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Andrew Cunningham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Eugene, Oregon
« on: January 12, 2006, 10:57:45 PM »
I'm thinking of making the pilgrimage to Bandon Dunes in early March and wondered about a side trip to Eugene.  Are courses in Eugene open in early March?

If one was fortunate enough to get an invitation to play either Pronghorn or Eugene Country Club would it be a shame to miss either of these courses given the fact that a return trip probably wouldn't be an option for at least another 10 years?  Both websites suggest yes, but I wonder how far out of the way they really are.  Five, six hours?  Can you play 36 in one day in Eugene that time of year?

Thanks,


Andrew
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Mark Leo

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2006, 11:10:30 PM »
Andrew:

Out last trip we actually flew into Eugene and drove about 2 and 1/2 to 3 hrs to Bandon.  If you time it right, you could play in Eugene after arrival, and then drive to Bandon.

Pronghorn is in Bend, OR which is really out of the way for  a combined trip.
Mark
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Pat Howard

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2006, 11:26:24 PM »
Good advice from Mark, as Pronghorn is about 2 1/2 hours from Eugene in the opposite direction from Bandon. You won't be disapointed with Eugene CC, it's a great older course, tree-lined and perfect greens. Should be open, although I don't know how much rain they've been having down there.

25 straight days of rain here in Seattle... :'(
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Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2006, 11:27:00 PM »
As Mark  said, it depends where you fly into.  If you fly into North Bend airport (which is hundreds of miles from Bend) then it doesn't make sense to do a Eugene side trip.  However if you fly into Eugene and drive from there, then it is worth playing Eugene CC.  Although it gets panned here on GCA, I like it quite a bit.  That time of year it may be a bit soggy, however.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2006, 11:27:34 PM by Sean Leary »
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John Kirk

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2006, 12:15:19 AM »
Eugene CC is the quintessential Pacific Northwest classic course.  It is a rather small course, with mature specimen trees, so it is quite narrow in places.  The ground has pretty good movement, given it is built on a valley floor.  The mature poa greens are always fast and smooth.

Also, Eugene is a nice college town, home of the University of Oregon.

And yes, Pat, we're getting a whole lot of rain this past month, about 15 inches worth around Portland.
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Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2006, 04:57:57 AM »
When you go to Oregon you make a commitment. You've got the Portland area; Bend is inland east on the other side of the Cascade Range; Eugene is south of Portland on the west side of the Cascade Range, and Bandon is south along the western coast of Oregon. You can't combine Bend and Bandon unless you have your own airplane. Any other two areas are combinable, but with different transport options.

If you are intent on Bandon, you're best pairing is with Eugene, which is easily drivable, only 2.5 hours, and brings Sandpines and Ocean Dunes into play at the midway point between them along the coast. Eugene is best reached via Unied Air from either Denver or SFO.

If you want to fly into Bandon (actually North Bend/Coss Bay), you do it on Alaska Air through Portland.

The key, as mentioned above, is not to confuse North Bend and Bend.The two towns are 250 miles apart and can only be reached by a very slow drive, private plane or by scheduled flights involving a change of airlines through Portland.

See how easy it is?
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Mike Erdmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2006, 07:39:45 AM »
Both are worth playing, Pronghorn a little more worthy IMHO.  Pronghorn might be a little dicey in early March because it's on the cold (though dry) side of the mountains.  It's a 2 hour drive from Eugene, 4.5 from Bandon.  You'd have no problem getting in 36 at Eugene CC.  It can be damp that time of year here in the Willamette Valley, but Eugene CC has put in a lot of sand channel drainage the last few years and plays fairly dry.
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Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2006, 10:43:24 AM »
The Nationwide Tour plays Shadow Hills outside Eugene on their Oregon stop.  I haven't played it yet (I will play it April 3). Anybody played it and has opinions?
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Michael Hayes

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2006, 10:47:36 AM »
Garland, I will be at shadow hills next thurs. Jan 19th...I will report back my immpressions...

we have only 3...Mike Erdman or any one else interested...

MH
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Bandonistas Unite!!!

Troy Alderson

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2006, 02:38:13 PM »
Andrew,

I am located on the east side of the Cascades and KahNeeTa is open for play, but Pronghorn maybe closed.  Pronghorn is very high end and may not allow play during the winter months.  We are drier this time of year then the Wilamette Valley, but we have received alot of rain this winter.  Most courses here are probably still closed or soaking wet as KahNeeTa is.

Enjoy Eugene GCC, Shadow Hills, and Bandon first and visit Pronghorn during the spring and fall.

Troy
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Scott_Burroughs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2006, 03:40:15 PM »
Quote from: John Kirk on January 13, 2006, 12:15:19 AM
Also, Eugene is a nice college town, home of the University of Oregon.

Which is important, as it is where Animal House was filmed.   ;D  The 'Omega' House is still there to see, but the 'Delta' House is not, which was right next door.

The parade at the end of the movie was filmed 20 miles south in Cottage Grove.  Take a stroll down main street (or whatever it's called) and it should still look familiar.

