The Retreat, Links, and Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch
Nestled in the beautiful high desert and pine forest country of eastern Oregon is a jewel in the form of an exclusive eco-resort.
A 140,000-acre working ranch, raising grass-fed Red Angus cattle and American Range goats, is home to the Retreat, Links, and Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch.
The boutique luxury resort, with tastefully designed Western-style accommodations and amenities, is perfectly melded into a full ranch experience. Log Cabins overlook a pond stocked with rainbow trout, and Ranch House rooms, which, despite the rustic name, are equivalent to the finest of hotel rooms offering every comfort.
More than 80 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails weave throughout the picturesque landscape, and scheduled tours of the ranch are available by Polaris RZR, or a horse-drawn surrey ride. The Pistolero and rifle ranges offer a chance to take aim at some fun, while the Rocking Heart Spa offers an array of treatments and option to help you unwind.
But the key feature of this unique resort is the golf.
The Links at Silvies Valley Ranch offer an incomparable golf experience for players of every skill level, with four courses designed and built by Dan Hixson and maintained by Sean Hoolehan, past president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Each course is named for pioneer families who settled the land long ago, and some of the original homesteads still stand on the property today!
Reversible 18-hole championship courses, Hankins and Craddock, are the first of their kind worldwide in over 450 years (since the Old Course at St. Andrews in 1552). McVeigh’s Gauntlet offers a stunning 7-hole razor ridge challenge course, featuring world-famous goat caddies outfitted with custom-made caddie packs. Chief Egan is a serene mountain meadow 9-hole par 3 course.
And be sure to stop in at Egan’s Hideout for lunch and some pro gear between rounds.
The four courses are built on 600 acres of the high desert ponderosa pine forest and mountain meadows and are the highest elevation courses (5,000 feet) in Oregon. Anyone not looking to play a full course, can practice their short game at Claire Owen’s brand-new reversible putting course, opening in late July 2021. Claire Owens was the first woman to play golf in the Silvies Valley, and legend has it that the Hankins, Craddocks, McVeighs and Owens would sip a little rye from time to time with the accompaniment of the McVeigh’s pipe organ (there are pictures of it in their cabin).
Whether you’re looking to get away from the city noise and experience some pioneer history, adventure in the outdoors, enjoy the western ranch experience, pamper yourself at the spa, or get in a few rounds of golf—there’s something for everyone at Silvies!
