Press & Reviews
An experience for golfer, foodie, one in need of R&R. Par 3 is fun, but play both Hankins and Craddock for full adventure of reversible courses. Restaurant with family style dinners are epicurean delight. Lodging options are spacious, beds phenomenal, amenities plentiful. Scenery is a photographers dream. Grounds are in keeping with ranch motif. We will be back to repeat all we did, add the pistol range, goat caddies and enjoy the spa.
I just want to let you know how much Ken and I enjoyed golfing the links and staying at your fabulous Cabin 6! Everything worked so well, you and the staff are so warm and friendly. I’ve started emailing my friends about how simply beautiful Silvies is and we look forward to our next visit. Much appreciated.
We visited Silvies Valley Ranch in early March. There was tons of snow. The ranch is really pretty covered in snow. We did the pistol range and the staff showed us how to use the guns and how to shoot. During March they offer a Kidding Experience, which we did. We got to watch a baby goat be born, hold and play with baby goats and bottle fed the baby goats. This is such a cool thing for kids to get to do. We took an educational tour of the ranch and learned about the land, the animals, and lots more. I had low expectations of the tour but we all learned a ton. We stayed in one of the cabins with two rooms. I lived our cabin, especially the fully stocked wine fridge! We all enjoyed the hot tub out on the patio. The food surprised me too. I had read mixed reviews, but we really liked the food. The steak rancheros for breakfast is excellent. Lunch options were sandwiches and soup. Dinner can be a multi course meal if you want. We tried the multi course and was happy with it. They let you pick out a knife of your choice to cut your main course. (likely steak) I don’t know why, but we got such a kick out of this. I went to their spa. It’s brand new. Their facial gal is amazing. There was a sauna and jacuzzi in the locker rooms. While I spa’d the kids did the indoor ropes course. All in all it was a great experience.
We weren't sure what we were getting into when we parked our vehicles and were showed to our golf cart and 2 way radios to communicate with but we were pleasantly surprised. The rooms were gorgeous with much attention to detail. View of meadows mountains and wildlife including newborn antelope were picturesque. Staff went the extra mile and food was superb. Love what you are doing at Silvies Valley Ranch. Plan to visit again soon. Thank you for spoiling us!
I have been involved (behind the scenes) with the development since 2010, the progress to date can only be described as unbelievable. The accommodations, food, and service are all 5 Star. The natural beauty of the Golf Course and Retreat will amaze even Harney and Grant county locals. The economic development possibilities, created by the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley are enormous for everyone in Grant & Harney Counties. The 'Frontier' aspect of the facility will draw visitors from all over the globe and those guest will soon be interested in visiting sites off Ranch. While I can unconditionally recommend the Retreat to all, as a local I am excited about the economic revitalization the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch will provide to Grant & Harney County. Congratulations to Dr. Scott & Sandy Campbell for investing in the future of this truly 'Frontier' region of the world.
3 days in July 2018 were absolutely spectacular. The staff, the cabin we stayed in (Bear), the food, the location and the options for activities were nothing short of amazing - top notch in every respect. True confession, we are not golfers and while the golf courses looked fun and challenging, we had so many things to do that I am not sure we could have fit even the par 3 course into our brief stay! Next time we will have to stay longer. The biking, the birding, sitting by Otter Lake, the star gazing and the efforts the ranch has made to restore the surrounding watershed and lands, despite it being a working ranch, is just incredible. Absolutely worth the trip to eastern Oregon. And next time, we will try the golf! Again, many thanks to the wonderful ranch staff for making it such a memorable weekend stay.
Thanks very much for the recent hospitality at Silvies Valley Ranch. I had a fantastic time at the ranch! Golf on the Craddock & Hankins courses was great. I think the Craddock was my favorite, but only by a little bit. I also enjoyed the par 3 course. The 7-course dinner on Thursday was amazing! A fantastic meal! Great group of folks there, too! My room was great. I got an excellent night’s rest!! And, the resort was so peaceful! Thank you again for the hospitality.
This is a fabulous destination golf course and setting. We flew in to their very good private landing strip, and were promptly picked up by Anthony...and so the fun began, and the meeting of many great and helpful people that work there. Off we went to the golf..2 fun 18hole courses that can reverse play ..Very much fun and we’ll cared for..Very nice and fast carts..after golf we had a delicious small lunch and heard about all the offerings at Silvies Ranch. Golf of course, but there is also a small 9 hole course, that is quite hilly, but trained “goats” serve as your caddies! The food is outstanding, with Chef Damon trying many different and quite delicious offerings... We plan to return and stay a few days to take advantage of the many fun activities we heard about. Silvies is definitely a destination course and quite a drive for most...but we’ll worth every minute of the journey!
