Golfweek: Aspen Lakes among top golf courses in Oregon

Magazine ranks Aspen Lakes No. 8 among all public golf courses in Oregon

Aspen Lakes takes pride in being among America’s hidden gems. But it is always nice to get a little national recognition, too.

Aspen Lakes was ranked the No. 8 best public course in Oregon by Golfweek magazine, one of the leading voices in golf. Golfweek’s annual state-by-state rankings were released in the magazine’s March 1 edition.

The ranking puts Aspen Lakes in rarefied air. The list includes some of the best-known golf facilities in both Oregon and throughout the world.

Aspen Lakes was already considered to be among America’s hidden gems, and the course has only improved in recent years.

“We are blessed that Aspen Lakes has always had an excellent design, wonderful conditioning, and we pride ourselves on offering great customer service in the pro shop,” said Matt Cyrus, co-owner of Aspen Lakes Golf Course. “The ranking is a team effort earned by everyone at Aspen Lakes, and everyone should be proud of it.”

“We are proud to be recognized by Golfweek as one of the elite golf courses in the state of Oregon,” said Pam Mitchell, co-owner of Aspen Lakes Golf Course. “We have long been recognized as a ‘hidden gem’ here in Central Oregon. And thanks to the hard work of superintendent Josh Knapp and his staff, Aspen Lakes has only improved. We are ecstatic to be associated with such a wonderful group of golf courses.”

Here is a look at Golfweek’s Oregon rankings:

1. Pacific Dunes, Bandon
2. Old Macdonald, Bandon
3. Bandon Dunes, Bandon
4. Bandon Trails, Bandon
5. Tetherow, Bend
6. Pronghorn (Nicklaus), Bend
7. Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek), Cornelius
8. ASPEN LAKES
9. Black Butte Ranch (Big Meadow), Black Butte
10. Sunriver (Crosswater), Sunriver

You might have also noticed just how well Central Oregon as a whole fared, too. In all, Central Oregon claimed five of the top 10 courses on the list.

Speaking of the best of Oregon, the 2016 Central Oregon Shootout features tournament play at both Aspen Lakes and Black Butte Ranch (No. 9 on the list). Scheduled for April 22-24, this popular annual tradition is a three-day tournament (Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond is also a host) played in a fun partners format.

The Central Oregon Shootout is always a highlight for Aspen Lakes.

Right now, golfers can play one of the elite golf courses in Oregon for the lowest price of the season. Golfers can walk 18 holes at Aspen Lakes for $25 or play nine holes for $20. (Carts are an additional $17 per person for 18 holes; GolfBoards cost $25 per person.)

To book a tee time, call 541-549-GOLF or book online at www.aspenlakes.com.

Warm weather helping Aspen Lakes’ greens heal quickly

The conditions at Aspen Lakes are surprisingly fantastic for this time of year.

The unseasonably mild weather in Central Oregon now may be beneficial for the golf course next spring

Josh Knapp remembers distinctly what the weather was like last October when Aspen Lakes hosted the annual meeting of the Oregon Golf Course Owners Association. The high was in the low 40s and the golf course was swamped with fog, a cold but not altogether surprising fall day.

Fast forward a year to Wednesday, Oct. 14, and the story was far different when Aspen Lakes hosted the Owners Association meeting. The temperature topped out in the high 70s and not a single cloud was in the sky.

The aerified greens, seen here on Tuesday, Oct. 13, have healed quickly in large part because of the unseasonably warm weather.

Such a day has been the norm this fall. Temperatures have consistently hovered above the average for this time of year, and hardly a drop of rain has fallen.

The conditions have been so summer-like that the greens that were recently aerified are already returning to top-notch condition well ahead of schedule.

“Those holes that we have, they are pretty much healed up,” Knapp says. “They have healed pretty quick. And the warm weather has a lot to do with it.”

That is great news for any golfer who wants to extend the golf season.

Great weather, great conditions

Perhaps the most shocking byproduct of the warm weather: Aspen Lakes has experienced just two frost delays so far this fall. That is just a fraction of what would be considered ordinary during the fall.

