Golf has always played a major role in the guest experience at Sunriver Resort. Players explore the beauty of Central Oregon across three distinct courses—Crosswater, Meadows and Woodlands—that wind through open meadows, ponderosa pines and river corridors with long views of the Cascades. For more than 40 years, this setting has welcomed generations of resort guests, competitive players, professional golfers and some of the game’s most respected organizations.

With three championship 18-hole courses, Sunriver Resort has earned its place among the Pacific Northwest’s premier golf venues, with high-desert terrain, impeccable conditioning and course stewardship, and decades of trust with the organizations that bring championship golf to Central Oregon.

A Long-Standing Championship Setting

Sunriver Resort’s golf reputation has grown through decades of tournament play, national rankings and strong relationships with leading golf organizations. From state events to collegiate tournaments and national golf championships in partnership with the NCAA, PGA of America and USGA, Sunriver Resort has built a legacy of hosting some of the best amateur and professional players in the game.

For Josh Willis, VP of Operations for Sunriver Resort, that reputation comes from a commitment to providing a great golf and guest experience at every level. Championship organizations need confidence in the full event, from course conditions and operations to hospitality, accommodations and the atmosphere surrounding play. By delivering on those details, Sunriver Resort continues to build trust with championship organizations, support the game at a high level and give players a reason to return to Central Oregon year after year.

The Oregon Open and Woodlands’ Early Championship Role

Woodlands helped establish Sunriver Resort as a serious tournament venue before Crosswater opened in 1995. From 1982 through 1995, the course hosted the Oregon Open for 14 consecutive years, welcoming Northwest professionals and competitive amateurs throughout its run. Since Crosswater opened, the Oregon Open has returned to both courses, showcasing the variety and depth of Sunriver Resort’s golf experience.

Crosswater’s Place on the National Stage

From the beginning, designers Bob Cupp and John Fought set out with a vision for Crosswater to become a top 100 golf course in the country. Following the Deschutes River through wetlands, river corridors and native fescue with pristine bentgrass greens, Crosswater is one of Sunriver Resort’s most recognized championship venues.

From the tips, Crosswater stretches past 7,680 yards, giving championship fields a great test of golf that calls for precision and patience. Golf Digest named Crosswater the Best New Resort Course of 1995 and continues to rank it among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.

“We continue to position Crosswater as a top-100 course in America,” Willis says. “It’s a top attraction for any golfer, and a great venue for the championship organizations that want to test the best players against the best conditions.”

In 1999, Crosswater reached golfers across the country when Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf brought Fred Couples and John Daly to Sunriver Resort for a televised match—one Willis remembers watching from a college dorm room.

The competition, he notes, sought out only the most remarkable venues, and the combination of the course conditions and the mountain setting made an immediate impression for a young, aspiring golf professional. With Couples, Daly, the Cascades, and the Deschutes River all in frame, Sunriver Resort’s golf profile moved onto a national stage.

The JELD-WEN Tradition Years

Crosswater’s national reputation reached another level from 2007 to 2010, when the course hosted the JELD-WEN Tradition, a PGA TOUR Champions event and one of senior golf’s major championships.

The event brought some of the most recognizable names in the game to Sunriver Resort and placed Crosswater in a prominent position within professional golf. For four consecutive years, the course tested elite senior tour players with its length, conditioning and strategic routing along the Deschutes River, giving Sunriver Resort one of the highest-profile chapters in its championship history.

Those years remain an important part of the Crosswater’s history and ongoing story, showing the course’s ability to host major professional golf events while keeping the sense of place that makes golf at Sunriver Resort so memorable.

A Championship Partner for the PGA of America and USGA

Sunriver Resort’s relationship with the PGA of America dates back to 2001, when the property first hosted the PGA Professional Championship at Crosswater. The championship returned in 2007, 2013 and 2017, building a long-running connection between the Resort and one of golf’s leading organizations, one Willis says comes from the full scope of what Sunriver Resort can offer.

That connection has grown because Sunriver Resort is committed to the full scope of championship hosting. Course conditions matter. So do staff support, logistics, hospitality, accommodations, awards dinners and the details that surround each event week.