Over this past weekend my husband and I got to experience the Oregon Frontier when we stayed 2 nights at Silvies Valley Ranch. We stayed in the Otter Cabin which had a fantastic view, close to the lodge and private hot tub. Our favorite experience was the ranch tour, hearing the history of the 140,000+ acre property and visiting the Chevon/Goat facility where we got to love on baby goats! The food the entire weekend was absolutely fantastic! We did the 7-course tasting menu where Chef Damon prepared some amazing plates. We left the ranch feeling full of energy and ready to book again. Can't say enough about the attentive and pleasant staff, delicious food, beautiful scenery and great amenities (including a luxurious full-service spa).
I imagine we’ll be back again – everything was top notch, and our group had an absolute blast golfing/relaxing together in such a unique setting. Thanks again – take care!
Mark, Thanks so much for your help getting the trip set up and your flexibility. It was a truly exceptional experience on all fronts and everyone in our group had the time of our lives. Silvies is a great place but the people make it truly special. We will be back soon.
The RZR tour is a MUST for anyone who stays here!
These facilities are just amazing, the spa has been my favorite part of our stay.
The Branfman family here, Adam, Anne, Serena and Meyer. We just arrived home and spent our couple day trip (with a stop in Pendleton) home reflecting on the most incredible few days we had at the ranch. It was our very first time as a family in eastern oregon and it was one of the most memorable, unforgettable vacations that we have ever had. While we had a slightly rocky start with Olivia's absence and not having our agenda and activities planned, you went out of your way to fit many things in, book what you could and your staff opened themselves up to us as much as possible. We loved meeting Dave at the pro shop and having lunch with him on our first day. We loved meeting the chef and enjoying spectacular food every night at dinner. Silvies attracts the most fun, interesting and kind guests too! Happy hour and dinners were one of our most favorite times each day. The view from the cabin was spectacular and simply couldn't be beat. We loved the cowboy bbq on Friday night and it was the perfect way to spend our last night on the ranch. We loved the wagon ride, and having an opportunity to meet Gary and his family and learn about their way of life and share about ours. We came away with so much respect and appreciation for central oregon life during our time at Silvies. In addition to all of that, what really made our week unforgettable and truly special was the time we spent with Shai. We first met her for the rock climbing and she was kind, patient and a great teacher for the kids. Then we had our corral rides where she again, was kind, teaching, and patient with us and the kids. Finally, she and your staff went out of their way to find time to take us on a tour to see the goats which was an experience we will never forget and was one of the most special adventures we've had as a family. Shai rearranged her schedule, coordinated with the goat herders and other staff to make it possible. Meeting Jesus and the other herders, the border collies and Great Pyrennes, and having a chance to learn about their way of life and job on the ranch was wonderful. Shai told us that was actually the first time she has taken guests on a goat tour and you need to know she truly made it absolutely special. From telling us the history of the ranch, homestead sites and property on the drive there, to her care and thoughtfulness taking us out into the field, how she kept a close eye on the kids and made sure we were all safe, bringing us peanuts, teaching us about how the goats are taken care of, her kindness and thoughtfulness toward Jesus and his team, and taking us out of the way on the ride home just to see a herd of 20 elk. . .It was a time we will never forget. When we asked our kids what their favorite part of the trip was, both of them answered, "everything every day, and Shai". The way she connected with them and with us, represented the ranch like a true professional, her hospitality, knowledge of the ranch and its history, kindness and patience, was like nothing we've ever experienced. We want you to know that we believe she is a true asset and unsung hero to Silvies and we appreciate everything she did to make our trip one of the best, to represent and be a true ambassador of the ranch and hope that she is able to build a long and successful career at Silvies giving other guests the same type of experience, hospitality and warmth she showed us. Thank you to you and all of your staff, workers, and farmers. We can't wait to see you again and we will be telling all of our friends about the ranch in hopes they come to visit. Our very best, Adam, Anne, Serena and Meyer
Among the first things Kelly Horen did this past fall when he arrived as the new director of golf at The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch was leave. Well.. sort of. Horen spent his time during these winter months traveling to key markets around the Pacific Northwest trying to attract golfers to the outstanding property in Seneca, OR.
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Among the first things Kelly Horen did this past fall when he arrived as the new director of golf at The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch was leave. Well.. sort of. Horen spent his time during these winter months traveling to key markets around the Pacific Northwest trying to attract golfers to the outstanding property in Seneca, OR.
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I’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard of Silvies Valley Ranch. I mean, why would you have? It’s a 140,000 acre cattle ranch about 3 hours east of Bend, Oregon. For those of you not familiar with your Pacific Northwest geography, that places Silvies in precisely: the middle of nowhere.
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Make the 6-hour drive for the golf, stay for everything else at this retreat and golf resort.
