Klamath Falls area

[th6252]

So there seems to be a growing possibility my wife and I may be moving to Klamath Falls within the next year(possibly as early as this Fall), and I know nothing about the Northwest.  Did a cursory search here but didn't seem to come up with much.

Born and raised in NJ and came back after going to school in rural VA, Atlanta and St. Louis.  My wife is originally from VA but lived in TX for a long time before moving to NJ.

Anyways, I was wondering what, if any, are the options for golf out there other than Running Y?  Are there any decent public options within ~30min drive?  May even consider private if necessary, available and worthwhile.  Thoughts?

Edited May 26, 2021 by th6252

[Seamus_MacDuff]

No, there's nothing worthwhile beyond Running Y.  Harbor Links and Shield Crest are the only other options within 60+ minutes, and neither are particularly good. Reames Golf & CC was the only truly private option, but it closed down a couple of years ago. Running Y offers annual memberships, and the course is quite good.  Orders of magnitude better than Harbor Links and Shield Crest.  Condolences on the potential move to Klamath Falls.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Seamus_MacDuff

[spud3]

Nothing to add on the golf situation, but K Falls is a completely different planet from NJ....

[soregongolfer]

I know a lot of folks who moved away from Klamath Falls.  I don't know any who moved there.  

 

Shield Crest is an okay semi-private course.  Klamath Falls has some serious water trouble so the courses there are allowed to dry out in the summer.  Running Y is outside of town and a terrific course that is well maintained.  Of course, you're not going to play golf in the winter as Klamath Falls gets lots of snow and is very cold.  

Edited May 27, 2021 by soregongolfer

[th6252]

lol, wonderful news, thanks fellas.

but on a more serious note, we're kind of looking at this as a sort of temporary thing, maybe 2-3 years and move on.  

the info is very much appreciated though!

[puttnforthe8]

8 hours ago, th6252 said:

lol, wonderful news, thanks fellas.

but on a more serious note, we're kind of looking at this as a sort of temporary thing, maybe 2-3 years and move on.  

the info is very much appreciated though!

 

And you 'Have' to live there?   Saying a prayer for you!

[stevopagolf]

Running Y is the only option really unless you drive to Medford.  Klamath is great if you like to hunt or fish or you are a farmer....  

[soregongolfer]

I'll be blunt.  Klamath Falls is a God awful place.  Weatherwise, it's cold in the winter, but pretty decent in the summer.  But you'll get eaten alive by the mosquitos in the summer.  Then there are those really big bugs around Klamath Lake.  You'll be washing your windshield daily if you drive in that area. 

 

As for the rest, it's a fairly depressed area.  Unless you or your wife have a job at the Oregon Institute of Technology, there is no reason to live there.  Like I said, I know a lot of folks who moved away from there.  A lot.  Most ended up in Medford which is lightyears better than Klamath Falls.  

[th6252]

On 5/28/2021 at 4:00 AM, soregongolfer said:

I'll be blunt.  Klamath Falls is a God awful place.  Weatherwise, it's cold in the winter, but pretty decent in the summer.  But you'll get eaten alive by the mosquitos in the summer.  Then there are those really big bugs around Klamath Lake.  You'll be washing your windshield daily if you drive in that area. 

 

As for the rest, it's a fairly depressed area.  Unless you or your wife have a job at the Oregon Institute of Technology, there is no reason to live there.  Like I said, I know a lot of folks who moved away from there.  A lot.  Most ended up in Medford which is lightyears better than Klamath Falls.  

Thanks for the info.  My wife has been offered a job there, and I have a pending offer as well, which is why we’re strongly  considering the big move.

[DandyDon]

on the bright side, you are picking the one other state in this country where you don't have to know how to pump your own gas.  What can I say, I am an optimist at heart.

[th6252]

On 7/25/2021 at 4:06 PM, DandyDon said:

on the bright side, you are picking the one other state in this country where you don't have to know how to pump your own gas.  What can I say, I am an optimist at heart.

lol, completely missed this post, thanks!

i'm actually going to be there for my final interview later this week.

[byoshio82]

Watch out for all the tweakers in Lakeview!lol! Oh and the bugs certain times of the year can be insane! I recall a junior tournament where we had to play practice rounds in the evening with towels over our mouths to keep from swallowing bugs. However with that said you are about 2 hours from some amazing courses in Central Oregon and about 4 hours from Bandon so within driving distance of some world class golf courses. Running Y is definitely the best option to play around there. 

