PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Black Butte Ranch — Glaze Meadow

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Black Butte Ranch — Glaze Meadow in Black Butte Ranch, OR.

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Black Butte Ranch — Glaze Meadow golf course

Black Butte Ranch — Glaze Meadow

Black Butte Ranch, OR
BLACK tees · 6,903 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Black Butte Ranch — Glaze Meadow

Redesigned by John Fought in 2012, Glaze Meadow at Black Butte Ranch is a classic mountain course set among Ponderosa pine forests and restored native wetlands near Sisters, Oregon. Featuring Donald Ross-inspired turtleback greens, grass-faced bunkers, and views of Cascade peaks, it demands distance control and strategic positioning.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Black Butte Ranch — Glaze Meadow

Off the tee

Tee shots prioritize fairway positioning over raw distance, as Ponderosa pine corridors, fairway bunkers, and wetlands punish off-target drives. Widened landing areas following the redesign provide room, but finding the correct side of the fairway is vital for clean approach angles into perched greens.

Elevation & terrain

The course gently rolls across Cascade foothill terrain with modest elevation changes that subtly influence club selection. Elevated tee boxes and slightly raised green complexes are common, though fairways generally offer flat, predictable lies.

Approach play

Approach play is defined by Donald Ross-style turtleback greens built over firm lava rock bases that fall off sharply along the edges. Distance control is paramount, as approaches landing on pin high targets are necessary to prevent balls from sliding down runoff slopes.

Around the greens

Greens complexes feature raised surfaces with open front entrances that accept ground-game approach shots but lack back mounding to stop long misses. Deep grass-faced bunkers filled with white sand require crisp sand saves.

Best way to play it

Focus on driving into key fairway landing zones to create manageable approach distances into perched greens. Regardless of pin location, play for the center of the turtleback greens to avoid false edges and surrounding collection areas.

Key takeaways

  • Donald Ross-inspired turtleback greens slope away from the center, making middle-of-the-green targets the smartest play on approach shots.
  • Holes 2 through 5 form a scenic wetland stretch where forced carries and wind demand careful target selection.
  • Hole 12 offers a signature par-5 test with dramatic views of Mt. Washington directly behind the green.
  • Grass-faced bunkers and firm lava-rock green foundations make distance control more important than raw distance.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
386
9
Favor the left-center side off the tee to avoid trees on the right that block approach angles. Play your approach shot to the center of the long green canted back-to-front, avoiding long misses that roll down a steep slope.
Your 240 yd driver · ~146 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
5
569
1
Aim down the center off the tee to dodge the right fairway bunker and left forest. Lay up carefully into a narrowing fairway guarded by right-side sand before pitching onto a large, sloped green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~329 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
3
4
319
13
Focus on hitting the fairway off the tee to set up a short approach. Wind can impact shots in this open wetland stretch, so prioritize accuracy over distance.
Your 240 yd driver · ~79 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
4
4
400
11
Execute a controlled tee shot carrying native wetlands to set up an approach into a guarded green. Target the middle of the green surface to avoid runoff contours.
Your 240 yd driver · ~160 yards remaining by raw distance.
5
3
164
15
Select enough club to comfortably carry the wetlands in front of the green. Aim for the central portion of the green complex to navigate sloped edges.
6
4
452
5
Focus on finding the short grass off the tee, as dense woods punish wide drives. Hit a high-quality long approach shot to reach this elevated green complex in regulation.
Your 240 yd driver · ~212 yards remaining by raw distance.
7
5
517
7
Play conservatively down the fairway to avoid tree trouble and position your layup. Target the middle of the green on approach to navigate a slope-heavy complex where shots easily drift off edges.
Your 240 yd driver · ~277 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
8
3
168
17
Select precise clubbing to hit the center of the target area, avoiding deep grass-faced bunkers protecting the green slopes.
9
4
374
3
Drive into the fairway to clear room past pine corridors, taking care to manage approach distance over water/wetland hazards guarding the green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~134 yards remaining by raw distance.
10
5
549
10
Keep your tee shot in the fairway to clear tree overhangs, then lay up clear of fairway bunkers to set up a short approach into an elevated green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~309 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
11
3
192
14
Aim for the safe center of the green complex off the tee to avoid native terrain and grass-faced bunkers flanking the sides.
12
5
604
4
Play this true three-shot hole conservatively down the Ponderosa-lined corridor. Position your second shot to set up an approach directly at the center of the green, ignoring the tempting mountain vista.
Your 240 yd driver · ~364 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
13
4
474
2
Hit a solid drive to clear the rise in the fairway, then take extra club on your approach shot to account for the uphill elevation change and perched green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~234 yards remaining by raw distance.
14
3
155
18
Take careful note of wind and distance to land your tee shot near the center of the green, avoiding deep grass-faced bunkers guarding the sides.
15
5
539
8
Drive into the broad fairway landing zone, then choose whether to lay up safely or attack in two depending on your angle past tree corners.
Your 240 yd driver · ~299 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
16
4
430
6
Prioritize accuracy off the tee to stay out of the dense native forest. Approach the elevated green complex with distance control in mind to avoid running off the back.
Your 240 yd driver · ~190 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
3
189
16
Commit to a firm club that clears front bunker hazards and lands softly near the middle of the green surface.
18
4
422
12
Place your tee shot down the fairway center to open an unobstructed approach angle. Aim for the heart of the green complex to conclude the round safely.
Your 240 yd driver · ~182 yards remaining by raw distance.

Course information and strategy are provided for planning purposes. Yardages, course setup, hazards and playing conditions can change. Always confirm current course information before your round.