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One of American golf’s greatest grillroom debates, for those lucky enough to have played on the southern Oregon coast, is which course at Bandon Dunes Resort is the best. For our 1,900 course-ranking panelists, the consensus is the Tom Doak-designed Pacific Dunes, as seen here in our latest ranking of the Best Golf Courses in Oregon. The truth is, each of the courses at Bandon Dunes has a unique appeal, making the debate live on. Golf in Oregon isn’t only about Bandon, however, and this latest Best in State list reflects the depth of great golf in The Beaver State.
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Nothing can prepare you for the glorious sense of isolation and escape that envelops you at Silvies Valley Ranch.
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In an era when abbreviated golf experiences are de rigueur, elongating an existing golf course to make it the longest in a region may seem contrary to the trend. But Silvies, an Eastern Oregon eco-resort set in high desert country amidst a sprawling 140,000-acre livestock ranch, a three-hour drive from Bend, has a history of defying golf convention.
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The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch has transformed its 18-hole Hankins course into a bulked-up version of its former self.
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T31. Silvies Valley Ranch (Hankins) 6.92 43. Silvies Valley Ranch (Craddock) 6.78
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The Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Eastern Oregon recently welcomed two new caddies to their team who graduated top of their class in caddie boot camp. They were selected from over 300 candidates all vying for a coveted spot on the caddie team. Their names are Chunky and Charlie-_and they are goats.
Read MoreA few words about the caddies at McVeigh’s Gauntlet, the seven-hole challenge course at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca, ORE. “They all have personalities and a sense of humor,’’ according to Sandy Campbell. Those are attributes most golfers look for in a caddy. But in these cases, the caddies don’t walk on two legs – they walk on four legs. McVeigh’s Gauntlet, one of five golf courses at Silvies Valley Ranch, employs goats as caddies. In fact, the ranch recently added two more goats – Chunky and Charlie – to its caddie staff. The duo were selected from more than 300 young goats at the ranch, each vying for a spot on the caddie team.
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Claire’s Course is officially open at Silvies, and as expected, it was already a big hit with guests over the weekend.
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OK, I’ll admit it. The car trip to eastern Oregon from north-central Alberta is rather long, but trust me on this — once you enter through the security gate and pull into The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch, you’ll agree this venue is worth the price of admission (and gas!). I mean this place is so exclusive, even the bathrooms in the lakeside cabins have TVs!
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The luxurious wilderness retreat, sitting on 140,000 acres, is unlike any other golf resort in North America. You might’ve heard about the resort’s goat caddies, equipped with custom leather backpacks to hold enough clubs, balls and tees
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It's time to tip your caddy peanuts at Silvies Valley Ranch -- your caddy is a goat, after all. Besides working for literal peanuts, he's profoundly discreet if you shave a stroke or two off your score.
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A retired animal doctor returns home to create a luxurious frontier getaway for modern-day pioneers
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A stunning 140,000-acre working ranch located three hours between Bend and Boise, guests saddle up in their own gold cart upon check-in.
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An 18-hole, reversible putting course at The Retreat. Links & Spa at Sives Valley Ranch will officially debut on June 5, 2022.
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Tucked away in remote eastern Oregon, Silvies Valley offers one of the more distinct experiences in golf, with goat caddies, a reversible course that plays in one direction one day and the opposite the next (there are actually 27 greens, so it’s not a strict reversal) and a quirky 7-hole, par-23 course so hard it might make you cry.
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Here, you’re not only staying at a hotel or a lodge, but also an honestto-goodness ranch. Silvies merges a luxury retreat and spa experience with an ecologically sustainable livestock ranch. Bike, herd goats or cattle, shoot, hike, fish, go for a wagon or horseback ride, ice fish, or golf in the snow with neon-green tennis balls, all without leaving the 140,000-acre property.
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The Seneca, Oregon-based resort has only 34 rooms and 46 total beds. There is a reversible 18-hole course, a nine-hole course and a seven-hole “gauntlet” course. The idea is to disappear into Eastern Oregon’s wide-open solitude, wide-open golf courses and limited guests. Social interactions are encouraged through nightly dinner seatings and S’mores sessions by the fire pit. But if you want to be alone and unbothered, Silvies Valley Ranch is pure gold.
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To play multiple rounds of golf (on multiple courses), while staying in a luxuriously appointed lodge on a 144,000-acre working cattle ranch is a remarkable and memorable experience in and of itself.
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Golfers have known about this place for 4 years. Cowboys have known about it for decades.
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One of the newest major golf destinations in the country, Silvies is a 140,000-acre working ranch has a lot of activities, including two eighteen-hole golf courses, a 9-hole par-3 layout - with water on every hole - and a seven hole fun course mixed with par-3 and par-4 holes.
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When snow covers a golf course, play stops. Right? Not at Silvies Valley Ranch, in Oregon.
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As Americans tee up in record numbers this winter, resorts and clubs—from Oregon to North Dakota—are offering warmer-than-usual welcomes, with heated golf carts, shorter courses and a lot of whiskey
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With more than 200 golf courses to choose from in Oregon, many award-winning, it was not an easy task to whittle them down to just three.
