The next morning, we had breakfast at the Trailhead Grill before taking a 15-minute drive into Bend to go on a Sun Country Raft Tour. I honestly thought we were going to be floating down a lazy river, soaking up sun and scenery.
I should have known that something called “The Big Eddy Thriller” had nothing to do with lounging and relaxation.
We went through three Class III rapids, paddling like madmen. In fact, if those were Class III rapids, I want no part of Class IV or V. I can only assume that Class VI is death for novices.
I like to think that they put the most capable oarsman up front because they wanted someone who could steer us through trouble. But, it was probably more of a case of needing the fattest guy on the raft up front for ballast. Whatever the reason, that’s where I was, right next to my kids, whose entirely drenched little bodies and really wide smiles told the story of our Big Eddy white-water rafting trip on the Upper Deschutes.
(Special note: Sun Country either needs to invest in bigger life jackets or I need to shed some ell-bees off my 230-pound frame before the next time I go. My wife and kids – and no doubt everyone else – got a big kick out of seeing daddy bursting out of his life-jacket.)
When you’re at Pronghorn, this is a don’t-miss attraction, especially in the middle of the summer when you’ll appreciate a wet respite from temperatures that can reach the high 80s. You can go on any number of full-day Sun Country trips, but if you’re like me, you’ll like the half-day Big Eddy excursion — because it leaves time to stop by Pronghorn’s Tour Academy after lunch.
At the Tour Academy, head instructor Mike Palin uses the latest in video technology, but since I’m old-school and hate to see how bad my swing looks, I just appreciated the tips that he gave me. To this day, I carry his “Points to Remember” card with me in my bag, reminding me to swing to the right (or as I like to think of it, right-center field), release my hands and have a good finish. Within minutes, using Palin’s advice, I was launching 7-iron shots farther and higher than I ever had before.
Thanks to Palin, I played better than usual that afternoon on Pronghorn’s Tom Fazio course, the other jewel on the property. It’s private, but if you’re staying there and talk to the head professional, you can probably get on.
In addition to being a first-class layout, as one would expect from a world-class architect, it’s in immaculate shape — just like the Nicklaus. Of all of the courses I’ve played in 40-plus years — the Resort Course at Coeur d’Alene, Big Sky in Pemberton, B.C., and many others — the Nicklaus and Fazio courses at Pronghorn are in my top five. (And in good company — No. 1 is Augusta National, which I played twice as a member of the media when I covered The Masters.)
Again, I’m not a golf-course snob, but the fairways at the Pronghorn courses are like greens at other courses. You’d have a better chance of finding a needle in a haystack than a weed on a Pronghorn fairway.
If you asked me which course was better, Nicklaus or Fazio, I don’t know what I’d tell you … I like brunettes as much as blondes. Really, it depends on who you ask – Brandon Tucker of WorldGolf.com said the Nicklaus course at Pronghorn was the best public-access Nicklaus course he’s ever played. Tucker loved the par-5 15th, calling it a beautifully designed hole — and I’ll have to take his word for it, having never made it past No. 9.
One of the neatest holes on the Fazio course is the par-3 eighth, built adjacent to a lava tube. If you’re like me, you have no idea what a lava tube is. Apparently, course architects discovered one while excavating and building the eighth green, and incorporated it into the design. You can go inside the lava tube and walk through the tunnel for a quarter-mile, or so I was told.
I can tell you this for certain – it’s dark and cold in there, not to mention a little bit eerie. There are lanterns if you want to take a walk and look around. By all means, do it.
The only quibble I have with the Fazio course is the par-5 18th hole. I’ll bet that Mr. Fazio would tell me why he designed it the way he did, but I thought the layup area for the second shot was too narrow for the average golfer, of which I’m one.
Overall, though, I enjoyed playing it slightly more than the Nicklaus course, keeping in mind that my wife and kids were at the pool when I was on the Fazio course, allowing me to focus on golf instead of keeping the animals in line.
We spent three days at Pronghorn and wished it had been 300. We’re looking forward to going back, even if forecaddie Shawn isn’t looking forward to having us. It’s only six hours from Seattle and three hours from Portland.
But the best part? Pronghorn is much farther away from the real world.
Jim Moore also writes for his own website, jimmoorethego2guy.com, and 710Sports.com. Jim appears weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on “The Kevin Calabro Show” on 710 ESPN Seattle. You can follow Jim on Twitter @cougsgo.