play from them often, or a few times?
 Zooming in on the photos to help bring the "BIG" to the place, I see a rake that almost looks like a Henry Fownes design.  They look heavy. 
  Did you play any holes randomly? 
  (BTW, eclipse was awesome . . . you going to the next one between Mexico and Maine in 2024? )

Slag,
I can't remember playing from any long swales. If you could point one out for me that might refresh my memory


The rakes are heavy, and ranch-made by one of the sons. I believe each one has a separate "message".


The only random hole I played was from Craddock 7 tee to Hankins 2 green. I doubt the green wouldn't accept much more than a wedge.

[Pete_Pittock]

McVeigh's Gauntlet.


It should be open sometime in 2018.  It has a small footprint, probably less than 10 acres. If you are at the Hideaway you would look across Hankins 18 and it will be on the next set of small hills. Based on my ATV ride with the owner it is very aptly named.
I can envision a zip line for the hilltop to hilltop second hole. Sherpas optional.


 

[Pete_Pittock]

                 I guess I am an alpha and omega for Silvies Ranch. I was there for the first two days. I was there for the last two days before it closed for the winter hiatus. The course matured very well during the summer. The rough bunker edging has been eased up, in fact the yardage book tells us they are actually through the green and not hazards.
                 There are a few penal areas where a ball can be lost.One that I remember is on Craddock 1st, because I lost a ball.  The only water hazard is about 50 sq. ft. on Hankins 18th. Lost one there, too.
                 The yardage book did not have closeup insets for the greens, so I did some rudimentary drawings. In doing so I realized that Robert Mercer DeRuntz's comment on the greens was spot on. They are a very good set of greens.
                 Noticed a couple of changes.  The first was in the write-up of the course I mentioned that Craddock 16th was a short par 5 and a good chance for birdie. The yardage book now lists it as a par 4.


                 The second was seen coming off Craddock 8 and there are

pink tees. These are Bubba pink, not Paula tees. This one adds 70 yards. The only other is at Craddock 1st, which adds 65 yards, both holes being slightly uphill. I know others are being planned.


I added and subtracted photos in the write up. Changes are on Hankins 1, 3, 8, 11, 16, 18. Changes are on Craddock 8, 9, 10, 1, 13. On Hankins 11 I replaced the google map (accidentally deleted) with a page from the new yardage book. 


Done editing this entry.

[Norbert P]

  Thanks for all your terrific efforts Pete.  Ken Burns should hire you if he ever does a "golf" documentary.


  A few questions . . .


  Did you walk your rounds?  If not, did it look walkable to you?


  Did you play the par 3 "Chief Egan" course?
 
  Did you play the Bear Valley GC in Seneca? 


  Any other "Bagged Trophies" on your Oregon golf course quest?


  What specific features does your description of "softened bunkers" refer to?


  How are golf balls rolling in fairways and surrounds?


   Did you stay on the ranch? 


   Ride any horses?  Or cows?


   Thanks again Pete.   








http://www.silviesvalleyranch.com/golf.php


 

[Pete_Pittock]

  Thanks for all your terrific efforts Pete.  Ken Burns should hire you if he ever does a "golf" documentary.

  A few questions . . .
  Did you walk your rounds?  If not, did it look walkable to you?
              I took a cart. No longer can walk and golf.   It is quite walkable, no steep hills. 350' top to bottom

  Did you play the par 3 "Chief Egan" course?
     Yes, trouble figuring out which was #1. An option I didn't use was to play 1 ball to each hole from the flat spot across the lake.
 
  Did you play the Bear Valley GC in Seneca? 
     A number of years ago. There was a nice restaurant in Seneca, but it is closed.

  Any other "Bagged Trophies" on your Oregon golf course quest?
     I only have one course left - Woodburn Senior Estates.  I had mentioned Country View, back 9 at Milton Freewater, Cedar Bend, Olalla Valley, Circle Bar, Crestview. I would add Laurelwood and Pineway.

  What specific features does your description of "softened bunkers" refer to?
     Vegetation control

  How are golf balls rolling in fairways and surrounds?
      Pretty darn good, probably an extra 15 yards. Went past a number of greens, which normally isn't part of my repetoire.
   This is an addition to the expected elevation advantage.   


  Did you stay on the ranch? 
      Yes, once in a second bedroom of a cabin, and once in the single rooms upstairs. I did not stay in the lower level group rooms.
    If you don't it is a 45+ minute drive from Burns or John Day. Also great food.

   Ride any horses?  Or cows?
      Neither. I was on a camel earlier in the year and swore off any additional four-legged riding. I was told they have goats trained as 'caddies", but I wouldn't expect great green reading capacity.

   Thanks again Pete.   

http://www.silviesvalleyranch.com/golf.php

[Norbert P]

 
   Caddie Goats !!  They take bitterbrush for fees and tips?       Not good green reading capacity but excellent eating capacity.  They have very tough livers for various digestive needs.  I could use one of those.