[th6252]

Just had my interview last weekend.  Guess I wasn’t there long enough to get a good feel for the place, and it also helped the weather was beautiful.  But I didn’t quite get as drastic of the “downtrodden” vibe many were making it out to be.  To be honest, after talking to a few people, one of which is the main person I’ll be working with, it almost feels intentional why the place has been the way it is since the logging industry left.  Like as if there was resistance from the locals to move forward(not in a political sense fwiw, so let’s try to keep that out).  
Stayed in Medford for 2 days as well which wasn’t bad either.  
I know it may seem crazy to some of you locals to hear about a dude born and raised in Jersey in the NYC suburbs(although I did go to undergrad in rural VA), but the wife and I have been looking for a slower pace of life away from the bustle.  Although there are some things I will always miss about NJ, I never saw myself staying here the rest of my life.  Jobs won’t be an issue for us as that is the main reason we were considering the big move.

Also, I keep hearing it snows at ton there but saw the average snowfall is ~38” a year.  By comparison, the part of Jersey I’m in now averages just under 30” and if you were to go roughly 1.5 hours or so north or west of here and you’re right in that 38-40” range so not a drastic difference in that respect.

Edited September 30, 2021 by th6252

[rooski]

2 hours ago, th6252 said:

Just had my interview last weekend.  Guess I wasn’t there long enough to get a good feel for the place, and it also helped the weather was beautiful.  But I didn’t quite get as drastic of the “downtrodden” vibe many were making it out to be.  To be honest, after talking to a few people, one of which is the main person I’ll be working with, it almost feels intentional why the place has been the way it is since the logging industry left.  Like as if there was resistance from the locals to move forward(not in a political sense fwiw, so let’s try to keep that out).  
Stayed in Medford for 2 days as well which wasn’t bad either.  
I know it may seem crazy to some of you locals to hear about a dude born and raised in Jersey in the NYC suburbs(although I did go to undergrad in rural VA), but the wife and I have been looking for a slower pace of life away from the bustle.  Although there are some things I will always miss about NJ, I never saw myself staying here the rest of my life.  Jobs won’t be an issue for us as that is the main reason we were considering the big move.

Also, I keep hearing it snows at ton there but saw the average snowfall is ~38” a year.  By comparison, the part of Jersey I’m in now averages just under 30” and if you were to go roughly 1.5 hours or so north or west of here and you’re right in that 38-40” range so not a drastic difference in that respect.

 

For whatever reason, people tend towards negativity rather than positivity in all they discuss, haven't figured it out yet. I live in Medford and this area is frankly some of the most beautiful land in the country. Klamath Falls is also quite nice in it's own rights (maybe a touch more rural than Medford), and Running Y is an absolutely world class beautiful golf course. Klamath Falls is a bit higher elevation so you would definitely want a vehicle that can handle snow.

 

Life in Southern Oregon is wonderful, people are generally extremely friendly, and you get to really appreciate the nature around you a lot more than somewhere like NJ.

 

The same people telling you this place sucks are the same people that say Portland is a nice city 😂

Edited September 30, 2021 by rooski

[th6252]

35 minutes ago, rooski said:

 

For whatever reason, people tend towards negativity rather than positivity in all they discuss, haven't figured it out yet. I live in Medford and this area is frankly some of the most beautiful land in the country. Klamath Falls is also quite nice in it's own rights (maybe a touch more rural than Medford), and Running Y is an absolutely world class beautiful golf course. Klamath Falls is a bit higher elevation so you would definitely want a vehicle that can handle snow.

 

Life in Southern Oregon is wonderful, people are generally extremely friendly, and you get to really appreciate the nature around you a lot more than somebody like NJ.

 

The same people telling you this place sucks are the same people that say Portland is a nice city 😂

Yeah, the wife and I love the outdoors.  We’re novice mountain bikers but the area seems to have some of the most underrated mountain biking terrain in the country.  Personally, I love to fish as well.  That drive from Medford to Klamath is absolutely breathtaking, but I can see it being a bit dicey in the winter.

And yes, the people there seemed very friendly.

No desire to visit Portland any time soon, at least not the one in Oregon lol.

Thanks for the encouraging words!