The Guido family and golf course architect Dan Hixson have done a masterful job at creating something unique and fun out of an old sand and gravel mine in Oregon. Built on the banks of the South Umpqua river, Bar Run Golf & RV Resort is a full time family fun destination that scores incredibly high in the fun and charm categories.
I wish I would have made some time to stop here on my RGV Tour 2.0, because the resort amenities include an RV park with 66 full-amenity spaces. There are also six rental cottages and a massive pool complex with a lazy river and hot tub that are just begging for cannonballs. Bar Run is much more than just a golf course and the resort is capable of providing a year-round leisure destination for golfers, families and recreational golf vehicle hobos.
During my time at the resort, I had the pleasure of staying in cottage #7 which is a modified and repurposed metal cargo hold. It keeps the energy of the RV resort while giving those that don’t have an RV a comfortable place to stay. All of the cottages have a VIP location and some sort of deck overlooking the 18th green.
While the resort amenities can keep you busy for several days, I was interested in the golf course. At only 6,215 yards, this par 70 had my attention immediately. Built upon a reclaimed sand and gravel mine, it is a very atypical piece of land for an 18 hole golf course. At times I was amazed that Dan Hixson was able to effectively route all 18 holes onto the provided land. The end result is something very enjoyable that plays to the creative side of golf. Please enjoy every hole at Bar Run.
Hole #1 - Par 4 - 395 Yards
Bar Run starts off like many other golf courses with a relatively simple and sraight forward golf hole. This par 4 bends a little to the right with plenty of room for some opening tee shot variance. Most of the fairways at Bar Run are wide and accommodating and this one is no different. There is a little rumple on the front right hand side of the green that adds some short game interest for those coming up short. This is a great opportunity to open the round with a birdie or a nice casual par.
Hole #2 - Par 4 - 375 Yards
You probably won’t need driver from the tee box on this short par 4. The key is to hit a club that stays short of the water on the left hand side of the green. Since you can’t see it from the tee box, check your apps. If you manage to place your drive just right, you can still attack the pin with a wedge. The first few holes set the tone for the round… short and fun golf that provides an opportunity to score. However, if you get careless, you can easily hang a double on the scorecard.
The second hole teases you with one of Bar Run’s scenic bridges. You will have to wait another dozen holes before you get to walk across this beauty.
Hole #3 - Par 3 - 195 Yards
From the back tees, this par 3 will put a long iron in your hands and force you to carry some water. Fortunately, there is plenty of room to bail out to the right and scrambling for par isn’t too difficult from the right hand side of the green. The aggressive play at the pin will give you another look at an early birdie or send you to a watery grave. There are 6 par 3’s at Bar Run and the 3rd is easily the most challenging.
One of my favorite views on the golf course is looking back towards the 3rd hole once you make your way out onto the back nine. Be sure to give it a peek on the stretch from holes 14 through 17.
Hole #4 - Par 5 - 535 Yards
Another wide fairway and the first reachable par 5 greet the golfer on the 4th hole. If you manage to avoid the massive bunker on the far right, there isn’t much preventing you from swinging away at this green. A small bunker fronting the green will provide plenty of challenge for those that find it. If you are looking to go low, this is a great opportunity to add a quick birdie to your tally.
The Guido Ranch adds a great visual to the golf hole and is sure to swallow up any skulled approach shots. The pushup green has plenty of undulations and slopes that make getting up and down challenging and fun.
There are a handful of old construction relics scattered around the golf course from the sand and gravel mine days. This tractor on #5 is a great little view into the property’s history. There is a bulldozer on #1, a crane on #9 and a large bucket on #14.
Hole #5 - Par 4 - 355 Yards
You don’t need driver on the 5th, but I like to hammer one anyways. Just like the previous hole, you will need to avoid the massive bunker to the right. From the fairway, you will have a short iron or another wedge into a triangular shaped green protected by a bunker front left and long right. I can’t say that I love the new saplings planted around the green, but over time they will shield shanks from the 4th tee box.
The big dirt bunker wedged in between the 4th and 5th holes is to be avoided. Lies are perilous at best and there is a pretty good chance that your clubchead finds a rock or a large chunk of hardened dirt.
Hole #6 - Par 4 - 375 Yards
The 13th hole (“Pit”) at North Berwick in Scotland is one of the world’s coolest golf holes. Fortunately for golf course architecture nerds, it is also one of Dan Hixson’s favorites. Dan liked the golf hole so much that he recreated it on the 6th hole at Bar Run. Even as a replica, the 6th is the most unique and fun golf hole on the course. I could play this hole 18 times and be satisfied.
Sadly, the rock wall fronting the green isn’t from the 17th century. Instead it is recreated with smooth concrete. It feels like something out of a skateboard park. Regardless of the construction material, both barriers provide a tremendous amount of interest and can create some of the most ridiculous bounces you will ever see. It is theater of the highest order.
You can play towards the bunker for the preferred angle or go right and take on the wall with a perpendicular approach. The only thing you don’t want to do is to nestle your golf ball right up against it. Long and left will send the golf ball into the nearby farm. Any way that you decide to play the golf hole, it is glorious fun.
