My friend and I headed to Bend this weekend. We rented kayaks Saturday morning and then went to Tetherow to golf in the afternoon. It was a quick trip as we then played Juniper Golf Course on Sunday on the way out of town. My friend had played Tetherow before but today was my first visit.

Tetherow’s claim to fame is that David McLay Kidd designed the course. For those that may not know, Kidd has done work at high profile resorts like Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley and Gamble Sands. While Tetherow isn’t quite as well-known as those other resorts, it is usually ranked among the top 100 public courses in the United States.

Tetherow is located just west of downtown Bend and not far from Widgi Creek Golf Club, one of the courses we played last year on my first trip to Bend. The unique thing about Tetherow is that it has very few trees on the property even though the surrounding area is forested. From what I’ve read most of the trees here were destroyed by fire years ago so the course has a desert look to it, much like something you’d find on the east side of Bend.

We got a twilight tee time for $125 and for that price I thought the value was solid. The non-twilight green fees are over $200 so things can get pricey at Tetherow if you aren’t careful. Thankfully everything about the course and the facility is top notch. As I hoped, the course was in great shape.

The fairways and tees were lush with many tight lies, especially around the greens. Overall, lower bump and run chips should serve you well. The greens were quick and for the most part rolled well. There looked to be plenty of poa annua mixed into the putting surfaces so some putts wobbled depending on which areas the ball rolled across. Pretty typical for a West Coast course though.

From what I’d read prior to my round – and can confirm after playing here – the layout at Tetherow is quite controversial. And, it actually has been softened from when the course opened in 2008. It probably isn’t a stretch to say that the design is still borderline too severe for the average golfer. I’m glad I played here and would like another shot at the course, but the lack of playability is noticeable.

Regarding the playability, the course had an overwhelming feeling about it to me. There is a lot of guesswork and some luck involved to play well here. We played the black/tan combo tees (72.0/134/6618) and each hole has so much going on. There are many blind shots because of the rolling terrain and the green complexes are severe, with tiers, ripples and spines. If you don’t hit it within 15 feet then you’ll have a tough two putt. 

The fairways aren’t really narrow, but sadly, a wayward shot is punished with a lost ball in the desert. I’ve been playing better recently, but lost more balls during this round than I had my last five rounds combined. If I had to pick two words to describe the design I’d say it is “wild” and “crazy”. Somehow, I think the pictures seem to make the course look more docile than it plays.

When it comes to positives, Tetherow is beautiful golf course – especially this time of year with all the blooming desert shrubs. The colors popped in the afternoon sun and the fescue-covered mounding throughout the course is a great touch. I think the visual appeal is Tetherow’s greatest quality.

There are quite a few good golf holes at Tetherow. My favorite holes were the 6th and the 17th. The 6th is a downhill par-4 (400ish yards) with tons of options. The fairway splits left and right around a nasty group of mounded bunkers and then the view of the green is obstructed by the same mounding. The back nine has the signature hole, which is the 167 yard par-3 17th. The green is narrow and separated into front and back tiers. The green also sits in a pit which can result in some wacky bounces when the ball lands.

Tetherow is one of those courses I’d like to play a couple more times before officially making up my mind about it. It is a bold, brash and in-your-face type of course. After just one round, I left thinking it could be better. Still, if you are in Oregon then it is a course to seek out. I’ve only played one other top-shelf course in the area, Pronghorn’s Nicklaus Course, and I’d rank that one higher than Tetherow from an enjoyment perspective.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):