Big Meadow is back … again. After a weeks-long hiatus that allowed Black Butte Ranch’s maintenance staff to perform some much-needed work, Big Meadow is ready to challenge golfers for the rest of the golf season. What’s changed in the nearly three weeks since anyone teed it up at Big Meadow? Plenty. The bunkers on the front nine have been freshened up with new sand, the edges have been sharpened, and in some traps new drainage has been added. In addition, superintendent Phil Lagao and his staff have repaired a handful of irrigation breaks and leaks. And any damage [...]

This is no secret. Black Butte Ranch boasts an exceptional group of golf professionals. Still, signing up for golf lessons can be intimidating for some. We do understand. Which is why the Ranch has put so much effort into crafting group lessons that help ease that intimidation factor. Black Butte Ranch has among the largest instructional programs in Central Oregon, offering an almost endless selection of classes and clinics, each tailored for a specific purpose. That includes our three-day Spring Tune Up classes (dates are May 4-6, May 11-13 and May 18-20). For $105, students spend three days in [...]

Getting out of the winter doldrums and getting back on course can be daunting. Golfers often have not touched a club in months and that swing feels rustier than an abandoned Ford Pinto. But every golfer has to start somewhere. Where best to begin to get that golf game in shape? Jeff Fought, our director of golf, has some advice: start with the short game and let the rest follow. That includes concentrated work on chipping, long neglected by golfers everywhere. Fought’s drill is simple enough. Drop three piles of practice balls 10 feet apart around a short-game practice [...]

Big Meadow’s 13th green is on the mend. Fear not, though. The putting surface should be rolling in perfect condition well before summer. For those who have taken advantage of Big Meadow’s early opening, it comes as no surprise that the green for the uphill, 185-yard par 3 has been out of action so far. Instead, players have been forced to play to a temporary green. Black Butte Ranch’s maintenance staff performed a soil profile test earlier this month to figure out the best course of action to improve the drainage of the putting surface. That test yielded relatively [...]

Rain might get a golfer down. But a superintendent? Not so much. In fact, Phil Lagao, Black Butte Ranch’s award-winning superintendent, is almost hesitant to get too optimistic about the run of ideal weather. “Knock on wood,” Lagao warns with a laugh. “It can turn, but right now the 10-day forecast looks great.” Yes, a warm, dry winter has Big Meadow Course and Glaze Meadow Course springing back to life far earlier than anyone could have expected. That is certainly positive enough news for golf lovers. But there is more. The light, relatively warm rain that fell on Black [...]

What is a golfer to do? You ended last season playing the best golf of the year. Since then, though, enough rust has collected on that golf swing that you feel like a Wizard of Oz character. Such is the cycle of a golfer in the Pacific Northwest. As the golf season begins to fire up, now is the time to apply a little oil to that creaky swing. But just what should a golfer be doing to get the most out of the preseason? George Mack Jr., Black Butte Ranch’s director of golf instruction, has some simple suggestions. [...]