The same approach also supports Sunriver Resort’s growing relationship with the USGA. Hosting high-caliber events is a meaningful undertaking, but it reflects the priority Sunriver Resort places on golf, on welcoming top players to Central Oregon and on showcasing the courses at their best.

“The PGA brings the championship operations,” Willis says. “Sunriver Resort brings the courses, the setting and the team to support the event at every level.”

“They’re the experts,” he adds. “We know what we’re doing on the golf course. They know how to run a championship. That partnership is why it works.”

A Milestone Championship Year in 2024

In 2024, Sunriver Resort hosted three PGA of America events within the same month, a milestone that reflected the breadth of its championship golf program. Meadows and Woodlands welcomed the PGA Cup, the Senior PGA Professional Championship and the Women’s PGA Cup, creating a rare stretch of competition across multiple courses and player groups.

Willis describes 2024 as one of the busiest and most memorable championship periods Sunriver Resort has ever hosted. Within a four-week stretch, Sunriver Resort welcomed international team competition and professional events for seniors and women, with an infectious energy among players, staff and guests present throughout the championship run.

The Women’s PGA Cup left a particular impression. Willis points to what it meant to watch players representing their countries at such a high level, and the atmosphere that came with it. Woodlands played an important supporting role as well, co-hosting the Senior PGA Professional Championship alongside Meadows and showcasing the depth of Sunriver Resort’s golf experience.

Meadows and the Future of Adaptive Championship Golf

As Sunriver Resort looks ahead to its next major USGA championship, Meadows, also designed by John Fought, has become central to the story. According to Willis, Meadows’ strength comes from the way the course plays through the landscape. High-desert conditions influence the round from start to finish, giving players a course that rewards patience, precision and thoughtful play.

Much of Meadows’ staying power, Willis says, comes from Fought’s design vision and the golf team’s commitment to maintaining that vision with exceptional course conditioning from season to season. Fought recently returned to the course and shared that Meadows may be even stronger now than it was on opening day.

“That’s extremely pleasing to hear,” Willis says. “This course plays as long as and as demanding as it ever has, and the conditions reflect everything we know about how to present it.”

As Meadows prepares to host the 2027 and 2028 U.S. Adaptive Open Championships, the same level of preparation will be essential. Through an expanded partnership with Oregon Adaptive Sports, Sunriver Resort is extending its championship-hosting legacy by welcoming adaptive golfers to Central Oregon and creating an experience that reflects the needs, skill and competitive spirit of the field.

What’s Ahead for Championship Golf at Sunriver Resort

Sunriver Resort’s championship calendar already extends well into the next decade, with the 2027 and 2028 U.S. Adaptive Open Championships at Meadows, the 2031 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Crosswater and Meadows, and the 2036 U.S. Junior Amateur.

For Willis, these future championships point to the trust Sunriver Resort has built with the USGA and other organizations that keep returning. “It reflects the quality and caliber of our golf courses and everything around them,” he says. “The relationships we’ve built, and the way we show up to host every event here is what we’re most proud of as a team.”

Championship History at a Glance

Sunriver Resort has a history of hosting notable professional and amateur events and will host four USGA Championships over the next 10 years.

Crosswater

1996–2000, 2015, 2022 Oregon Open
1999 Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, Fred Couples vs. John Daly
2001, 2007, 2013, 2017 PGA Professional Championship
2004, 2011, 2015 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions
2006 NCAA Men’s Division I Championship
2007-2010 PGA TOUR Champions Event, formerly known as JELD-WEN The Tradition
2031 USGA U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
2036 USGA U.S. Junior Amateur Championship

Meadows

2002 USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links
2005 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship
2007 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
2007, 2013, 2017 PGA Professional Championship
2024 PGA Cup
2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship
2024 Women’s PGA Cup
2027 U.S. Adaptive Open Championship
2028 U.S. Adaptive Open Championship

Woodlands

1982–1995 Oregon Open
2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship
2028 Oregon Open

The History and Future of Championship Golf at Sunriver Resort

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