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In a year where we traveled to some of the best golf destinations on the planet like Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, and others, nobody could match Silvies.
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Golfers looking to go off the grid in search of memorable experiences will undoubtedly find it at Silvies Valley, a working ranch in an area referred to as Frontier Oregon. Located in the eastern part of the state, a couple of hours drive from either Boise (Idaho) and Bend airports, it is one of the least populated areas left in America.
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Redefining dinner conversation and what makes a great golf trip at Silvies Valley Ranch.
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Silvies merges luxury, relaxation and an authentic working ranch into an unforgettable experience. Bringing the Western mystique of the region to an intimate scale, this 34-room full-service resort features two award-winning 18-hole golf courses, a 9-hole par 3 and the famous 7-hole McVeigh's Gauntlet (Best Golf Experience in North America), lodging, delicious dining options, numerous outdoor activities, a great new spa, and a private airstrip for guests looking to fly directly to the ranch.
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Nestled in the picturesque mountains of eastern Oregon you’ll find the sprawling Silvies Valley Ranch. This frontier boutique eco-resort is making a name for itself by creating a truly unique opportunity for guests to be fully immersed in nature while focusing on health and wellness. Far from the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s a chance to put down our phones and leave the worries of the world behind.
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We have to start with the goats. There are so many other appealing aspects to the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch: an impressive reversible championship golf layout that’s part of 52 holes, fine dining, luxury accommodations. But, honestly, as both a golfer and animal lover, the goats are what drew me to the high, dry plains of eastern Oregon. Goats serving as caddies. I had to see this.
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I love fall golf; in fact, it’s by far my favorite season to play. Spring is great with the flowers and blessed relief from Ol’ Man Winter, but it also features muddy fairways and ambitious mosquitos. Give me sweater weather and leaves turning anytime. No humidity, no problem.
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Golf’s short course movement is in full swing. Whether it’s a layout with fewer than 18 holes, or one consisting solely of par threes, truncated golf is appearing with increasing regularity as America discovers how much fun it can be, how great it is for introducing youth to the game, how inexpensive it is, and how it might be all people have time for.
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Though they’re three hours and a big chunk of wide-open Outback apart, two Oregon resorts are helping remind golfers that there’s a lot more to the Beaver State than Bandon Dunes in the worth-the-drive department: The Retreat, Links & Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch, 40 miles north of Burns, and Pronghorn Resort about 20 minutes northeast of downtown Bend.
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34 rooms in cabins and ranch houses / three golf courses / one rustic -chic restaurant and (by reservation) a chuck wagon / spa / horseback riding / shooting range / goat herding.
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If you watch the World Long Drive Championship at the WinStar World Casino & Resort in Oklahoma this week, you'll marvel at the distance these guys and gals hit the ball. They make the PGA Tour's longest hitters look like they're playing small ball. Drives eclipsing 400 yards have won six of the last 11 titles. Golf Channel will televise the event in prime time from 8:30-11 p.m. ET this Tuesday and Wednesday, September 3 and 4.
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The Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, a boutique eco-resort in Frontier Oregon, celebrates its first full year of operation with a limited-time lodging offer for new and returning guests.
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An old adage in golf is that you never want to leave yourself “short,’’ whether it’s on an approach shot or a putt. But “short’’ is proving to be a positive these day when it comes to creating golf courses that are alternatives to traditional 18-hole layouts. These short courses – and par 3 courses – give the lie to the belief that golf takes too long to play and are opportunities for everyone from scratch players to entire families to enjoy the game.
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We were last at Silvies Valley Ranch in June of 2018 and I vowed to return. So, for three days in August this year, we did just that and oh boy, what a trip it was. My long time friend and photographer, Greg Brown, was once again my wing-man. (Come to think of it, I’ve never had a wing-man before. I kinda like it.) When we made the trek last year, the McVeigh Gauntlet was not yet complete nor was the 7,000 square foot spa.
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Oregon’s award-winning Silvies Valley Ranch mixes outstanding golf with an eco-friendly livestock ranch and guest retreat. Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon, perhaps best known as the home of golf bag toting goats, has been named one of the Top 12 Golf Resorts in the United States by the Robb Report.
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Oregon’s award-winning Silvies Valley Ranch mixes outstanding golf with an eco-friendly livestock ranch and guest retreat. Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon, perhaps best known as the home of golf bag toting goats, has been named one of the Top 12 Golf Resorts in the United States by the Robb Report.
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This is the first official pjkoenig ranking of America’s best public golf destinations. I urge you not to take this lightly. All of the spots listed here MUST be considered when planning any proper golf buddies trip. Maybe your brother is getting married, or maybe your best friend from college just got divorced. Perhaps you just want to get weird with your golf buddies. In all of these situations, a golf trip is required and it is a big deal.
