The newly renovated golf shop is the most recent improvement to the Buffalo Peak Golf Course in Union. The course was recently recognized as the golf facility of the year by the Oregon Golf Association.

UNION — A hidden gem is no longer hidden, as Buffalo Peak Golf Course is starting to turn heads around the state and in the golf community.

The Union golf course recently won the Oregon Golf Association award for facility of the year, an acknowledgment given to the best facility in the state. Buffalo Peak received the honor for its contributions to the game of golf, the community and the Oregon Golf Association. After being built 20 years ago and facing hurdles along the way, the course has become a spectacle in the heart of Union County.

“As a team we’re very proud of it, I have to say,” Dana Londin, the course’s general manager, said. “We’re in a town of 1,300 people and 30,000 in the county, so to receive this award is a great honor.”

Substantial progress

Built in 2000, the golf course itself encountered many challenges in paying off construction costs and building up a reputation capable of drawing in skilled golfers and amateurs alike.

“We’ve got a great team here,” Londin said. “They’ve bought into my plan and we’re just running with it.”

The course includes 18 holes that were originally designed by golf course architect Williams Phillips. The premier playing range utilizes the local beauty of Northeastern Oregon, which Londin noted is a big draw to visitors.

In 2019, the Union County Board of Commissioners created a restructured fiscal plan that was aimed at increasing the course’s spending budget. The decision marked a shift toward more focus on marketing, following a loss of money nearly every year of operation since it opened.

Londin joined the course as general manager shortly after, in February 2020, and has helped the county achieve its vision for the course.

“I would give all the kudos for the award to our crew and to Dana,” Union County Commissioner Donna Beverage said. “They all really work hard and have put in so much time over this last year and a half.”

Londin stated that the course’s financial report for the last year outdid the team’s expectations.

“We’re really trying to be physically and financially responsible, that’s a huge emphasis,” he said. “I think last year we did really well. The financial goals that I set, we literally blew away.”

Part of that success came from hosting the Oregon State Junior Amateur Championship this summer. More than 100 of the state’s top junior golfers came to Union to compete, adding a sizable economic boost to local businesses and the course itself. The event was considered a massive success by those involved, while also showing the positive impact the golf course can have on the county.

“We’re hoping that this will continue to help other entities in Union County, like the restaurants, Mount Emily Recreation Area and the Union County Museum,” Beverage said. “We wanted to be able to help the whole region.”

Upon hosting this year’s championship and winning golf facility of the year, Buffalo Peak has been chosen by the Oregon Golf Association to host the first major event of the season for the next five years. The competition will take place in May.

Continuing to build

After noting the course’s major improvements, Londin is still looking for ways to improve the facilities. One new addition to Buffalo Peak is a newly renovated golf shop, which he expects will continue to improve the overall experience. The golf shop will be open for anyone looking to purchase golf equipment.

“This golf shop is arguably one of the best-looking golf shops around,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

The team at Buffalo Peak also plans on installing a barbeque setup, which will offer food to golfers halfway through the course. Londin noted that adding small revenue opportunities can go a long way toward helping the local economy.

“People buying lunch or people staying overnight, it’s all extra revenue,” he said.

Consistent improvement and financial responsibility are key elements for the staff at Buffalo Peak, as the recent award verifies. Londin stated that he is pleased with the award, but he wants to continue growing the course’s reputation in a positive way.

“It’s hard to say how much growth we can really get, being in such a small and rural community, but we’re expanding beyond just this area with golfers that are coming in from out of town,” he said.

Londin noted that the golf course focused some marketing efforts in Boise, which brought in golfers either passing through the area or making a trip to Union County. He explained that even if the golfers are on their way to Wildhorse Golf Course in Pendleton, Buffalo Peak has profited from them stopping on their way through Union County. Londin said the hope is to create a desirable course that becomes a destination for golfers from all over.

Having flipped the script at the course, Londin and the team at Buffalo Peak are hoping to keep building on recent success.

“It really is important to have a good reputation. I’ve been doing this for a long time and this is something I try to instill in my employees,” Londin said. “The reputation you build in this business stays with you.”