Naturally, a stretch of warm weather like this is bound to have a positive effect on the golf course.

“These are the best course conditions I’ve seen,” Knapp says. “I would say the conditions right now are just as good as they were in the summer time, which for this late in October in Central Oregon is pretty rare.”

Typically this time of year the turf is beginning to brown from dormancy. The ground has usually already hardened from icy overnight temperatures. And the irrigation system has already been shut down.

Instead, this year the turf is still almost uniformly green, even if Knapp and his staff are only irrigating sporadically. (Morning dew has acted like a natural irrigator, Knapp says.)

The key is that the bentgrass turf actually thrives in mild conditions like Central Oregon has been experiencing.

“It’s loving this warmer weather,” Knapp says of the bentgrass. “Yet it is still cool enough to where it doesn’t need a lot of water to keep it green.”

Even a little rain, which is forecasted for Saturday, should not slow the grass down as long as the highs are still moderate and lows still above freezing.

“With bentgrass, it will keep growing a little bit as long as we don’t get one of those really hard frosts for consecutive days,” Knapp says. “If you get those four or five days of hard frost (where temperatures drop into the mid-20s), you’ll see bentgrass start to change color and get a little shaggier as it tries to harden up for winter.”

Good news for next year

All this sets the stage for a great spring in 2016. The warmer weather has allowed the bentgrass to strengthen its roots ahead of winter.

Knapp took a core sample earlier this week and discovered that the roots are some 4.5 to 5 inches deep, significantly longer than expected. Stronger roots will help the grass handle the cold temperatures that are inevitable this winter.

In addition, Knapp and his crew will likely be able to apply fungicide later, which will help extend its usefulness into February instead of the more typical January. That should ease disease pressure in February and March, Knapp adds.

“Right now in this warm weather it is really good to try to get the grass to push more roots before it shuts itself off,” Knapp explains. “It is going to help us harden up for winter a lot better. And it is actually going to push the disease period back.”

“I feel like our turf will just take off in spring like it was summer time again.

Of course, in Central Oregon all this can change with one dose of winter.

Until that happens, though, Knapp will try to make the best use of the weather to get Aspen Lakes in the top condition possible for the rest of this season and into next spring.

“There is no real playbook on it,” Knapp says. “It can switch on you in a matter of a couple of days.”

Take advantage of the conditions before winter comes with the best rates of the year. To book a tee time, call 541-549-GOLF or book online at www.aspenlakes.com.

Offering a helping hand a way to play less expensive golf

Aspen Lakes, seen here on Monday, Oct. 5, is in rare condition so late in the season.

Aspen Lakes to tee off its annual canned food drive; offer its lowest rates of the season

Hard to believe, especially with all the sun-drenched 70- and 80-degree days this October, but the holiday season is just a chip shot away.

For most of us that will mean a special time spent with our closest family and friends. However some in the Sisters community could use a little help. It is with this in mind that Aspen Lakes will once again offer its canned food drive and special fall rate.

Beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 13, golfers who donate three canned items can play 18 holes at Aspen Lakes for just $30 and nine holes for just $20 (additional fees apply for cart rental or GolfBoard). Aspen Lakes will then donate the food it collects to a Central Oregon charity.

It is just one way Aspen Lakes tries to enlist golfers to offer a helping hand to those families most in need.

A particularly great deal

The special rate could not come at a better time. The fall weather this year has been spectacular so far … some of the best in recent memory.

In addition, play tends to slow in October, meaning a round can typically be played much more quickly than during the busiest summer days.

“The course is in really great condition and typically have really nice weather,” says Rob Malone, Aspen Lakes director of golf.  “It’s cool in the morning but nice in the afternoons, and it is pretty much the prettiest time of the year to play.”

The course was aerified this week but it has gone smoothly. And with a new process implemented by superintendent Josh Knapp using smaller tines, the greens are far more playable than in past years. In addition, the dry, warm weather should help foster a relatively quick healing process.

