Students’ local golf options in ‘Fore-vallis’

Rafael Juarez

Pictured is the green of the fifth hole of the nine hole course at Golf City Par 3. Oregon State students can easily walk the course without the need of a push/pull cart or drivable golf cart.

Noah Evans, Sports Contributor

When the overcast skies clear up and the rain subsides, the brilliant sunshine and blue skies appear, as if nature is urging you to indulge in all of its marvels. Golf gives you the chance to take advantage of the beauty Corvallis has to offer, while also providing great opportunities to spend quality time with friends while enjoying the beautiful outdoors. 

Courses in the area offer discounted student rates, making the game accessible to everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of hitting a perfect shot and watching your ball soar through the crisp spring air. So next time the sun comes out, grab your clubs, gather your friends, and head to one of Corvallis’ exceptional golf courses for a day of fun.

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s a sure sign winter is over and it’s time to enjoy the great outdoors. One of the best ways to enjoy the bountifulness of the gorgeous Corvallis spring weather is to get out on the links and play a round of golf. Whether at Golf City Par 3, a 9-hole pitch & putt featuring an 18-hole mini golf course, or Trysting Tree Golf Club, an 18-hole links-style championship course. So dust off your clubs and grab your friends, this is the guide to all things golf in Corvallis. 

Golf City Par 3 & Pub

Golf City Par 3, just a short eight-minute drive from campus, offers a unique golfing experience for beginners and experienced players alike. Golf City is what the golf world refers to as a “Pitch & Putt”, its a course built on a much smaller scale with holes usually ranging from 50-130 yards. 

This is what makes Golf City the quintessential place for someone playing their first round of golf to the advanced player working to hone their short-game skills. The total yardage of the course is just over 800 yards. 

A unique hole on the course is the par four 8th. The only par four on the course but it’s not long at all. 

Owner Jim Hayes has made his claim it’s “the shortest par four in the world”,  a large tree separating you from the green, forces you to play your tee shot left giving you an angle into the small green to make par or even a birdie if you are lucky. 

Golf City should be appealing to college students looking to golf on a budget. Currently, this would be the time of year when they charge their winter rates, but there are a few minor issues with the greens at the moment. 

For this reason, it costs only seven dollars for a loop around Golf City. In the summertime, the rate is $14. 

If you are looking to test your mini-golf skills or even a place to take a significant other, Golf City has just what you need. The 18-hole mini golf course will put you back just seven dollars and even features a waterfall. 

Another great aspect about Golf City is their Pub that sits just off the back of the first hole. It’s open for lunch seven days a week 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then offers a small bar menu until they close, and that doesn’t happen till all golfers are off the course. 

The address and phone number for Golf City Par 3 are 2115 NE Hwy 20, Corvallis, OR 97330 / (541) 753-6213 

Trysting Tree Golf Club

If you’re looking to play golf on a bigger scale and share the same training grounds as the Oregon State men’s and women’s golf teams, take a short trek down Highway 34 to Trysting Tree Golf Club.

Hogan Arey, club professional, of Trysting Tree Golf Club spoke on the history of the course and their true commitment to the students of Oregon State.

“Trysting Tree is owned by the Oregon State Foundation. It was built for the community and the students of the university. One of the great aspects is we do have an affordable rate for students. The game of golf can be expensive which limits access, so by offering that student rate we give the students of the University a chance to have a good opportunity to play and experience golf at a very good facility,” said Arey. 

Being a part of Beaver Nation comes with the bonus of being able to play at a course where elite Division 1 golfers practice and compete, at a discounted rate. 

Trysting Tree provides options for both 9 and 18-hole rounds and also offers the convenience of using a golf cart. For those who prefer to incorporate exercise into their round, there is a walking rate of $20 for nine holes, and an additional $9 per person for a cart. 

The walking rate for 18 holes is $32, and adding a cart brings the total cost to $50 per player. The golf course has a length of slightly more than 6,000 yards when measured from the white tees, the most common position, and is designed as par 71. 

While the fairways are designed to be accommodating to golfers of all levels and have minimal tree-lined holes, the greens present a challenge to golfers due to their undulating, wave-like surfaces and some having steep falloffs on either side. Even with the unique greens, Trysting Tree is manageable for any golf skill level.

If you’re seeking a place to practice your golf swing, refine your putting technique, or even sharpen your chipping abilities, Trysting Tree has everything you need. Students are welcome to make use of the course’s practice facilities, which include a full driving range, putting green, and a 20,000-square-foot chipping green that also features a bunker for practice escaping the sand. 

Trysting Tree offers three options for the driving range buckets: Small (30 balls for $3.50), Medium (60 balls for $7), and Large (90 balls for $10.50). Additionally, if you don’t have your own set of clubs, there’s no need to worry. Trysting Tree provides rental clubs free of charge with the purchase of any size bucket of balls.

Trysting Tree is one of few courses in the Willamette Valley that offers a full-service pro shop. From demo clubs to golf attire essentials, the Pro shop has all of your golfing needs. 

The address and phone number for Trysting Tree are 34028 NE Electric Rd, Corvallis, OR 97333 / (541) 713-4653 

You can book tee times online at https://beav.es/Si4

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