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I’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard of Silvies Valley Ranch. I mean, why would you have? It’s a 140,000 acre cattle ranch about 3 hours east of Bend, Oregon. For those of you not familiar with your Pacific Northwest geography, that places Silvies in precisely: the middle of nowhere. But over the last 5 years, they’ve been (not so) quietly at work creating a world class golf resort, that happens to be one of the single most unique places I’ve ever visited.
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Silvies Valley Ranch is home to four golf courses. It has an 18-hole reversible course, a 9-hole course for warmup and family rounds and a 7-hole challenge course called McVeigh’s Gauntlet. Reversible courses are unique, but overall, there’s nothing strange there.
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When I first heard that there was a magical place in Oregon where goats carry your golf clubs, I stopped everything that I was doing and booked my trip immediately. Yes, that’s right, they have goat caddies in Oregon. In case I don’t have your attention I will type it in capital letters…. GOAT CADDIES. The good news is that these goat caddies do not come alone. At Silvies Valley Ranch you have first class hospitality, a massive cattle ranch, and 4 different golf courses. Oh and also, caddies that are goats… GOAT CADDIES.
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Everything's a little bigger at Silvies Valley Ranch, from the double-wide sourdough cinnamon rolls to the spectacular Eastern Oregon views stretching in every direction.
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There was once a time when American golfing enthusiasts could count on one hand the number of exceptional resorts that catered to their whims. Today, there is no shortage of top-end destinations across the United States, each offering a vast array of courses and playing experiences.
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Just a short drive from Boise via Highway 20, adventure awaits at The Retreat, Links & Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch.
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Since opening last year, Silvies Valley Ranch in central-east Oregon has been turning heads. Officially called The Retreat, Links & Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch, this property encompasses more than 140,000 acres and has been a working ranch since 1883.
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It’s a very simple premise: Hit “your longest drive” on No. 18 and win a specialty cocktail named the Horseshoe Nail. But wait, nobody said what “your longest drive” means. Longest ever? Longest of the day? Longest in your mind only?
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The Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch is located in a remote corner of Eastern Oregon. And one of its most revered employees, Bruce, is living his dream life. We instantly became friends when I arrived at the property’s seven-hole McVeigh Gauntlet Golf Course, where he was quite content working for peanuts as my caddy. Let’s face it, if you were a goat being fed a favorite snack, you’d be a happy laborer, too.
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A tee shot on the 95-yard fifth hole at McVeigh's Gauntlet - the new, seven-hole short course at Silvies Valley Ranch in east-central Oregon - lands pin high about a yard from the green. Given the strong headwind coming in from the north and the vast expanse of sagebrush that encircles the green only a few yards from the putting surface, the outcome is pleasing. The caddie, Mike, is less impressed. Maybe that's to be expected. After all, Mike is a goat.
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Two words: Goat caddies. Yep, you read that correctly. is is one quirky, fascinating and possibly game-changing golf resort. It includes a reversible course as well as 9-hole and 7-hole novelties.
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The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, operating since a soft opening in 2017, has caught the eye of golfing professionals across the U.S. The boutique resort south of Seneca recently was recognized by two nationwide magazines, while the resort's chef was given a top award by the Oregon Beef Council.
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Reinvention and reaffirmation are the themes of Golf Digest's Best New Course winners for 2018. In third place is the Craddock Course at the Retreat &s; Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in east-central Oregon, one 18 of a reversible design by architect Dan Hixson.
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Golfers like meatloaf. They also like $2 beers, intense shower pressure, big bars of soap and comfy beds. They don’t like dainty dinner portions, stuffy service, ATM fees and resort taxes. And they sure as hell don’t like throw pillows. Those are some of the lessons the Keiser family has learned since it opened Bandon Dunes Golf Resort nearly 20 years ago.
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A new luxury spa has popped up in the tranquil setting of Oregon’s eastern frontier. The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch (Seneca, OR) has announced the opening of the Rocking Heart Spa, a 17,000-square-foot facility that overlooks 10 miles of Silvies Valley’s high mountain meadows.
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Silvies Valley Ranch is all about golf, goat caddies, great food, good times. Forget the notion of a dude ranch, folks. Midway between Bend, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho, Silvies Valley Ranch and retreat is a serious business with a "mission and promise of caring for our environment, livestock, family and friends.
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Generally speaking, one week is not typically enough time to plan a trip across the planet. But hey, things were pretty quiet at the office, and how often do you get invited to a launch event that involved goat caddies? So here I find myself at Vancouver airport, having missed my ambitious connection to Portand...
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I’m in a Polaris 900 RZR with resort owner Scott Campbell racing around his Eastern Oregon property. Most golf resorts convey a polished look, with neatly dressed travelers reveling in posh sweaters and tasseled loafers. Not here at Silvies Valley Ranch. There’s crap flying everywhere.
