The Agate Beach Golf Course with Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
The Central Oregon Coast is known for having great golf courses, like the cluster of quality tracks in and around Bandon in the south. The central coastline, however, offers its share of quality golf courses as well. When it comes to enjoying this area, there’s nothing better than a drive on the beach, especially when that drive involves your golf ball.
From Portland the popular town of Newport on the central Oregon coast is about a two-hour drive. Part of the fun of getting there are the “exciting distractions” along the way. A number of the Beaver State’s 676 wineries are in western Oregon. Most offer tasting rooms as well as some of the best wine in the country. You can also find 51 iconic covered bridges in the western portion of the state. In fact, Oregon has the most covered bridges west of the Mississippi.
Begin Your Central Oregon Coast Journey
This is a beautiful, scenic nine-hole course with a friendly, family atmosphere.
When you’re ready to tee up, a good starting point is This is a beautiful, scenic nine-hole course with a friendly, family atmosphere. Crestview is short at only 2,642 yards, but offers four tee options and exceptional greens. The course is walkable as well as playable year-round.
“This as one of the nicest golf courses on the Oregon coast,” shared frequent visitor Mike Carlson from the Seattle. “That’s why I keep returning.”
Crestview was completed rebuilt in 2009 by Dan Hixson, who also designed the popular Wine Valley Golf Course in Walla Walla, WA. Crestview’s open fairways and hidden undulations make for an interesting round and it doesn’t take forever to play. I completed a nine-hole round in about an hour and 20 minutes. Kudos for this course is it offers convenient day-use for RV parking – a huge invite for those driving oversized rigs.
Driving north on Hwy. 101 towards Newport, you’ll find The Agate Beach Golf Course. Since 1931, this enjoyable course has offered some of the finest golfing on the Oregon coast. This nine-hole, par 36 measures 2,905 yards and has been a favorite of locals and visitors for decades. This relatively flat course is suitable for walking, and also offers a pro shop, driving range, and café serving breakfast and lunch.
The most challenging hole on the course is No. 10 at Chinook Winds Golf Resort. Its often referred to as the “hardest hole in Oregon.”
A visit to the Oregon coast wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Opened in 1992, the popular aquarium attracts 450,000 visitors annually, thanks to attractions like a fishy kiss from a seal or sea lion, as well as other hands-on experiences. The 39-acre facility features indoor and outdoor exhibits, and overlooks scenic Yaquina Bay, just south of Newport’s iconic bridge. Free car and RV parking is available on site. Parking spots are a brief walk to the entrance.
If time permits, stop in and check out the Sylvia Beach Hotel, which sits on a bluff above Nye Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Originally built in 1912 as the New Cliff House hotel, the structure was renovated in the 1980s to become a 21-room literary-themed bed and breakfast with a homey and eclectic charm that attracts readers, writers, and travelers from all over the world. It has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Each room includes details and books to reflect the life and writings of 21 different authors, including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, and Twain, to name a few.
If you’re staying in Newport, consider Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort (formerly Outdoor Resorts), which is right on the ocean. It offers more than 200 sites and all the amenities you’d expect including 30/50 amp electricity, big rig access, and an RV wash area to name a few.
About 25 miles north of Newport is the popular resort that includes an 18-hole golf course and RV park. Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City features one of the nicest courses in the state. Chinook Winds Golf Resort is a relatively short course at 4,547 yards but it does feature some outstanding holes throughout the picturesque layout. The most challenging hole on the course is No. 10, which is a double dogleg left. Featuring a narrow fairway and island green surrounded by water and shrubs, the 10th is often referred to as the “hardest hole in Oregon.”
RV options at Chinook Winds are twofold: There’s dry-camp RV parking in the upper lot just southeast of the casino or full hook up options at Logan Road RV Park a few blocks away. Overnight dry-camp RVing requires a parking permit and Winners Circle Membership. You must earn 40 points on your Winners Circle card to qualify for an overnight parking pass, which is valid for three nights.
While you’re visiting the Lincoln City area perhaps stop by the Devil’s Punchbowl, a rock formation that really looks like a punch bowl. This is a great picnic area with phenomenal views.
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a weekly golf blog, “The 19th Hole,” which is published every Saturday at rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.
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