  You're down to one golf course left to play in Oregon?  Damn, we better build some more to keep ahead of your game.


   You deserve a trophy.    I'd give you one of mine but they're already engraved . . . "participation".


 
 
 

[Pete_Pittock]

There will not be a photo thread of all the holes because I cannot figure out how to resize with new protocols at Photoshop. There are pictures with sliders of 5 and 7.


I made the effort to get over to Silvies Ranch and McVeigh's Gauntlet to re-complete my every golf course in Oregon record. That will go on hiatus until Bandon Sheep Ranch is operational. I hope I will be.


Before getting into the Gauntlet, I found the conditioning a lot better than the last visit. It was playing firm and fast, but cart tire tracks seen on tan fairways can't be a good thing. Bunker presentation is better, but you do not want to see your ball roll over the edge. You might get a testy lie in gnarly grass. Also, I have figured out it is 6 hours to Portland via Pendleton, so not quite as remote as I believed.



Dan Hixson was asked to make a challenge course. Mission accomplished. Greens were slowest I've played recently, but with the green contours it is okay. Anything over 7.5 would be daring.  They have rickshaws where you usually park your cart.  Posts at every tee/green complex for tethering your goat caddies, if hired. Their caddieshack is close to the Hideout.

Hole # 1:  Consider the 5th hole at Dismal River (White). It is a similar length at 147 yards. Probably 20' more elevation.

The cleared area at the top includes a sharply contoured green that has about a 10 yard radius, plus the second tee. Definitely ranks as one of the hardest holes I ever encountered. My tee shot never had a chance and rests amongst the sagebrush. But my playing companion, Yazzie from the pro shop, was able to find the green. No wind when we played, but I imagine anything over 10 mph would make it infinitely less playable.   Best example of a volcano hole, with Hawaiian sloping.


Hole #2     Plays 157 from hilltop to ridge top.  Maybe 140 to carry up to the cleared area. Slightly larger green with a higher back tier. .


Hole #3     Unique par 4 at 197.  If you go directly about a 185' carry with green maybe 20 feet higher than the tee. Putting surface not visible but the flag can be seen through the branches in front. Alternate route has  a fairway at about 130 yards, fairly generous considering the challenge. That leaves a wedge to the small green built into the butteside on the left.


Bonus Hole  47 yards of crowned green with the hole the size of a coffee can. Beer (free) tree at the tee with a copious supply coolered. Best bet is a flop shot with spin.


Hole #4    97 yarder to the end of the ridge.

[Pete_Pittock]

pictures and thread deleted

[Pete_Pittock]

The 5th is a drop-shot wedge (97 yds) again with the main courses showing in the background.

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole # 6.  Downhill par 4 at 277. Fairway no wider than 20 yards. Green is squeezed into the left edge, and with the slant to the right of the fairway finding the green is problematic. Hopefully the long drive will reach the halfpipe 'fairway' of the 7th. That happened to my playing companion who flipped a wedge tight for birdie. My 180/100 option should result in par.



Now to the 7th hole, which in my estimation is the best on property. 157 to s double plateau Biarritz angled abut 20 degrees to the right. The center is about 20' wide, fixed ball mark and then walked up to Yazzie's and my balls, both well within 10'. Yazzie mentioned Graham DeLaet was there about three weeks before and his shot was just as close.

Great finish to a fun experience and worth doing if you are at this laid back resort.

[Pete_Pittock]

sorry about the size of the photos. Need to figure out photoshop's changes to sizing. Some came down with a slider at the bottom, others did not.

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

I'm curious, the course has been open a few years now, how is it doing in terms of getting play?  While there are a few remote courses out West, this one is super remote.  3 hours from Bend, 3.5 hours from Boise, 5.5 hours to Portland, 6+ hours to Spokane, 7+ hours to Seattle...

Do you get the sense its making it or heavily subsized from the owner?

[Pete_Pittock]

Kalen,
I was wondering the same thing, but in the end decided that the owners want this to be a low key getaway, a relaxing experience, so filling the tee sheet to capacity is not their goal. Based on a guestimate on rooms available about 100-125 people would max out the premises, maybe 10 to 25 groups on the course would be a strong day. August is a slow month The couple sitting next to me midday at the Hideout had played earlier and were waiting for a ranch tour. With the lowest rate of $400 a room-night they don't cater to single players very well. They do have a whiskey wagon woman who will drive your orders out to you on the course and they have a (free) beer tree
on the Gauntlet.


In general the courses are much improved from a maintenance standpoint. Pretty firm, but I didn't like to see tire tracks on tan grass fairways.  Bunker surrounds are much better. Course set up was good, with about three or four pins set on the "other way"
half of the green. I generally play at sub 6000 but the 6300 white tee course did not overwhelm. Wide variety of approach clubs.

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