Destination: Salem

About an hour south of Portland on I-5, Salem is Oregon's capital city, though hardly the state's golf center. It is the state's third largest city with a population of about 100,000-plus, and there is a modest mix of private and public-access golf courses to choose from.

Oregon boasts some nationally recognized golf courses around Bend, Bandon and Portland, while Salem's offerings are a bit more understated. But they're also very affordable, usually between $15-50 for 18 holes. Most golf courses in Salem are traditional parkland designs. The most historic is Salem Golf Club, which dates back to 1927 and is a semi-private club that offers daily public play. Elkhorn Valley Golf Club is another understated but scenic parkland among the Opal Creek area.

Some of the Salem area's best and modern generation courses lie between Salem and larger Portland off I-5. Langdon Farms, a John Fought/Bob Cupp design, is considered one of Oregon's top parkland courses and the area's most nationally recognized course, which even garners some Top 100 mentions. A bit further north off I-5 is the Oregon Golf Association Golf Club, a tournament-quality course that opened in 1991 and plays 6,674 yards.

From Salem, you are well positioned to hit many of Oregon's key golf areas. The high desert town of Bend is just over the mountains about a two-and-a-half hour drive away. Bandon Dunes is just about three hours away. Eugene, Oregon's second largest city and home to the University of Oregon, is less than an hour south down I-5 and has some more casual golf clubs of similar variety.

Though this part of Oregon is known for it's winter rain, golf can be played 12 months a year, though itgets more sporadic during the winter months. The summer months are quite pleasant however, yielding plenty of sunshine and ideal golf weather.