b'BEAR VALLEYMEADOWS TrulyaHomeGameby Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield Literally off the beaten trail, Bear Valley Meadows spreads out on the west side of E arly May snow powdering BearHighway 395 which divides Seneca. As you Valley Meadows Golf Course didenter the area, a sign noting a population of 167 residents marks the town limits. nothing to chill the spirit of the peopleAlthough we lost some recently, notes who maintain fairways carved intoCity Manager Deborah Oatman, who the nearby sage and farmland. Warmoversees staff and volunteers managing the 9-hole pasture-style course. inside the Seneca City Hall, a group ofDesigned by Lee Brune, the layout residents share the day-to-day historyhas seen at least one makeover since of a golf course set in what has beenit was built in 1996 by the community.Patty Davidson, a long-time player, called Oregons Icebox, where winterrecalls volunteer efforts to redesign the temperatures can plummet to 30greens so that sage brush and ground degrees below zero. squirrels couldnt take over and the greens could shed water.12 PACIFIC NORTHWEST GOLFER|SEPT 2024'