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In the early 1800s, fur traders began laying out what became the Oregon Trail, which came to run some 2,170 miles from present-day Missouri and Kansas to the Pacific Northwest. Initially built to accommodate walkers, it evolved into something of a thoroughfare for the large-wheeled wagons that brought tens of thousands of settlers to the American frontier.
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Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon this year added the seven-hole McVeigh’s Gauntlet challenge course with goat caddies, as well as a spa and two houses.
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Unique golf-course layouts in Oregon and Mexico are providing ample reasons to pack your clubs and head for the airport.
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At a golf resort that doubles as a working ranch, there are four great layouts, including two 18-hole reversible courses. That means they can be played in either direction. When it comes to dining, there are also various options, but the Lodge is where you really want to go.
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Other than being America's only two full-length reversible golf courses, The Loop at Forest Dunes and the Links at Silvies Valley Ranch don't have much in common. The Loop was a high-profile project touted by arguably the most famous modern architect in Tom Doak. The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch was an obscure project in remote Oregon from an unsung (but talented) architect in Dan Hixson.
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During a trip to the Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Eastern Oregon, I spent time learning about the ranch’s growing goat operation. These “American Range Goats” are a breed developed at the ranch and aren’t just any average herd — they have become the main focus of the ranch.
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It’s as hard to imagine as it is to describe the design concept for one of America’s most unique new golf courses, the Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in the high-desert isolation of Frontier Oregon.
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The reversible golf course at The Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch is far from the only quirk guests will experience. In fact, it's not even the resort's most talked-about feature. Here are several ways that a round of golf at Silvies will be different than most anywhere else, starting with the already-famous goat caddies.
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Golfers are an intrepid lot. As with Magellan or the Voyageurs, if you suggest that the world beyond is full of empty spaces, they’ll set out to prove that there is some there out there.
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I sat in an Adirondack chair, listening to the quaking aspen leaves rustle in the breeze and looking out past a pond in front of me. For as far as my eyes could see there was sagebrush scattered over plains and rolling hills, a mother antelope with her two babies grazing in the grass, and an osprey perched above the water eating its fresh fish lunch.
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Tucked away in the highlands of east Oregon, United States is Silvies Valley Ranch. Built on working cattle and livestock, the ranch also has a luxury resort where customers can unwind at a day spa, horseback ride across the great outdoors or play on a seven-hole golf course.
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Goat Caddies: This July, the Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, in the eastern Oregon town of Silvies, will unveil a new group of personal assistants: goat caddies. The retreat is training some of its herd of goats to act as caddies on McVeigh's gauntlet, a new seven-hole course.
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Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and head to Silvies Valley Ranch - the epitome of luxury in Eastern Oregon. Host and Hostess, Dr. Scott Campbell and Sand Campbell, have thought of it all. This private retreat features high-end cabins, spacious guest rooms and fine dining, as well as a unique golf facility that you will need to experience to believe.
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The image of the American West brings mind renegade spirits who value straight-forwardness, tradition, resilience and a comedic sense of relaxation. For the traveler seeking an undiscovered Western retreat, The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, a storied operating cattle ranch and resort located in Eastern Oregon, is just that.
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A bad day for a caddie at many clubs might mean schlepping two bags for five hours for a pair of notoriously chintzy tippers. At the Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in east-central Oregon, a bad day for a caddie might mean getting fired and ending up on the menu in the restaurant.
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There’s a special bond between golfer and caddie — an efficient, amicable pair that work their way across the green together. But for those who prefer the company of animals to people, a golf course in Oregon will let you use a goat instead.
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It was over scotch on Sunday afternoons in Portland that Scott Campbell and golf course architect Dan Hixson decided the golf course at Silvies Valley Ranch would be reversible.
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Move over Steve Williams, the real G.O.A.T. caddie is here. More specifically: the caddying goats are here. That’s right, folks, In 2018, The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch will offer guests goats at the resort’s 7-hole challenge course, McVeigh’s Gauntlet, this summer. Take that, Bandon Dunes!
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Though not a high-profile designer – he doesn’t even have a website – Dan Hixson is a well-regarded architect whose name is attached to several courses in the Pacific Northwest.
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Seemingly set in the middle of nowhere—in reality, the resort is based in east central Oregon—Silvies Valley Ranch is putting the final touches on McVeigh’s Gauntlet Course, a 7-hole short course scheduled to open in 2018.
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The golf development business certainly had a noticeable pulse in 2017. Courses of all sorts opened from coast-to-coast, as well as internationally. They include premium private clubs, destination courses, total rebuilds on older courses, short courses and munis.
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The United States, Oregon (Oregon) well-known golf resorts last month wrote Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. This time back to introduces Silvies Valley Ranch.
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Most business owners want to make money. Dr. Scott Campbell already did that. In his latest venture, The Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, the retired veterinarian hopes only to break even. His goal: Improve the local economy by bringing in outside money.
