Oregon lies in the west coast of the United States, bordering with the Pacific Ocean to the west, Washington to the north, California to the South and Idaho and Nevada to the inland side. A place every golfer should know, for one main reason: here lies the city of Bandon, home of some of the best golf courses in the world, such as Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Old Macdonald or Bandon Trails. However, there are times where it will be not possible to play in any of these courses. Either it is because of the rain, the cold, the snow, the little time you have or the season; there is going to be times when you want to play golf but you are not able to make it to a course. Well, there is a solution for these times, and it is called indoor and virtual golf!So, do not worry at all: apart from the legendary golf courses, Oregon also counts with these great places where you could practice golf in a different way. High technology which measures your shots and swing, warm temperature and sometimes, even food and beverages! An entertaining way of maintaining, and even improving your golf on a regular basis. Here are the best indoor and virtual places you can enjoy in the Beaver State!
Best Golf Courses in (Province/State)
1. Central Oregon Indoor Golf (Bend)
Located in the city of Bend, in Central Oregon, lies the Central Oregon Indoor Golf (COIG), a facility which counts with two simulators with the “Par T Golf” system, including more than 200 different courses to choose from. The owner and main instructor is Dan McCleery, a certified PGA professional who opened the facility back in 2014. His lessons are quite affordable: $30 per half an hour or $50 per one hour. Apart from these, there are also great packages: $100 per 4 half-an-hour classes, $200 for 5 one-hour classes and special rates for beginners and juniors. But of course, there is also the possibility of renting the simulator without having to take any lessons at all! For this, rates range between $10 and $30 per person, depending on the number of hours played. Address: 1245 SE 3rd Street Ste C-4 Bend, OR 97702Contact: (541) 633-7277
2. BirdieFinish Golf (Oregon City)
BirdieFinish opened in 2012, and it is shown as a custom golf club and repair shop. However, it is much more than that: it also offers the possibility of playing indoor golf in an XGolf Simulator they have installed in their facility. There are three options if wanting to play: practice on your own, play in any of the available courses with your friends or take a lesson with the main instructor and founder Jari Hakonen. The simulator rates oscillate between $35 and $45 per hour (not per person!).Apart from this, as we said before, club fitting and repair services are available in the facility. As for the fitting, they offer three different kinds: the ‘classic’ fitting for those with new clubs ($60/hour), the ‘retro’ fitting for those with their own clubs but not happy with them ($60/hour), and the ‘feel’ fitting for those knowing what they want and only wanting some advice (for free!). Address: 14214 Fir St, Ste F, Oregon City, OR 97045Contact: (503) 518 0085
3. Loose Cannon Golf Studio (Portland)
Loose Cannon is nestled on the capital city of Oregon, Portland, and count with one of the best simulators on the market: The Element 6, from the company ‘e6’, creators of acclaimed games such as the famous ‘Links’. Combined with it, the also great golf radar called ‘Trackman’, a device capable of measuring your swing and shots in the most accurate way.While you can rent the simulator on your own for $30 per hour, there is also the possibility of taking lessons by the main instructor and founder of the facility, Brian Nosler, with a cost of $65 per hour. However, if buying different packages, the rate per hour can go down considerably. Apart from the instruction and simulator, Loose Cannon also offers repair and club fitting services. Address: 1323 NW 16th Ave Ste 1007 Portland, OR 97209Contact: (503) 729-8322
4. GOLFTEC (Cascade Station, Tualatin & Beaverton)
As in almost every state in the U.S., with more than 140 locations and over 200,000 clients all over the world, GOLFTEC had to be present in Oregon. This time, three times, all of them around Portland and really close to each other. GOLFTEC counts with their own technology for analyzing the player’s swing: motion measurement and video analysis with their patented TECSWING training technology. All of the facilities count with these technologies, so no matter which one you choose, the experience is similar!Address and contact (Cascade Station): 10263 NE Cascades Parkway, Portland, OR / (503) 281 1842 Address and contact (Tualatin): 7811 SW Nyberg St. Tualatin, OR / (503) 612-7807Address and contact (Beaverton): 3861 SW 117th Ave, Suite G Beaverton, OR / (503) 563-3923
The Top Golf sports complex counts with a high-tech golf experience, consisting on a driving range with different targets, and their own patented technology which analyzes the speed, distance, angle and accuracy of every shot. With this, they have come up with nine different games that everybody can enjoy in groups of a maximum of 6 persons. However, if you are a group of more people, there are also different options available.They are spread through multiple locations in the U.S., having one in Oregon, located in the city of Hillsboro. This facility is great for company events, celebrations or birthdays, as golf here is only an excuse to have a great time with the family, friends or colleagues.Age is also not a problem here, as Top Golf counts with different options for kids: seasonal academies, lessons and birthday parties are the main activities of the facility, all of them aimed at the youngest ones. Finally, if you are looking for golf lessons, they have also different packages, all of them one-hour long: individual lessons (one-on-one) cost $89 for adults and $59 for junior players; group lessons (up to 6 people and including a drink and an appetizer) cost $149 and the normal classes (up to 12 people), $29.
6. Glowing Greens (Portland & Beaverton)
To finish our list, we have to go with a mini-golf franchise: Glowing Greens. This company is present in two cities in Oregon, Portland, and Beaverton, and offers a fun indoor mini-golf to enjoy with your friends and family. The Portland facility offers a pirate-themed adventure, with a scenario of animated skeletons, CGI videos and adventure sounds; while the Beaverton one is focused on the extraterrestrial world. The rates at Glowing Greens are quite affordable, ranging from $6 to $11 per person. Another fun and original way of playing golf on a rainy day!Address and contact (Portland): 509 Sw Taylor St., Portland, Oregon 97204 / 503-222-5554Address and contact (Beaverton): 3855 SW Murray Blvd, Beaverton, Oregon / 503-520-1586
Wrap up
As we have just seen, there are no excuses for playing golf in Oregon in the winter season. Do not hesitate to try some of these great options, and enjoy golf in a whole different way!
