Bayou Golf Course, in McMinnville, OR, is a laidback 9 hole course with a pleasant Willamette Valley setting. There is also a 9 hole executive course on the premises. Best serving the casual and/or local golfer, “the Bayou” offers a user friendly place to enjoy the game, and is affordable, if not inexpensive. Though limited to 9 regulation holes, the distances here are adequate with what is to be expected from a standard, full course; an appealing aspect to the serious golfer who visits. The grounds here border the Yamhill River and are occupied by trees and water hazards which can create further challenges. So while this is a manageable course for the occasional golfer, it will hold the attention of all. Due to flooding in the winter, the Bayou is sometimes subject to maintenance imperfections early in the season. When in shape however, it provides a plush and peaceful environment to enjoy the game.
Bayou Golf Course is a standard Par 36 configuration, and as mentioned, provides relatively long hole distances for a venue of this nature. Because of this, and an abundance of trees, scoring low on this course is not a given. Even long hitters will be selecting to hit driver on many holes, including dogleg layouts. Any errancy could leave one positioned amid the large, mature trees throughout. For the most part, the landing zones are fair in size and not too intimidating, but a few areas tighten up. There are no fairway bunkers, only shallow greenside sand traps on most of the holes. Befitting to the Bayou name, lilly-filled ponds and water hazards are also present, most notably coming into play on the Par 3 tees. The greens are ample in size and servicable in condition. Most of them are designed fairly flat with some modest breaks, and roll with ordinary speed.
Bayou Golf Course has a colonial style clubhouse, which coupled with the name and nature of the grounds, offers a bit of a southern plantation feel. The proshop is simple but suffice. For practice amenities, there is a small driving range which contains a handful of mat-hitting stations. There’s also two practice greens available for warming up, one of them allows for chipping practice as well. Likewise, the Par 3 course, which contains 9 Holes at about 100 yards apiece, is another great avenue for practicing the short game intricacies.
Have you played Bayou Golf Course recently? Share your thoughts on the course in the comments section below.
