BEND, OREGON AREA

Background:  In 2018 I attended my first North American Convention for the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. It was held at Sunriver Resort near Bend, Oregon. I got exposed to the area, not only to the golf courses around but to the downtown Bend area..a cool town. Later that year I received a lead for a large group from California who was interested in the Bend area and I decided to see if I could execute it for them. After all, that’s why the hosted the IAGTO convention, to increase interest from people like me. I ended up booking a group of 40 for a 7-night trip, so needless to say I made all the connections necessary for any future group.

Golf and Lodging:  There are three Top 100 US Public Golf Courses in the area. Highest on the list is The Nicklaus Course at Pronghorn Resort, followed by Crosswater at Sunriver Resort and the David McLay-Kidd designed Tetherow. Those are certainly the courses that many groups will build their trip around, but the beauty of the Bend area are the surrounding courses that you can fill in your days of golf with. Plenty of viable options at decent price points in good locations. For lodging, your group could decide to take advantage of one of the bigger resorts or instead choose a hotel in the Old Mill District downtown. It is very centralized for golf and offers a ton of dining options within walking distance.

Overview:  Many of the groups I have worked with have done the Bandon Dunes trip in Oregon, but I don’t get the impression that many have taken advantage of Bend. This part of central Oregon is not the easiest place to get to, but compared to Bandon Dunes it is a breeze. Many airlines do have a connection that flies into the Bend/Redmond Airport, so don’t let that part of the story dissuade you in any way. I would strongly consider looking into a Bend, Oregon package for your group’s next trip.

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