Brookside Inn and Suites in Whi
te City, Oregon, stands out with its stout tower on a flat plain just off Oregon Highway 62’s, “Crater Lake Highway.” It is an unassuming hub for the scenic and recreational attractions of Southern Oregon. A couple of miles to the south you’ll find the Rogue Valley’s largest city, Medford, and ten miles further the cultural Mecca of Ashland, with its renowned Oregon
Shakespeare Festival. The scenic and recreational diversity of the area brings visitors to beautiful Southern Oregon every summer. Whether it’s hiking, and fishing, or rafting and jet-boating on the Rogue River, or nearby Lost Creek Lake, Brookside Inn and Suites has the accommodations for every type of recreation. Especially GOLF! Right now, Brookside Inn and Suites has a fantastic Stay and Play Package for two of the finest golf courses in the Rogue Valley–Stone Ridge Golf Club and Eagle Point Golf Course.
Impressive Accommodations
As soon as my wife, Sarah, and I arrived at the Brookside Inn and Suites, along with our golden retriever, Riley the Wonder Dog, we were welcomed by a friendly desk clerk, who immediately offered Riley a large, bone-shaped dog biscuit. To our surprise, there was no additional charge for pets at Brookside Inn, and Riley loved the attention. He also loved the large open field adjacent to the hotel property where he enjoyed investigative sniffing. Beyond the field is the entrance to the dog training area of the 1800-acre Ken Denman Wildlife Area. Riley, quite untrained, reveled in surprising a gaggle of geese on a large pond.
In our spa
cious room, from the west-facing window, I could see a prominent local landmark
, the mesa buttes known as Table Rocks. In the opposite direction, the snow-capped cone of Mount McLaughlin stood sentry on the horizon.
After settling in, Sa
rah enjoyed a session on the fitness center’s exercise equipment (with 
TV), and a soak in the adjoining indoor spa and swimmingpool while Riley and I watched the news, munching on complimentary fresh-baked cookies (and dog biscuits) in the fireside TV lounge, with its comfortable, overstuffed leather sofa and chairs. If I had forgotten my laptop I could have used the complete business center equipped with computer and free broadband wireless Internet.
Central Location
Brookside Inn and Suites is conveniently located next door to The Apple Peddler, a family restaurant, and a hop and skip will fetch the Cinemark cinema complex. We chose Miguel’s Mexican restaurant, just a few miles away in the town of Eagle Point, and then retired to our room to watch a movie on our room’s 32-inch HDTV. We stayed in a king room. Guests without pets can easily
upgrade to one of Brookside’s two-room suites.
We were impressed with the Brookside’s attention to cleanliness and detail. All the rooms are furnished in a Western motif, featuring fine appointments from the comfortable couches to the nice thick sheets on the beds. Riley said the floor was comfortable, too!
Golf Stay and Play Packages
For the avid golfer, Brookside Inn and Suites Stay and Play Package affords the opportunity to enjoy two of the most popular golf courses in the Rogue Valley. Starting at only $124, you get a night’s lodging in a two-room suite with a FULL BREAKFAST, including sausage and eggs, waffles, muffins, fruit, cereal, and yogurt, to fuel your round of golf at either Eagle Point or Stone Ridge Golf Course. Each course is just a few minutes from Brookside Inn, and each is popular for diverse reasons.
Eagle Point Golf Course
You know you’ve had a good day if you score well at Eagle Point. It’s quite a challenging course. The eighteen-hole record, set from the gray tees (6,101 yards), is a sizzling 59 by one Chris Isaacson. It must have been a heady day for him, overcoming every challenge the course poses. I’ve never been abl
e to reach any of the Par 5s in two, although I’ve been tempted to try for the shortest one, the 461-yard #12. The problem is that about an acre of reed swamp lurks between you and the green, and that second shot must carry all of it. Do you have the nerve and focus? The smart play is to hit left of the reeds to an ample fairway and approach from there. On the second shortest Par 5, the 484 yard #9, you must cross a stream three times to land on a narrow elevated green with sand on the right and a steep embankment on the left. The other two Par 5 holes are merely long – and wide.
