Ah, nothing like wide open spaces, breathtaking views of the Blues, and golf courses smack in the middle of wine country to bring nine irons together like two birdies in a hole. We’re enticing you with two favorite holes from each course selected by the experts:
Veterans Memorial Golf Course | 201 Par 72 Drive, Walla Walla, WA | 509-522-7059
This course was recently taken over by the City of Walla Walla after 30 years and with it, exciting changes are happening including a new team of professional golf staff and updated equipment. When all is done, it’s poised to be one of the top municipal courses in the northwest.
Picks from Superintendent Matt Chesnut:
Hole #2: Good risk and reward from the tee shot. Black locust trees line the right side and pines can block you on the left. The elevated green falls off on all sides and is protected by two deep green side bunkers challenging your approach shot. It’s a hole that can give you easy birdies or bogeys.
Hole #11: This is another great risk reward hole from the tee. It’s a short drivable par 4 with a challenging greens complex. The green wraps around the front bunker and the undulations challenge golfers with “interesting” pin locations.
Wine Valley Golf Club | 176 Wine Valley Road, Walla Walla, WA | 509-525-4653
This exceptional Dan Hixson design unfolds like a grand movie set, plucked among the quintessential rolling hills of Walla Walla with expansive views. The firm and fast course with undulating greens was one of 13 U.S. Open Final Qualifying Sites for 2025!
Picks from Tyler Sweet, PGA, Director of Golf:
Hole 5: This is the number 1 handicap hole on the course, the longest par 4 on the front 9, with a green that is 11,000 square feet with some great contours. A wash area runs the entire length of the hole on the left – par here is a great score.
Hole 7: This par 5 hole plays downwind so you can hit the green in 2 and have an eagle putt. With one of the most fun greens on the course, the variety of short game shots you can hit around the “punchbowl” green are endless!
Milton-Freewater Municipal Golf Course | 301 Catherine Avenue, Milton-Freewater, OR | 541-938-7284
This course continues to increase in popularity with accessibility for both novice and experienced golfers (you can get through the course in three to three-and-a-half hours) and its laid-back vibe.
Picks from George Gillette, Club Pro/Manager:
Hole 17: This hole is a short par 3, only 121 yards, but falls 130 feet down to a small green. It is mounded on the right, which slopes into a drainage creek. The green slopes front back to front and from right to left from the tee – 3 putting is not uncommon.
Hole 18: At first glance, this finishing hole looks very benign, but this par 3 with a narrow, long, 2-tiered undulating green makes for some fun putting. A one-acre irrigation pond borders the left-hand side of the fairway.
Wildhorse Resort & Casino | 46723 Wildhorse Blvd, Pendleton, OR | 541-276-5588
Just south of the Valley, this championship course was designed by renowned golf architect John Steidel and hosts the annual Epson Tour stop and LPGA qualifying tournament, the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic. If you want the feel of a traditional Scottish-style links course, this is it.
Picks from Mike Hegarty, PGA, Director of Golf:
Hole 18: One of the premier finishing holes in the region and, like the rest of the course, impeccably maintained throughout the high desert seasons. This challenging par 4 features tight driving lanes, bunkers lining the left side, and water running the entire length of the right side, leaving no bailout option.
Hole 3: A scenic standout on the course. To the west, golfers are treated to expansive views of the Blue Mountains, while the north opens to the quintessential rolling plains of Eastern Oregon, where miles of wheat fields stretch across the horizon.