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As 2017 comes to a close, it will be remembered for the many attention-getting courses that opened during the year. New properties such as Wisconsin’s Sand Valley and Oregon’s Silvies Valley Ranch fully opened after preview play last year, while a number of established resorts added new layouts.
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Oregon’s well-earned status in the new century as a golf mecca should be enhanced by its latest golf resort, which debuted in July and re-opens for play in May 2018 in the state’s vast desert interior. Silvies Valley Ranch Retreat and Links ain’t no links, but it definitely lives up to the retreat part of its name.
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A new project in the high desert of eastern Oregon is attracting attention not just for the quality of its new reversible golf layout, but also for the vision behind what may be the best new resort to come along in the American West in many years.
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Silvies Valley Ranch has become a living lab for architectural experimentation -- sort of the Haight Ashbury of the alternative-design movement. Aside from his reversible design, Hixson designed a nine-hole par-3 course and a mind-bending seven-hole short course on land so severe it can't accommodate motorized carts.
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The great state of Oregon jumped on the big-time international golf travel map nearly 20 years ago (hello, Bandon Dunes), and for decades before that had a foothold on the regional travel scene (hello, Bend), but when the Retreat and Links at Silvies Valley Ranch opened this summer, the map grew in a big, beautiful and brash way.
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The enterprise that is Dan Hixson Golf Design doesn’t have a Web site, and its sole proprietor, and sole employee, ran out of business cards a few years ago.
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In the eastern half of Oregon, on a straight as-the-crow-flies line from Eugene, is Silvies Valley Ranch. It dates to 1883 and covers 140,000 acres, which can be a hard concept to grasp; maybe easier to visualize is that the ranch is 25 miles long, on Highway 395 between John Day and Burns, and as much as 16 miles wide.
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Welcome to a truly Western golf experience in Eastern Oregon. Book your trip now and enjoy a one-of-a-kind golf adventure on the Hankins and Craddock Courses, two of the the first 18-hole reversible courses in the United States.
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Silvies Valley Ranch has opened 130 miles east of Bend. Construction of the golf portion of the resort – built on a working cattle farm – began in 2010.
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Welcome to a truly Western golf experience in Eastern Oregon. Book your trip now and enjoy a one-of-a-kind golf adventure on the Hankins and Craddock Courses, two of the the first 18-hole reversible courses in the United States.
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Silvies Valley Ranch is located in the east of Oregon, is a high altitude desert area.
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Seneca: Guests who book the Total Eclipse of the Sun Package at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca will be transported to the path of totality for a viewing of the eclipse.
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Drive down Highway 395 between John Day and Burns, and it's impossible to miss Silvies Valley Ranch. The sprawling property seems to go on for miles and miles in this remote stretch of eastern Oregon, where cell signals are rare and cows outnumber humans by about 10 to 1.
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Every golf friend of Dr. Scott Campbell who has visited his Silvies Valley Ranch has told him the same thing. This would be a great place for a golf course.
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By my second full day at the 140,000-acre Silvies Valley Ranch, I had played a round of golf on a unique, reversible 36-hole course. I had watched fleet of pronghorn antelope and powerful elk as they fled the growl of the hardy off-road “Razor” in which I rode. I could have cast a line for rare native red-band trout in a stream that meandered through a onetime sagebrush wasteland, now restored to aspen woodland.
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While course development in the United States was shanked out of bounds by the economic downturn of 2008 and new construction is still rare, gems are emerging that are defniing a new era of golf architecture.
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Few golf courses boast such off-the-grid tranquility. Even fewer are so simple yet complex. And only one other course anywhere features a layout quite like Silvies Valley Ranch.
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They took nearly eight years to build, but the Craddock and Hankins Courses are finally taking visitors.
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Over 20 Grant County community leaders enjoyed a first peek at the property located about five miles south of Seneca. Tygh Campbell led the group in golf carts for a tour of the grounds, sharing the progress and plans laid out for the resort.
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Have you ever played golf in darkness? Well in just under two months, you’ll have your chance, for about three minutes.
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The two 18-hole reversible layouts at Silvies Valley (Hankins and Craddock) were named to honor two Pioneer families who homesteaded the site.
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Course debuts may have slowed to a trickle in recent years, but those that are opening are virtually all significant, meaningful, important, and lasting -- not vapid, flavorless tracks that weave through homogenous housing.
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Golf architect Dan Hixson, who grew up in Lane County, has designed a remarkable golf property in Central Oregon that is scheduled to open in July. The new golf complex at Silvies Valley Ranch will consist of two 18-hole courses that are reversible on a daily basis, a nine-hole course and a seven-hole course at the full-service resort.
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A new 18 hole reversible golf course, plus two short courses, will be opening at a new resort in Oregon this summer. Sean Dudley spoke to course architect Dan Hixson about his work at Silvies Valley Ranch.