The Par 4 holes are even tougher, including the three most difficult handicap holes. On most of them, unless you’re quite a long hitter, you’re using mid-to-long irons to approach. My favorite hole is #2 because of its challenge. On the drive, a pond lurks along the right with the left side guarded by bunkers. Down the middle and long is helpful. Then you have a difficult second shot over a stream, with a large pond and two bunkers guarding the green (I made birdie on it once, with a 65-foot putt!). Hole #10 is a bit fiendish, but also one of my favorites. As the second shortest Par 4, it teases and perplexes. Should you use an iron to the fairway, or risk driver over a bulge of tall trees and blackberry vines that obstructs your view of the flag? I’ve seen a long hitter drive the green, 293 yards away, but scores of others crash in the jungle. Staying to the right is safer, but a steep embankment there might leave you with an awkward side hill lie for your approach over a nasty little bunker.
Eagle Point is challenging, yet satisfying, too. The fairways are smooth and mottled, with fairly quick greens. A convenient practice facility, including driving range, bunker and putting green is only steps from a well-stocked clubhouse. Adjoining the clubhouse, Arthur’s Restaurant offers an extensive lunch and dinner menu.
Stone Ridge Golf Course
Stone Ridge is appreciably shorter than Eagle Point, by about 300 yards. I have reached – with my best swings – three of its Par 5s in two strokes. The course record, set from the intermediate tees, is 63.
The course has a comfortable appeal. The practice area boasts a driving range with real grass tees, and two large putting greens, and a chipping area. The clubhouse sports a more blue-collar men’s club look, and the deli
is run by Margaret, who lovingly prepares the tastiest sandwiches this side of the Cascades.
The course itself eases you into your round with two simple holes of 318 and 138 yards from the intermediate tees. Then comes an intriguing Par 5 with its fairway doglegging around a lake like a giant n
umeral seven. You must decide whether to carry the water for a potential eagle or stay right of the lake and preserve your birdie chance.
From #6 to #14, the holes become remarkable for their distinctive characters and elevation changes, zigging through hilly woodlands abounding with wildlife. Squirrels have been known to pilfer the snacks of unwary golfers, and an occasional fox or coyote or deer might be spotted. It’s a bird-watchers idyll, with musical chirping and graceful flyovers – and of course, Canada geese around the ponds. I once hit an approach from #6 fairway under the watchful eye of a golden eagle twenty yards away on the branch of a dead tree.
Four of the holes rise a hundred feet higher than their greens, affording scenic vistas of Rogue Valley landmarks such as Mount McLaughlin and Table Rocks. A notable contrast with Eagle Point is that there is only one residence to be seen at Stone Ridge, whereas numerous stately homes border Eagle Point’s fairways.
Eagle Point is orderly, manicured and suburban. Stone Ridge is wooded, rustic and casual. Both courses have their own character that defines the individual tracks, offering the opportunity for a great golf experience. Both are a perfect fit to complete the stay-and-play opportunity at Brookside Inn and Suites.
At a Glance
Directions: From Interstate 5, take Exit 30.
Go east on Highway 62 towards Crater Lake and Klamath Falls.
Brookside Inn and Suites is on the left, where Hwy 62 crosses Hwy 140.
Contact Info:
Brookside Inn and Suites
2020 Leigh Way, White City, OR 97503
T: 541-826-0800.
Stay-and-Play Details:
- One night’s stay with complimentary FULL breakfast.
- One voucher for eighteen holes of golf, including golf cart, at either Stone Ridge or Eagle Point Golf Course.
- $124.
Additional vouchers can be purchased for $45.
Nearby Dining:
Less than a mile: Apple Peddler, Abby’s Pizza, Bobbio’s Pizza, numerous fast food restaurants.
Within five miles: Kaleidascope Pizza, Ling’s Chinese Restaurant, Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden.
