Bar Run Golf & RV Resort Set to Begin Phased Opening

Bar Run Golf and RV resort just outside Roseburg is set to begin a phased opening next month. Nine holes of the Dan Hixson-designed course will open to the public for preview play starting on July 9. The golf course and RV resort are located off Melrose Road on a sand and gravel mine alongside the South Umpqua River. The course runs along the South Umpqua River with views of cherry orchards and the Callahan Ridge. The land is part of Umpqua Sand and Gravel company which is owned and run by the Guido family. The name “Bar Run” is a reference to the section of dirt that Umpqua Sand & Gravel has been excavating for decades for various materials such as round rock, sand and gravel. Now they built a golf course on top of part of the land that had been excavated. The sand and gravel company is still in operation today. The idea for the golf course was originally kind of a joke by Umpqua Sand and Gravel owners and brothers Kelly and Pat Guido. As part of obtaining a mining permit several decades ago, they needed to come up with ideas of what they were going to do with the land after it was mined. But being that it was all in the flood plain, uses are very limited. So they put down the golf course as one of the possible use cases. About 10 years ago, Brant Guido began clearing some of the property of blackberry bushes and started thinking the golf course could actually be a great use of the property. Kelly, Brant, and Wes Guido have now been working on the project and refining the idea for the past 7 years. The family eventually brought in Pacific Northwest native Dan Hixson to design the course. Hixson has also designed courses at Bandon Crossings, Wine Valley, and Silvies Valley Ranch. “The land very much dictates the design at Bar Run,” Hixson said on the Bar Run website. “It’s a reclamation project for the mining operation, and that gave me a lot of flexibility to design memorable, challenging golf with a surprising amount of width at the same time. When you have this landscape — with no homes, a mix of large ponds, beautiful trees, the riverside setting along holes 10, 11, and 8 — and ownership like the Guido family who want to build a fun experience both on and off the golf course, it really fires up your creativity.” Currently, the course has 10 holes completed that are ready to golf. The remaining 8 holes should be complete by the summer of 2022. Also planned for a 2022 opening will be a 71-space destination RV Resort next to the golf course, a clubhouse, and a three-meal restaurant. Several tiny homes will be available to rent as well. There are plans for a golf practice facility as well as indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs. The project has already added jobs to the area with 10 full-time employees and more expected to be hired as the project is completed. Asked what he was most excited about as Bar Run prepares to welcome the public next month, Wes Guido answered without hesitation. “We want people to come out and have a good time. We want to have a fun environment.” To find out more about Bar Run or to get information about the upcoming preview play: https://www.barrungolf.com/