An Oregon coast golf trip isn't Bandon. Nobody's flying in from Scotland. It's shorter, cheaper, wetter, and, we'd argue, more fun: nine-hole courses tucked behind dunes, elk wandering onto fairways, tee times you can get the same morning, and a hot tub waiting after the round. Our house Puffin Lane sits right on Manzanita Golf Course, so we've done a lot of this research firsthand. Here's how we'd plan a long weekend.
Home base: Manzanita Golf Course
Manzanita Golf Course is a 9-hole, par-32-ish public course a few blocks from the beach, ringed by shore pines and the occasional deer. It's walkable, forgiving, and cheap by golf standards. Regulars play it twice for an 18. The vibe is small-town: a pro shop that sells snacks, a starter who knows everyone, and no dress code worth mentioning. Puffin Lane backs right onto it, so you can walk from the kitchen to the first tee with a coffee in hand. Rent clubs if you're flying; they have a rental set. Check hours in winter, when they trim the schedule.
Day trip north: Gearhart Golf Links
About 40 minutes up 101, Gearhart Golf Links claims to be the oldest course in the Pacific Northwest, dating to 1892, and it plays like a proper seaside links: firm turf, gorse, wind, and greens that punish anything short. It's 18 holes, public, and reasonably priced for what it is. Play it in the morning before the afternoon wind picks up. The Sand Trap pub at the clubhouse does a solid post-round lunch, and you can walk to the beach at Gearhart afterward to see how the other half of the coast lives. Book tee times a week or two ahead in summer.
Day trip south: Alderbrook Golf Course
Alderbrook, just outside Tillamook, is an 18-hole parkland course set in dairy country. Flat, walkable, well-drained for the coast, and rarely crowded. It pairs perfectly with a stop at the Tillamook Creamery for cheese curds and ice cream, which is a legitimate sports-nutrition strategy. About 35 minutes from Manzanita. Watch for herons and, on the back nine, the occasional cow judging your swing from across the fence.
Further south: Neskowin Beach Golf Course
If you're doing a two-home trip or want a full day of driving 101, Neskowin Beach Golf Course is a 9-hole course in a flood plain that's often literally underwater in winter, which is why it's a summer-and-fall course. It reopens once the ground dries out, usually late spring. It's short, quirky, and wonderful, with Proposal Rock visible from the course. Our cabin The Weekender is a few minutes away if you want to split your trip between two towns.
A three-day itinerary
- Friday: Arrive at Puffin Lane by mid-afternoon. Walk out the back to Manzanita Golf Course for 9 (or 18). Dinner on Laneda Avenue. Cedar hot tub.
- Saturday: Early tee time at Gearhart. Lunch at the clubhouse. Drive back via Cannon Beach for Haystack Rock at low tide. Grill at the house.
- Sunday: Alderbrook in the morning, Tillamook Creamery after. Back to Manzanita for a beach walk and one more soak before the drive home.
Coast golf logistics nobody tells you
- Rain gloves and a towel matter more than any club. Coast golf is damp golf even in July mornings.
- Wind generally builds through the afternoon. Morning tee times play a full club easier.
- Winter: Manzanita and Gearhart stay open most days; Neskowin closes when it floods. Alderbrook drains well.
- Carts exist but these courses were built for walking. Push carts are your friend.
- Dogs are welcome at the house, not on the courses. Puffin Lane is two blocks from seven miles of off-leash beach, so the dog gets a better day than you do.
The non-golfers in your group
Someone always doesn't play. Manzanita is good to them. Laneda Avenue has coffee, books, and lunch spots. Nehalem Bay State Park has bike paths and kayak rentals; our Nehalem kayaking post covers it. Oswald West is 15 minutes north for a forest walk to Short Sand Beach. And Puffin Lane has a yoga studio, which is a nice way to spend the hours while the golfers are losing balls in gorse. See our full Manzanita things-to-do list for more.
Coast golf won't make your handicap better. It will make your weekend better. Pack layers, book Gearhart ahead, and leave the scorecard in the cart.