_Sept/makingamark.jpg "Making a Mark")
In the crowded Oregon market, Sunriver Resort is establishing a name for itself by catering to a wide range of clientele
When many people hear the term “Oregon golf,” their first thought might be of a certain windswept stretch of coastal dunes offering several courses with a British Isles feel. But among those who live between San Jose and Seattle, the chances are good that their first thought would be of Sunriver Resort, set a few miles outside the town of Bend on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. For Tom O’Shea, the resort’s managing director, and director of golf operations Josh Willis, that’s exactly how they like it.
Sunriver—the largest resort in the Pacific Northwest, with 254 hotel rooms plus more than 800 condos and homes—gets 50 percent of its business from Oregonians. “But we also get more than 20 percent of our business from Northern California, and another 20 percent from Washington,” O’Shea notes. With a repeat rate of 70 percent, the resort has developed a strong family tradition over its 46 years. “People came here as children, and then as parents,” adds O’Shea, “and many of them are now coming back with their grandchildren.”
As for golf, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr., layout dubbed the Woodlands served for many years as the championship companion to the resort’s Meadows course and its panoramic views. But come 1995, the Bob Cupp-designed Crosswater course opened at Sunriver, and the PGA Professional National Championship was held there just a few years later. Then came a Champions Tour major, the Jeld-Wen Tradition, from 2007 until 2010.
Even with the resort’s strong golf pedigree, management doesn’t position the property to be in direct competition with Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, about 90 miles to the southwest. “We don’t necessarily look at our courses as compared to Bandon,” O’Shea says. “We look more at the profile of our customer and make sure our golf product satisfies that profile.”
The resort’s tagline to promote its golf embodies that philosophy: One Destination, Four Distinctive Courses. “Crosswater is the attraction for our membership and for high-end leisure guests, but Woodlands complements that with a different championship experience,” Willis explains. “Meadows is a fun resort course for any type of player, and Caldera Links is a family-friendly par-3 layout that just might be one of the prettiest short courses in the country.”
Since Caldera’s opening in 2010, management has doubled back to reinvest in the other inventory. In 2011, Crosswater got new T-1 bentgrass greens, while the large practice facility received new target greens. Three years later, Woodlands’ greens were reshaped and returfed, and earlier this year, the Meadows got T-1 bentgrass greens. Lastly, a nine-hole bentgrass putting course was recently built behind the main lodge, with a lakeside location and Mt. Bachelor views that appeal to couples, families and meeting groups that want a memorable team-building event.
“We offer golf for all skill levels, and as a family destination that’s simply critical,” O’Shea says. “No matter if someone is learning the game or is proficient, they’ll find a great experience here that matches their ability.”
Recognizing that most of Sunriver’s members and guests are not there strictly for golf, management also emphasizes the other experiences available. “The difference between us and Bandon is that we want people to play a morning round and then go to the spa, rafting, horseback riding, fishing or skiing,” O’Shea says. Indeed, Sunriver is one of only a few places in the country where people can play golf and ski in the same day.
Interestingly, O’Shea and Willis say they’re happy that other facilities in the region are getting national acclaim. “Bandon is purist, and what it has done for golf in our area is undoubtedly positive,” O’Shea says. “We can all benefit from that.”
What’s more, the U.S. Open held at Chambers Bay in June is also bringing more inquiries to Sunriver from golfers outside the Pacific Northwest. “The great weather during that event is helping our cause,” Willis says. As for the tournament’s bone-dry course conditions, however, “we make sure people know that our resort lies in the Deschutes River Valley, and staying green is never a problem for us.”
On the other hand, Sunriver certainly won’t concede anything to Bandon or any other golf venue. “We’ve had a Champions Tour major event make us its home for several years,” O’Shea notes. “We have a national following in our own right.”
Closer to home, Sunriver boosts its golf demand by taking part in a cooperative marketing initiative dubbed the Central Oregon Golf Trail, complete with its own website. “We’ve included 30 different courses with green fees ranging from $20 to over $100,” Willis says. “It’s basically a community of golf managers who are trying to brand central Oregon as a distinct golf destination.”
Overall, Willis says that he and resort management “try to make sure that Sunriver is at the top of every player’s mind when they think of the best golf destination in the Northwest.” That effort seems to be working: Total rounds at the resort in 2015 are on pace to match the number from 2006, the resort’s peak year.
In the next few years, Sunriver officials plan to continue accentuating the resort’s brand—namely its golf offerings. “You have to prove that you’re serious about golf, and that means making sure the quality of your product is always improving—you can’t stand still,” O’Shea says. “So when people choose to come to us, our goal is that they walk away saying it was among the best golf experiences they’ve ever had—from the clubhouse to the practice range to the course conditions to the service atmosphere.”
Rob Carey is a freelance writer and principal of Meetings & Hospitality Insight.