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Silvies Valley Ranch: Endless Options in Oregon. Brand new for summer 2017 is an intriguing property in eastern Oregon. Silvies Valley Ranch is a working cattle and goat ranch - known for producing some of the world's finest organic beef - on the leading edge of sustainable agricultural practices.
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Silvies Valley Ranch. This reversible Dan Hixson - designed course, set to open in July, is built on a working ranch that dates back to 1883. The layouts are named Hankins and Craddock, after the pioneer families who originally settled on the site.
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Founded in 1883, Silvies Valley Ranch is a 140,000-acre property made up of leased and deeded lands 130 miles east of Bend.
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Travelers looking for a unique experience and a new golf destination will soon have a new Western getaway to check out. Silvies Valley Ranch (silviesvalleyranch.com) is a working cattle and goat ranch in eastern Oregon that uses sustainable agricultural practices – and is known for producing some of the world’s best organic beef.
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Campbell is opening his Oregon family ranch to resort guests. Featuring two 18-hole reversible golf courses, Silvies Valley Ranch is an operating cattle ranch with lodging, a spa and other amenities.
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This is the most unique new golf facility of 2017, with two reversible 18-hole courses built on a property with 27 greens (nine are shared).
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The routing is entirely unique. The courses will share nine greens, in addition to nine separate greens each, adding up to 27 total greens. The vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys, blanketed in Ponderosa pines and sagebrush, stretch for miles.
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Silvies Valley Ranch in the cowboy lands of Oregon is set to open a frontier retreat this summer with plans for two reversible 18-hole courses, a private airstrip, and a full-service Spa.
Read MoreAfter its first full season of operation, Silvies Valley Ranch has been recognized by GOLF Magazine as the Best New Golf Experience in 2018, an award which was unveiled in the December issue. The 18 hole courses, named Hankins and Craddock after local pioneers, introduced the golf world to the first new reversible 18 hole layout in 450 years. Silvies also opened a fun family oriented nine-hole par 3 course named for the last War Chief of the Northern Paiute, Chief Egan, that has garnered much acclaim. Then this July, Silvies opened its 4th course, McVeigh’s Gauntlet, a stunning 7-hole ridge course and combined it with Silvies World Famous goat caddies! Silvies is already known as a swank western destination with adventures that include gourmet food, the largest scotch collection in 14 counties, horseback riding, bicycle trails and pistol shooting is now taking the golf industry by storm by being named “The Best New Golf Experience for 2018.”
Read MoreThe team at Silvies Valley Ranch, a new frontier boutique resort destination in the pure West, continues to rack up the accolades. Head Chef Damon Jones was recently named Chef of the Year by the Oregon Beef Council, an honor that is awarded annually to recognize outstanding culinary achievements in the region. Chef Jones was awarded the prestigious accolade for his innovative culinary ranch-to-table practices at Silvies Valley Ranch and creative recipes featuring organic grass-finished beef and chevon, high quality goat meat, sourced directly from the ranch.
Read MoreSilvies Valley Ranch announced today that Georgia McNulty has been appointed as the new director of the Rocking Heart Spa, a 17,000 sq. foot Native American inspired spa offering a variety of amenities for guests to enjoy.
Read MoreThe Links at Silvies Valley Ranch announced today that two new goat caddies have been added to the resort’s staff. Chunky and Charlie were selected from over 300 young goats at the ranch all vying for a spot on the caddie team.
Read MoreFollowing its inaugural golf season, the Hankins Course and the Craddock Course at Silvies Valley Ranch have been recognized by Golf Digest as two of the top four Best New Courses of 2018. This is the first time that any property had two new courses ranked in the top five in a single year. Silvies provides an unrivaled golf experience for players of every skill level, with four golf courses – the Hankins and Craddock Courses (the first 18-hole reversible courses built by Dan Hixson), McVeigh’s Gauntlet, a stunning 7-hole challenge ridge course voted the Best New Golf Experience by GOLF Magazine, and Chief Egan, a mountain meadow 9-hole par 3 course. Silvies is already known as a swank western destination with outdoor adventures such as horseback riding, bicycle trails and pistol shooting, gourmet food and the largest scotch collection in 14 counties.
Read MoreSENECA, Ore. (Jan. 16, 2024) – The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch, a luxury guest ranch and destination resort featuring championship golf, has selected golf professional Kelly Horen as its new director of golf. Horen will oversee operations for Silvies’ six courses: the reversible Craddock & Hankins, Claire’s Orange and Black, Chief Egan and McVeigh’s Gauntlet, home to Silvies’ famous goat caddies.
Read MoreDan Hixson-designed concept adds fresh new element to world-class golf offerings available at the Ranch
Read MoreSilvies Valley Ranch will be the host of two upcoming golf tournaments in the Pacific Northwest region.
Read MoreRegistration is now open for the inaugural Claire Owens Invitational at Silvies Valley Ranch.
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