Eastern Oregon is a golfers dream come true in the summer months.The dry climate ensures that while a players score may creep above that days temperature, the round will be played in sunshine.A variety of courses sprinkle the landscape in Umatilla, Morrow and Gilliam counties, allowing golfers to plan their outing based on cost, skill level and time.

Wildhorse Golf Course

A?Scottish links-style course with deep bunkers and tall fescue grass in the rough, Wildhorse Golf Course has been a very popular destination since it opened in 1997.

Designed by John Steidel, the par 72 18-hole course hosts several tournaments throughout the year, including the Senior Oregon Open Invitational.

The course spans 7,112 yards from the longest tees and features five lakes and 66 sand traps set on a plateau overlooking wheat fields with a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains.

It has a rating of 74.2 and a slope rating of 129 with four par 5s and four par 3s.

Competitively priced, weekday rates are $41 with a cart and weekend (Friday-Sunday)?rates of $47 with cart. Seniors (60 and older) rates apply on Tuesday and Thursday and are $20 without a cart. Junior (16 and younger) rates are 50 percent off regular rates after 1 p.m. daily.

The course is located at Wildhorse Resort and Casino just off I-84 in Pendleton.

Pendleton Country Club

Pendleton Country Club was originally built in 1930 but moved to its current location in 1958 and expanded to 18 holes in 1986.

Designed by Gene Mason, the 6,317-yard course takes players on a beautiful stroll through Birch Creek Valley.

A par 72 that features five par 5s and five par 3s, the course has a rating of 71.2 and a slope rating of 126 from the mens tees.

Pendleton Country Club is a private course but is open to the public for players that reside outside of Umatilla County.

Rates are $58 per person for 18 holes with a cart.

The course is easy to find, located eight miles south of Pendleton on U.S. 395.

Big River Golf Course

Aside from Wildhorse and Pendleton Country Club, there is only one other regulation 18-hole course in Umatilla County.

Big River Golf Course sprawls over 5,975 yards in the Columbia River basin just above McNary Dam and offers some views of the river as well as a cost-effective round of golf.

A?par 70 that opens with three par 3s in a row, a round of 18 at Big River Golf Course will run a player $37.50 with a cart on weekdays, $39.50 on weekends and holidays, and $29.50 for juniors (16 and younger).

There are a total of six par 3s and five par 5s on the course, which rates 69.1 with a slope rating of 115 from the longest tees.

The course opened in 1945 and has a layout that allows the confident golfer a chance to shorten several dogleg holes.

Big River Golf Course is located on Willamette St. off Columbia River Highway in Umatilla.

Milton-Freewater Municipal Golf Course

The Oregon-Washington border town of Milton-Freewater boasts one of the more unique courses in Eastern Oregon with its 18-hole executive course.

The course begins and ends on flat ground but takes players up onto the hillsides in between. Players must deal with sand traps, extreme elevation changes and even a water tower while on the hill and a cart is recommended.

The par 60 course is 3,346 yards long and has a rating of 59.1 with a slope rating of 91.

It was designed by George McRae and opened in 1973.

Cost is $34 per player for 18 holes with a cart.

The course is located on S. Russell St. in Milton-Freewater behind the football stadium.

Echo Hills Municipal Golf Course

A?favorite among locals, Echo Hills gives golfers a chance to get in a quick round at a good price while not skimping on quality.

The course is set overlooking the Umatilla River Valley, described on the courses Web site as a green oasis in the Eastern Oregon desert.

Its nine holes span 2,933 yards and par is set at 36. The courses rolling hills and scattered sand traps make meeting that par score a big challenge for most golfers.

Open since 1933, Echo Hills has a 67.6 rating and a slope rating of 112.

Cost is $28 with a cart for 18 holes on a weekday and $31 on holidays and weekends. Rates for nine holes with a cart are $20 (weekday) and $22 (weekend). Junior (16 and younger) weekday rates are $22 with cart for 18, $15 with cart for nine.

Echo Hills is located in Echo just south of I-84 off exit 188. Signs in town point the way to the course.

Willow Creek Country Club

Willow Creek has been serving the golfers of Morrow County since it opened in 1960.

A nine-hole executive course, Willow Creek plays at a par 30 over 1,725 yards. The course has a rating of 58.2 and a slope rating of 82.

A?creek runs through the middle of the course and comes into play on all nine holes. It also supplies a steady supply of water to keep the course green and lush through the dry summer months.

Cost is $12 for nine holes, $20 for 18 and $25 for an all-day pass. Carts are $20 for 18 holes.

The pro shop is only open from 2-5 p.m. but the course opens at 7 a.m. and there is a drop box for paying greens fees.

A trip to Willow Creek in Heppner will take at least an hour from Pendleton and Hermiston but is well worth the drive. Whether players choose to take the more direct route south on Highway 207 from I-84, or the more scenic option west on Heppner Highway from U.S. 395 south of Pilot Rock, the panoramic views are remarkable.

Willow Run Golf Course

Opened in 1972 and designed by Dallas Wilson, Willow Run is a nine-hole executive course that offers alternate tee boxes and two extra greens to create a more varied 18-hole golfing experience than a typical nine-hole course.

Willow Run is a patch of green in a sea of brown for most of the year and features tree-lined fairways and six sand traps, including one large fairway bunker on one of the holes.

The course is 1,803 yards long and plays at a par 31 for nine holes. It has a rating of 58.8 and a slope rating of 90. The longest hole is a 317-yard par 4.

Cost for 18 holes with a cart is $36 on weekdays and $38 on weekends. Carts cost $18 but that drops to $10 for a nine-hole round, which costs $12 on weekdays and $15 on weekends without cart.

Willow Run is just minutes south of I-84 in Boardman.

China Creek Golf Course

The most remote course for visitors to Umatilla County is Arlingtons China Creek.

It is worth the drive, though, and was designed by Wildhorse Golf Course designer John Steidel.

China Creeks nine holes stretch over 2,627 yards of rolling hills that make a golf cart almost a requirement.

The course has a rating of 64.4 and a slope rating of 116 from the longest tees. There is one water hazard and sand hazards on two holes with most of the course open.

China Creek has three par 3s and a par-5 No. 6 as its signature hole.

The course opened in 2003 and costs $30 with cart for 18 holes, $20 for nine holes. Monday through Friday the course offers 18-hole senior rates for golfers 60 and older for $20, cart included.

China Creek is located in Arlington just minutes south of I-84.