Dana Londin, general manager of Buffalo Peak Golf Course, poses for a photo near the greens March 15, 2022.

UNION — The state’s top youth golfers are set to return to Buffalo Peak Golf Course in Union.

The local course is gearing up to host the Eastern Oregon Junior Championship, the first leg of the Oregon Junior Golf Association summer tour. The tournament, which is in its second year in Union, begins Saturday, May 21, and concludes Sunday, May 22.

“It’s a pretty awesome thing for our county,” Buffalo Peak General Manager Dana Londin said.

The Eastern Oregon Junior Championship is the first of a full slate of summer tournaments that stretch across the entire state. The tour extends through the months of June, July and August, with the season culmination in September. More than 80 golfers will take the fairways at Buffalo Peak for the annual competition.

After hosting the 91st Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur tournament last summer, Buffalo Peak secured the first leg of the junior tour for this season and the following four years. Golfers competing on the tour are between the ages of 8 and 18, with the highest marks in the state. The tour field primarily consists of golfers from the west side of the state, with many of the young athletes visiting Eastern Oregon for the first time.

Last year’s tournament was a success for the local golf course, serving as a showcase to the Oregon Golf Association and the golf community in the region. The tournament was a large factor in the course receiving the 2021 facility of the year award by the Oregon Golf Association — the award is given to the course with the overall highest contributions to the game of golf, the community and the Oregon Golf Association.

A major difference between last year’s tournament and this year’s is a new and improved pro shop at Buffalo Peak. Community members donated materials necessary for the renovations, which entailed new wood paneling and new shelving. The store is now stocked with top golf brands like Ping, Callaway, Cleveland, Titleist, Evnroll Putters, Asics, Puma and more. The Island City Market will be providing catering for the junior championship.

In addition to success on the course, last year’s tournament served as a boon for businesses and lodging in Union County. Hotels in Union and La Grande were booked full, hosting the golfers, their families and officials traveling to the Grande Ronde Valley for the event. According to Londin, The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs and the Historic Union Hotel have already booked a significant amount of guests for this year’s tournament.

The 2022 Eastern Oregon Junior Championship begins at 8 a.m. May 21, with groups of three teeing off every 10 minutes.

“It’s a really good thing to have a lot of people coming from the Portland area and from across the state,” Londin said. “It’s great advertising for everything our county has to offer and for our great golf course.”