Aspen Lakes Golf Club

About Aspen Lakes Golf Club

Aspen Lakes is a family-owned public course about five minutes from Sisters, with bentgrass fairways, mountain views and the thing everyone remembers: red bunkers. When it came time to fill them, the family skipped hauling sand in from out of state and crushed red cinders that occur naturally on their own property. Against green grass and snowy peaks, you notice them from the first tee.

The Cyrus family came over the Oregon Trail in 1847 and had been farming and moving dirt in Central Oregon for decades before this. They picked up a 1,084-acre parcel next to the family farm and built the course with their own equipment under architect William Overdorf: Matt staked the layout, Pam ran the big earthmovers, Keith cleared and ditched, and the whole family seeded the fairways. The first nine went in in 1996 and the second nine followed a few years later. When crews found natural features along the way, the plans were changed to keep them.

Golf Digest gave it 4 1/2 stars in its Best Places to Play for 2008/2009, and it was the first course in Oregon enrolled in the Audubon Signature Sanctuary Program. The restaurant, Brand 33, often serves beef carrying the family's own 33 brand. Redmond's airport is about 20 minutes away.

It's one of 13 courses Yoink watches in the Bend & Central Oregon area, and the closest alternative is Black Butte Ranch, about 8 miles away — handy when your first choice is booked solid.

Booking a tee time at Aspen Lakes Golf Club

Tee times open 14 days ahead, and you need a credit card to hold one. Cancel or change at least 24 hours out or the whole group gets a no-show fee. Changes can't be made on the website: call (541) 549-4653 during daylight hours or stop by.

How to get a tee time at Aspen Lakes Golf Club