The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch
Seneca, OR, United StatesReversible golf courses on a 140,000-acre Oregon ranch
The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch
The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch is a 140,000-acre working cattle ranch in the high desert of eastern Oregon, featuring two of the most innovative golf courses in the world — Hankins and Craddock — which share the same holes but play in opposite directions. This is golf's wildest frontier.
- Two reversible 18-hole Dan Hixson courses playable in mirror configuration — rounds literally play in the opposite direction on alternate days
- Goat caddie program: the ranch's registered pack goats carry a second bag and have become one of golf's most photographed attractions
- McVeigh's Gauntlet, a 7-hole par-3 course through the ranch's most dramatic terrain, built for settle-the-score afternoon rounds
- Working cattle ranch backdrop — ATV tours through the 140,000-acre property reveal elk, pronghorn, and the operational side of a real high-desert ranch
- Fly fishing on Silvies River and private sporting clays round out a genuine Western sporting lodge experience well beyond golf
The Courses
- Hankins Course — 18 holes, par 72, designed by Dan Hixson
- Craddock Course — 18 holes, par 72, designed by Dan Hixson
- McVeigh's Gauntlet (par-3) — 7 holes
Craddock Course · 7 (Par 3)
A monstrous 260-yard par 3 that drops nearly 40 feet from tee to green at 4,200 feet elevation. A long, skinny bunker bisects the center of the putting surface, forcing a precise carry or a calculated bounce left off the slope. The thin air means a 3-wood reaches, but the wild, undulating green punishes anything short of perfect.
Restaurants & Bars
- The Ranch House
- Chief's Cabin
On Property
Horseback Riding
Fishing
Sporting Clays- ATV Tours
- Cattle Ranch Experience
June - September
Eastern Oregon's high desert opens fully by June — snow is gone, the meadows are green against sagebrush, and the thin air adds a genuine distance bonus on approach shots.
Book the goat caddie experience on the Craddock — the ranch's signature program pairs a live goat with your bag, and rounds feel more like a trail wander through high-desert sage than a structured tee time. Evening horseback rides along Silvies River at sunset are first-come, so reserve at check-in.
Joining The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch
Resort ranch real estate ownership with Rancher Membership privileges. The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch offers a real estate program (Silvies Camp Creek Ranch) where eco-cabin ownership includes a "Rancher Membership" providing special pricing on golf events and ranch-raised beef. There is no standalone joinable club membership separate from property purchase; the ranch is open to resort guests for stays.
Membership Categories
- Rancher Membership (tied to eco-cabin ownership)
Member Benefits
- Special pricing on golf events
- Special pricing on ranch-raised beef and chevon
- Shuttle services for Silvies, Burns, and John Day airports
- Concierge services including grocery shopping and cabin-keeping
- Fresh flower delivery
- Security, fire, and life safety systems
- Use of lithium powered carts on the ranch
- Access to five award-winning golf courses
- Full-service spa access
- Mountain biking, horseback riding, shooting ranges, fly fishing
- Initiation: Not publicly listed (tied to eco-cabin real estate purchase starting in the $1.3M range)
- Annual Dues: Not publicly listed
- How to Join: Purchase an eco-cabin or eco-cabin site through the Silvies Camp Creek Ranch real estate program; contact the broker via silvies.us/real-estate-sales/
Membership details → · (541) 573-5150
The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch
Features &
Amenities
Set across 150,000 acres in the high desert of eastern Oregon with no cell service, The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch pairs serious golf infrastructure with a working ranch whose own herds supply the kitchen.
Six Courses, Including Goat Caddies
The property fields six distinct layouts: two reversible 18-hole championship courses (Hankins and Craddock), a 7-hole challenge course (McVeigh's Gauntlet), a par-3 9-hole on Paiute Creek (Chief Egan), and an 18-hole putting course flanking Otter Lake. On the Chief Egan and McVeigh courses, resident goats carry a custom Seamus Golf pack loaded with clubs, a dozen balls, tees, and six cans of refreshment — a program that drew global coverage when it launched in 2018.
Rocking Heart Spa and Ranch Fitness
The 17,000-square-foot Rocking Heart Spa includes a half-Olympic indoor pool, cedar sauna, whirlpool, climbing wall, and a full fitness center. Treatment practitioners use Eminence organic products for massages, facials, and body work, with the entire facility styled as a quiet counterpoint to the outdoor exertion the ranch encourages.
Ranch-to-Table Dining and Western Activities
Five-course communal dinners draw on certified organic, grass-fed beef and chevon raised on the property, with sourdough made from a century-old family starter. Beyond golf, guests book horseback trail rides, ATV tours, guided lake fishing (catch-and-release trout and perch at Otter and Elk Lakes), shooting ranges, cattle herding, and guided Milky Way night tours — plus more than 20 miles of cross-country ski trails in winter.
One Membership.
Dozens of Destinations.
Your visit to The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch is coordinated by the LXV concierge — preferred tee times, dining reservations, room upgrades, and personalized welcome amenities, arranged before you arrive. One of more than 55 properties in the LXV network.
Getting
Here
The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch10000 Rendezvous Lane, Seneca, OR 97873
Tel: +1 800-547-7842
Roberts Field (RDM)
Approximately 171 miles northwest in Redmond, OR; roughly 3 hours by car. The most common commercial option for guests flying from the Pacific Northwest.
Boise Airport (BOI)
Approximately 200 miles southeast in Boise, ID; roughly 3.5 hours by car. Useful for guests connecting through the Mountain West.
Burns Municipal Airport (BNO)
Closest commercial strip, about 45 minutes south of the ranch. The property has its own on-site private airstrip (OG14) for charter and private aircraft arriving directly.
The ranch maintains a private on-site airstrip (ICAO: OG14) suitable for charter aircraft; staff can arrange pick-up from Burns, Redmond, or Boise.