Lebanon, OR Outdoor Activities

In their 16-year history as the short season Class-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, the Volcanoes have been a venerable understudy to their Major League parent club, capturing the Northwest League’s Western Division title seven times and five Northwest League Championships. The Volcanoes' past rosters have seen some of the Giants’ top young stars slug and pitch their way to the big leagues and finally take the training wheels off of their gloves. Crowds of up to 5,000 voracious fans flow into Volcanoes Stadium, where the Lava Lodge Sports Bar, the Volcanotron video board, and a kids' playground join forces to offer a stacked lineup of off-the-field attractions.

Tinted glass panes wrap around the rustic clubhouse of Spring Hill Country Club, permitting splendid views of the kempt lawn, misting fountains, and 18-hole golf course that encompass the grounds below. An advanced Rain Bird irrigation system keeps the 6,502-yard labyrinth in pristine shape year-round, and a short-game practice area, driving range, and PGA-certified instructors help preserve both swings and nine-irons' sense of identity. Members enjoy access to a fitness center with cardio and weightlifting machines, a sauna, and locker rooms, as well as access the cool waters of the club's Olympic-size outdoor pool. Plasma-screen TVs show live sports or golf-cart jousting at the casual Caddy Shack Pub, and the Player's Grille invites synchronized dining and chit-chat while clients take in quiet views of the club.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,502 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.7 from farthest tees
• Slope rating of 129 from farthest tees
• Five tee options

After running a sawmill for 15 years in Corvallis, Mode and Babe sold it, retired, and bought a 74-acre parcel of land just because they wanted it—even though they had no plans for its use. At the urging of their friends, Mode and Babe decided to build a nine-hole golf course, not letting their lack of experience with the game dissuade them. Since that spontaneous founding in the 1950s, Marysville Golf Course has been operated by the same family and has served Eugene-area golfers with a nine-hole USGA-rated course that’s appropriate for all ages and experience levels. A first-come, first-served policy rewards early risers and sleep-skipping permagolfers, and new sand traps and greens comprise an elegant landscape over which golf balls briefly orbit before being dragged down by gravity. Additionally, a covered driving range allows for long-distance putting during thunderstorms or temporary ice ages, and the pro shop carries name brands such as Nike and Callaway in addition to a selection of new and used clubs.

Sculpted into the one-time family farm of former Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Charles McNary, McNary Golf Club encompasses diverse trees and rippling waterways into an 18-hole layout that spans 150 acres of rolling meadows. A mixed assemblage of oaks, firs, pines, and redwood trees mingle on the course's emerald sidelines, watching over each towering drive and bickering about squirrel housing arrangements. Claggett Creek comes into play on four holes, including the signature 18th, where its rippling waters snake in front of the enormous green, shaking its hydraulic fists at well-struck balls as they somersault onto the putting surface. A staff of resident aces roam the pristine grounds, showering guests and unsuspecting flagsticks with nuggets of golf wisdom.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Length of 6,239 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 69.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 126 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Link to scorecard

Among the forests and hills of the Willamette Valley, Highway 58 Golf Range fills with the staccato pops of launching golf balls as golfers there practice every aspect of the game. Guests tee their range balls up year-round on either natural-grass tees or covered mats, sending the balls soaring toward Mount Pisgah in the distance. A short-game area allows for focused practice of near-green finesse, complete with a putting green, a chipping area, and a bunker where golfers perfect saves and practice guessing how many grains of sand are in a jar to win it.

After wrapping up a five-year career for the University of Oregon men's golf team, Justin St. Clair knew he was destined to dedicate himself to golf. A bona fide ace by nearly every standard—he won the 2009 Pacific Northwest Pro-Am and was named an All-Pac 10 Honorable Mention in 2005—Justin couldn't quite ascend to golf's highest ranks, opting instead to channel his passion for the game by opening his own golf school.

Today, Justin presides over the practice facilities at Emerald Valley Golf and Resort, correcting swings with advice relayed in simple terms. Justin can help golfers sharpen swing mechanics at the driving range, where he enlists high-speed video to dissect swings and locate heckling poltergeists, he can improve course management with a playing lesson, or he can determine his clients' ideal clubs with club- and driver-fitting services.