Running Y Ranch Resort

Running Y Ranch Resort: this excellently crafted Arnold Palmer design quietly weaves its way through a wonderfully natural environment close to Klamath Lake. Along the way you'll experience three pleasantly varied habitats. The front-nine loop takes you out to a scenic wetland area, before returning to the clubhouse through a more woodland setting. The back-nine loop also has its tree-lined holes, but also a large open linksy section where 10 and 11, and 17 and 18 head out-and-back to the clubhouse.

The layout gets off to a fabulous start as the opening stretch takes you out to a very scenic wetland area. Large sprawling tongued bunkers and smaller pot bunkers provide plenty of defences along the nicely rolling fairways and around the good-sized greens. Plenty of mounds and moguls also give definition to the good-width holes, especially around the green complexes where the mounding becomes positively himalayan at times.

This well-maintained and attractive course fits well with its natural surroundings. The woodland sections, with liberal scatterings of juniper, oak, ponderosa pine and aspens, complement the more open wetland or links-style stretches. Around the "turn"on the back-nine, desert-like areas beyond the holes are strewn with dark volcanic rock. There might not be any mountains in view, but the ever changing scenery ensures there's plenty to admire beyond this handsomely crafted course.