Running Y Resort Golf Course Review – A Signature Arnold Palmer Course

August 25, 2024

When I start looking for a golf course to play, I don’t necessarily look for premium courses. I look for what is near us first. Then I look for what might be interesting to play. I always factor in the cost, because golf is not cheap.

And looking for the “best” courses can get expensive very quickly.

We are currently in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and finding a good course that was near us was a breeze this time. I found an Arnold Palmer designed course that gave us a military discount. I was excited. I booked our tee time and looked forward to the day we set aside for golf.

As we drove up to Running Y Resort, I made the comment that the course looked in good condition. We got into the clubhouse and signed in.

Our Starter – Gary – gave us an excellent course brief. Gary told us about his favorite hole, and what to look for as we putted the greens. He then wished us a fun round and to keep our eyes open for all the nature on the course.

Before I get started on the course, I want to tell you Gary was right about the nature. We saw deer several times on the course as we played. We were even able to walk within 6 feet of a doe and its mother. There were birds and other wildlife everywhere.

***Bullfrogs were abundant in the ponds***

Beautiful for sure!

Running Y Resort had a great track. Every hole was fun to play and lended itself to scoring well. There are 7 sets of tees. Making it playable for every skill level. The hole layout was enjoyable, which provided several opportunities for me to grip it and rip it. The design also provided Kathy the chance to play several “smart” tee shots without much penalty.

***Marc & Rik sizing up the fairways from the tee box***

The fairways were a little wide without many trees as a deterrent. There were only a few fairway bunkers and water seemed to be more of an aesthetic feature than a penalty. Don’t get me wrong, poor play would land you in the drink, or the woods.

The fairways were all in great shape. They were like walking on padded carpet, which of course made them easy to hit from.

But solid play was rewarded with an open easy shot from a good lie.

The greens were also perfect. The ball rolled smooth and quick. Putting was only made difficult by the slopes on the green. You may read a right-to-left roll only to find out it is left-to-right. The mountains and water often made more of a difference than you would think.

It felt as if Arnold Palmer created two courses in one. He seemed to take advantage of the open fields and laid out a nice links course. Then in other parts of the course, there were hills and trees lending to a great country course. Running Y Resort was a joy to play. With variety and beauty intertwined throughout the entire course.

***Kathy taking a look at the fairway***

***Maddie had plenty of beverages to choose from***

We had a lot of fun playing
Running Y Resort.
Arnold Palmer absolutely knows how to lay out a fun golf course.

Running Y Resort is a birdie course for sure. There is a lot to enjoy while playing. It has been rated as a top 5 course in the US or Oregon since 2014. It is easy to see why.

We would love to play Running Y Resort again.

If you are in the area and want to play a great course, Running Y Resort is where you need to play. If you miss out and your friends tell you a story about playing Running Y Resort, just remember, I told you so.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By: Marc Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course: Running Y Resort Golf Course – A Signature Arnold Palmer Course

Type: Public/Resort

Date Played: 18 August 2024


HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	3	We had no problems getting our desired tee time. We even changed it once booked, but still had no issues.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	Comparable with other courses in the area.
3 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	5	Several of the tee boxes had a lot of ball marks that were left unattended. That’s more about inconsiderate golfers and the course can’t control that.
4 – Condition of Fairways	5	4	Wide Winer Rye Grass fairways but trouble did lurk along both sides if we got wild. The fairway edges tended to be more difficult to play from (more sloped and more undulated). Deer and Red-tailed hawks were abundant and the scenery was just beautiful everywhere we looked.
5 – Condition of Greens	4	3	The Bent grass greens were in fantastic shape, very fast with lots of slope. The greens were challenging but fair.
6 – Length of Course	5	5	7138 yards from the tips; 4847 from the forward tees. If “The King” really was the one who designed this one (instead of his team), boy is it a beauty!
7 – Hazards	4	4	Water comes into play on a few holes.
8 – Starter/Marshal	3	2	Gary was fabulous – he made sure we knew what to look for throughout the track. The insight he provided about the greens was key to our low scores for sure.
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	2	There are 7 tee options to choose from – making the course very playable for all level of players.
OUT	36	32
10 – Practice Area	5	5	Driving range, chipping area, and large practice putting green.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	Nice and spacious locker rooms with showers.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Had everything you would need to play around of golf.
13 – Location	4	3	Easy to find. Running Y is located in a gorgeous setting — Crater Lake National Park is nearby and the connection to Klamath Lake is also wonderful to behold.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	Rental clubs available. The carts are in good shape.
15 – Food Cart	4	4	Maddie did a good job of making sure we saw her twice during our round. Her cart had plenty of snacks and beverages to choose from.
16 – Restaurant/Club House	4	4	The Clubhouse was very nice. No restaurant on site, but there is a Food Truck available.
17 – Parking	3	3	Plenty of space for parking.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	*The entire Pro shop team and our starter, Gary, were outstanding and ready to help us get out on the course and enjoy our round.*
IN	36	34
TOTAL	72	66	PLAYER: Marc F. ATTESTED BY: Kathy F.