Member-only story
The Renewal of the Christmas Valley Golf Course in Eastern Oregon
The old course has new life.
Originally opened in 1964, the Christmas Valley Golf Course, located in Eastern Oregon in the city by its name, has had its ups and downs. 2020 was probably the worst down the course has had in its 56 years of being open. The greens were dying in spots, the fairy rings were growing unchecked in the fairways and some of the flags were made of caution tape to scare the geese away.
This is when I got the job as superintendent and greenskeeper. With one day of training, my co-worker had a stroke (he survived) and I was on my own. Despite some political issues that continued to harm the improvement of the course, the season of 2021 was when the renewal started.
Coming from Bandon Dunes Golf Resort where I worked on the Bandon Preserve course, as what they call an agronomist (greenskeeper), and before that Sunriver Resort where I was a greenskeeper at the Meadows course, I learned the trade from some of the best in the industry. Thankfully, I made good contacts and was able to use them as consultants in the renewal process.