Hole #7 - Par 3- 175 Yards
The 7th hole continues to hug the barrier on the edge of the property with a medium length par 3. The green has a large swale running through the middle of it and depending on the pin position, you can run into some pretty tricky putts. The long stripe of a tee box fronting out of bounds gives this par 3 a unique feeling.
Hole #8 - Par 4 - 320 Yards
Big hitters might have a chance at finding the green on this short par 4 but a long iron is the smart play here. A wayward driver can easily be knocked down by the trees framing the back tee boxes. I opted with a 2 iron during my first round. I hit the fairway, put a wedge into the middle of the green and made my putt for birdie. For my second round, I pulled driver, caught a tree branch and made bogey.
The green gets close to the South Umpqua River and provides some enjoyable vibes. If I was a fisherman, I would be tempted to run down to the water’s edge and catch some trout.
Hole #9 - Par 4 - 430 Yards
Since the 9th is the only golf hole on the front nine that exceeds 400 yards, it feels like a much more of a monster than it really is. A big beautiful tree in the right hand side of the fairway and a hazard to the left requires the golfer to step up and deliver the goods with a solid drive. Like a lot of the greens at Bar Run, the putting surface is separated by a large ridge in the middle of the green.
Hole #10 - Par 5 - 515 Yards
Most golfers that avoid the fairway bunker on the left and find the fairway will be tempted with an opportunity to reach the putting surface in two shots. The majority of the fairway slopes from right to left and a pond fronts the left hand side of the green. If you decide to go for it, be wary of how far the ball is above your feet. The last thing you want is a big beautiful draw that splashes down pin high. A play out to the right will give you the chance to get up and down for birdie.
In addition to the “pit” hole, Dan Hixson has also paid homage to Augusta National by recreating the famous Hogan Bridge that brings golfers over to the iconic 12th hole in the middle of Amen Corner. The bridge at Bar Run is actually on the 9th hole but photographs best when paired with the 10th green.
Hole #11 - Par 3 - 135 Yards
The 3rd par 3 at Bar Run is one of the most versatile holes on the property. With a long skinny green, a pin in the back or front of the green can make the hole play dramatically different from one day to the next. A lone bunker protects a back pin and a slope in the very front portion of the green can make for some interesting short game options.
Hole #12 - Par 5 - 545 Yards
The 12th hole provides another strategic option that is similar to the 10th hole but with a more dramatic visual. A good drive will catch the downslope and tempt you from just beyond 200 yards. Once again, you can bail out to the right and play to a green with two distinct tiers.
5,3,5,3,5,3,3. Those are the pars to start the back nine. You won’t find a par 4 on the back nine until the 17th hole. This unique string of golf holes amps up the fun and increases your odds at eagles and aces.
Hole #13 - Par 3 - 135 Yards
The 13th is another short par 3 but also one of the most challenging and undulating greens of the property. Depending on the pin position, you can find yourself in a variety of extremely difficult short game situations. Don’t let the large grass swale in front of the green distract you and fire one right at the pin.
Hole #14 - Par 5 - 600 Yards
We get another dose of length at Bar Run when the 14th hole delivers six bills. For almost all golfers, this beast requires 2 well struck golf shots if you want to attack this green with a wedge. The hole wraps around a massive pond and will challenge any golfers thinking of reaching the green with 2 shots. A duo of bunkers protect this green.
Hole #15 - Par 3 - 195 Yards
This long par 3 plays slightly uphill to a green perched across the street from the resort entrance. You can usually hear the music playing from the lazy river once you reach the green. Its a long but cozy little number with the green tucked into the hillside of the 16th tee box. There is a nice little tier in the back left portion of the green that makes for a great pin position.
The bunker to the left of the green also spills out into the 14th fairway to challenge second shots and lay ups on the previous hole. Why build two sand traps when you can build one awesome bunker?
Hole #16 - Par 3 - 115 Yards
As I mentioned in the intro, it is a routing miracle that Hixson was able to fit 18 golf holes onto the piece of land he was provided. The 16th is a big part of that secret sauce. It is tucked into the edge of the property and plays devilishly short. A front pin can be a simple flip wedge and a pin back left will require some expert level accuracy and distance control if you want to stick one close.
Hole #17 - Par 4 - 415 Yards
Bar Run offers up two of its most stout par 4’s to finish the round. The 17th hole is the easier of the two with plenty of room off of the tee. You can rope hook into the 14th fairway and still have an unobstructed approach towards the green.
You can’t go left on 17 but you can bail out to the right with your approach shot. Anything that finds the putting surface on this small green is going to offer a good look at birdie.
Hole #18 - Par 4 - 405 Yards
Your drive on the finishing hole will determine just how easy or difficult the 18th hole is going to play. Unless, you want the difficult option, It is highly recommended that you avoid the large fairway bunker on the left hand side of this fairway. Be careful, because a drive to far to the right can run into the the hazard. A good drive will set you up for a fun finishing approach shot.
The cottages at Bar Run offer great views of the putting surface on the 18th hole. It is likely that several of the tenants will be out on their patios cheering you on.
There are all sorts of humps and bumps around the 18th green that make it one of the most interesting greens at Bar Run. Par here is a solid finishing score. You might face a simple putt, but it is more likely that you will run into one final challenge before finishing your round at Bar Run. To experience the golf course for yourself, your journey starts here.