“I was out rolling putts right after Josh completed the front nine (on Wednesday, Oct. 7), and though they were a little slower than normal, they were rolling true and not bouncing all over the place,” Malone says. “It’s still high-quality golf for a very inexpensive price.”

Lower rates in general

Even if a golfer forgets his or her canned food, Aspen Lakes reduced its regular rates, too.

Green fees  dropped earlier this week to $45 per round, which is a $30 discount off of Aspen Lakes’ prime summer rates. Nine holes can be played for $25. (Prices do not include cart or GolfBoard rentals.)

“As some of the other golf courses in the area close, we provide a very affordable option for players,” Malone says. “And with the good weather we have had in the fall, it is easy to take advantage of.”

To book a tee time, call 541-549-GOLF or book online at www.aspenlakes.com.

Time to aerify at Aspen Lakes; rates to drop for the remainder of the golf season

Aspen Lakes will aerify its greens on Oct. 7 and 8, which should set them up to be in pristine condition come spring.

Aerification a necessary step to keep Aspen Lakes in terrific condition while new method should keep greens rolling

A well-planned fall can make all the difference come next golf season. It is for this reason that Aspen Lakes Golf Course will aerify its greens.

Using a new method that takes less of a toll on the putting surfaces, the Aspen Lakes maintenance staff will first aerify the front nine on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Then on Thursday, Oct. 8, the front nine will reopen and the back nine will be aerified. All 18 holes will reopen on Friday, Oct. 9.

The temporary inconvenience during fall comes for a good reason.

“We have noticed that if we aerate like we are right now, our greens come out in spring better and they heal up quicker from winter damage,” says Josh Knapp, Aspen Lakes’ superintendent.

“Everything we do in fall dictates how it’s going to look in the spring,” he adds. “If we don’t do these things now than in the spring the course is going to have a really tough time and have really poor playing conditions.”

A new aerification process

One of Knapp’s first acts as Aspen Lakes’ superintendent last fall was to change the way the golf course aerified its greens. The idea was to leave a less significant footprint on the putting surfaces in the days that followed aerification, a process that is a necessity at every golf course to maintain healthy turf.

The first year was a success.

“It’s about a 180-degree difference from what we were doing before,” Knapp says. “It’s just less invasive.”

The new method will first be seen on Friday when the maintenance staff fertilizes the golf course, which comes later in the season than what was considered typical.

“That will help with a real quick growth spurt,” Knapp says. “That way while we’re punching we’re still growing and we’ll heal  quicker. Plus it will help winterize the greens better and help them come out in spring in good shape.”

In addition, Knapp’s new aerification process punches smaller holes, making them less noticeable when the greens do reopen. Plus, the staff now uses a brush trailer, which allows the maintenance crew to use less sand to top dress the greens and apply it more evenly than a more conventional metal drag.

Finally, the staff will roll the greens and irrigate well to get the sand into the punched holes.

“Our aerification process is about as noninvasive as you can get,” Knapp says.

That bodes well for golfers who still want to squeeze more golf in before winter comes.

Knapp says he expects the greens to be nearly fully healed within about two weeks. And the smaller holes should keep the putting surfaces in fair condition in the meantime. In addition, a warm forecast should help speed the healing process as well as tantalize golfers.

“Aeration doesn’t mean poor course conditions,” said Rob Malone, Aspen Lakes’director of golf. “It just means that for a short period of time you’ll have a little bit more bumpy putt, but still very playable.”

That was certainly the case last year when Knapp first put the new process in place.

“We had compliments last year,” Knapp recalled. “The next day after we did the front nine, golfers said for recently aerified greens it still played pretty well.”

Lower rates are coming

Of course, with aerification comes new rates.

Beginning Oct. 7, green fees will drop to $45 per round, which is a $30 discount off of Aspen Lakes’ prime summer rates. Nine holes can be played for $25. (Prices do not include cart or GolfBoard rentals.)

To book a tee time, call 541-549-GOLF or book online at www.aspenlakes.com.