Bar Run

General Course Description

[Note: this post is from August 2022, just after the 18-hole course opened. A lot of items, such as the clubhouse, practice facilities, community programming, and food, were in their initial stages. Accordingly, this post will be subject to change as items are completed.] Bar Run golf course just outside of Roseburg, is the newest golf course in Oregon.  Bar Run is built on a former sand and gravel mine along the Umpqua River. You can see the river in some places, but it never comes into play. The course sits in an attractive broad valley surrounded by treed hills. Bar Run has a nice, open feel that adds to the beauty of the course. Most holes are in an open area around a lake formed from the former mining pit, but even the holes among the trees are very open (except the 8th hole). Graceful undulating fairways with water and bunkers appearing throughout provide a nice variety of links and target holes. The greens roll well, and have a lot of character, most with multiple tiers.  The forward tees provide a great benefit of much less distance and avoidance of many hazards. The course is flat and compact; a very nice walk.

Course History

The sand and gravel mining operations where the course is located started in the 1960s. When mining activity stopped in that area (there is still an active operation next door), the owners wanted to recover the land as a golf course with an RV park (that also has tiny house accommodations). The owners originally shaped a few par 3s that they played. The first 10 holes opened to the public in 2021. All 18 holes opened in 2022. As of 2022, the clubhouse was a temporary shelter.

Why It Is There

The owners of a retiring sand and gravel mine wanted to do something productive with the land.

I Wish I Would Have Known Before I Played

With six par-3 holes, the seemingly short yardage mischaracterizes the difficulty of the course. You may not want to play the back tees unless you can easily carry 200 yards on your drive.  The 6th hole, a replica of the 13th hole at North Berwick (named “The Pit”) has a thick concrete wall starting in front of the green and then running diagonally to the green’s right. The best approach is to hit your drive to the front of the left fairway trap to have a view of the sunken green behind the wall. Hole 12 is a par 5 where you drive over a waste area and up a hill. The other side of the hill is steeper on the left and the ball will roll out longer on that side. When leaving the green on 15, the tee box to the left is the 17th hole tee box; don’t go there. Take the cart path on the right side of the green to the 16th tee. And take a range finder: there is minimal yardage information on the fairways and only some of the carts have GPS information.

Did You Know

The colors of the tee markers (black, copper, gray, and burgundy) are different than most courses. When they were laying out the course, they would use rocks from the river to mark the possible tees. The river rock was colored (or trended to the colors of) black, grey, and burgundy. The copper color is for rust, which is reflected in the old mining equipment scattered about the course. (I understand that the course is getting new tee markers that will be in the shape of mini drag buckets. Can’t wait to see them.)

Good For Them

The course itself, being a positive recovery project, should be celebrated. The course is still finding its program legs, but hopes to hold family golf clinics and have joint programs with local businesses (like wineries) to attract women players. There is a bee garden being developed and the course is cooperating with the local Audubon Society to monitor the abundant bird life on and around the course.

Why Play This Course

Bar Run is a very attractive course filled with a variety of different and interesting holes. The course can be a real challenge from the back tees, but can also be family friendly with accommodating front tees.  Being a new course, its is still finding its legs and waiting for expanded practice and food options. But the great staff and the fine condition of the course makes it a place you should consider playing soon.

General

• • Type: 18 hole public course
  • Price: $$$
  • Phone/webpage: (541)492-000/barrungolf.com
  • Address: 640 Shady Drive Roseburg, Oregon 97471
  • Owner: Umpqua Sand & Gravel, Inc., abn of P.K. Guido, Inc. (Kelly and Mona Guido)
  • Designer: Dan Hixon
  • Pros: Chris Garrison (PGA), Christopher Risley
  • Practice Facilities:  Putting green; the course is planning on installing by spring of 2023 a driving range off grass and mats and subsequently a large short game practice facility with traps
  • Pro Shop: In a temporary clubhouse with some clothing (the new clubhouse should be open before summer of 2024)
  • Food: Snacks, soda, and beer (the course is planning on a full service café in the clubhouse when it is built)
  • Bathrooms: Temporary bathroom at the clubhouse and porta potties on the course (the course is planning on improved bathrooms in the clubhouse and improved bathrooms on the course)
  • Yardage Markers: Some yardage on some sprinklers, and some carts have GPS; take a range finder
  • Clothing: T-shirts and jeans are OK
  • Walkable: Very
  • Spikes: Soft
  • Shoe Cleaning: None (will have an air hose and brushes)
  • Rentals: Clubs, pull carts, and motorized carts
  • Open year-round