Not that I've checked any of this out or done any of this or anything... 8)

Oh, and Eugene CC is a very nice course that needs some tree trimming done.  The design (redesign, I should say) makes good use of a large depression/gully running through the course.  3 of 4 par 3's over water, though, a bit RTJ repetitive.
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Michael Dugger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2006, 12:59:54 AM »
The only thing you are going to regret missing is at Bandon Dunes, nothing else is that splendid.

I swear this question has been asked a million and one times.

THe bottomline is that nothing on the coast is going to compare to the three courses at Bandon Dunes so do not waste your time with them.

Skip Portland, skip Eugene.  Go to Bend and do it up.  Play Pronghorn, try and get on Weiskopf and Morrish's Broken Top.  Play Crosswater.  Spend a day at the pulverized red volcanic rock bunkered Aspen Lakes in nearby sisters.  There is good golf to be found at Awbrey Glen, Black Butte and either of the other two Sunriver courses.  Play Tokatee on the way over to Bandon to complete a grand stay in the central Oregon highlands.  It's a very neat high desert climate.

Eugene Country Club is ok, J. Kirk summed it up well.  There are some neat holes out there, no doubt, but nothing else in Eugene make it worth stopping there.  If you are serious about getting some rounds in, go to Bend and then Bandon.

Just my two bits.

   
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What does it matter if the poor player can putt all the way from tee to green, provided that he has to zigzag so frequently that he takes six or seven putts to reach it?     --Alistair Mackenzie--

Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2006, 08:58:17 AM »
Astoria, Astoria . . .

not to be mistaken for Bandon, but within easy reach of Portland, on the coast, and a wonderful, quirky, amazing set of holes through the bottom floor of parallel dunes.

And to think that 15 years ago people got excited about Salishan.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2006, 09:06:25 AM by Brad Klein »
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ed_getka

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2006, 01:37:24 PM »
Andrew,
   I would go to Bandon Dunes first and then have yourself in a position to cancel the rest of the golf when you can't tear yourself away from those 3 courses.
Brad,
   If I was on a Bandon trip, Astoria is the one quirky course I would make time for based on what I read in your book. Some day. 8)
« Last Edit: January 14, 2006, 01:38:05 PM by ed_getka »
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"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

Patrick_Mucci

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2006, 01:42:31 PM »
Andrew,

Since you're going to be in Eugene, take Michael Dugger's suggestion and play Tokatee, which is an hour or less, east of Eugene.

While Tommy Naccarato will take me to task, I think it's worth the trip.

Then, if you're driving from Eugene to Bandon, you have to go through Florence, Oregon, so play Sandpines.

For that suggestion, Michael Dugger, Tommy Naccarato and a host of others will rail at me.

Astoria is TOO far away from Eugene, but, I'm told it's a must play if you're in the Portland area and Noah's Ark has docked.
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Andrew Cunningham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2006, 09:47:38 PM »
Thanks for the input guys!

Andrew
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Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2006, 10:27:56 PM »
I really liked Eugene CC. It is not far from the Interstate and makes for a great contrast to the Bandon courses. Brad accurately conveyed the realities of combining the different areas in Oregon during one trip.
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A_Clay_Man

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2006, 09:14:09 AM »
This isn't Adam. Brought Portland's bad weather down to Farmington. Pronghorn is in the Redmond weather sector so it may be open in March. You'll have to check the Cascade mtn passes for snow.Haven't been to Eugene in a couple of years, before the sanding, but we had a number of plugged lost balls.
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Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #18 on: January 27, 2006, 02:44:29 PM »
Quote from: Michael Hayes on January 13, 2006, 10:47:36 AM
Garland, I will be at shadow hills next thurs. Jan 19th...I will report back my immpressions...
Michael, care to share your impressions of Shadow Hills?
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Michael Hayes

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #19 on: January 27, 2006, 02:49:49 PM »
Garland...

My impressions of Shadow Hills were that Eugene was so wet we kept driving on to bandon to play 9 holes with Tom Jefferson ;D.  
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Bandonistas Unite!!!

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #20 on: January 27, 2006, 02:55:47 PM »
Michael,

Probably a good choice.
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Yancey_Beamer

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #21 on: January 27, 2006, 06:08:38 PM »
Andrew,
Eugene is amazing, great beauty with excellent golf.
Astoria is truly unique,one of a kind.You are literally in valleys formed by large dunes.A must play.
Then on to Bandon and those excellent courses.
You can easily do this in one trip.
I did.
Yancey
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peter_p

Re:Eugene, Oregon
« Reply #22 on: January 27, 2006, 07:27:17 PM »
     Shadow Hills has a problem with casual water on the greens after middlin' rain. I spent 3 hours on one green squeegeeing to get a college tournament finished. The Nationwide event got shortened by one round last year, same problem.
     Trysting Tree, an hour north has been flooded all of 2006 and the OSU rowing team is using the course for kayaking and scull practice because the Willamette is too dangerous.
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/01/25/43d722df1487f

     Unless it dries up, head straight to Bandon. Portland is 2x rainfall this month, with another 2" forecast this weekend.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2006, 07:28:57 PM by Peter Pittock »
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