Images of Portland, OR golf courses

« **on:** February 16, 2006, 01:37:29 AM »

Hey everyone. Now that I have acquired some server space you can expect more of these kinds of posts. Below are digital photos of courses taken from my personal library. I will label each of them and list their architect.

Pumpkin Ridge Ghost Creek par 3 sixteenth hole. Another Cupp and Fought design

Ghost Creek's one shot 3rd hole

Ghost Creek's par 4 seventh hole

Langdon Farms (Cupp & Fought) par 3 third hole

Langdon's cool split fairway par 4 fourth hole

Langdon's short par 3 6th

Weird mounded par 4 16th hole

Langdon's par 3 seventeenth

The Reserve South's par 3 7th hole

The Reserve (Cupp & Fought) South Course par 5 6th hole

Heron's drop shot par 3 fourth hole

Heron Lakes Great Blue (RTJ Jr.) dogleg left par 4 eighth hole

Heron's par 5 twelvth

Heron's diabolic downhill split fairway par 4 sixteenth hole (former NFL QB Jack Trudeau drove the green and knocked it in the jar for an ace in a celeb tourney years ago 350+

)

Heron's opening hole, a gentle dogleg right par 4 (with water and bunkers everywhere)

Red Tail's Golf Course's par 4 12th hole. Formerly Progress Downs, this course was reworked a few years back by John Zoller, former pro player and Director of Golf here in Portland.

Venerable Eastmoreland's all water carry par 3 seventeenth (H. Chandler Egan design)

« **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2006, 01:48:17 AM »

Quote from: Peter Pittock on February 16, 2006, 01:43:52 AM

Michael,
Nice pictures, but a couple of captions wrong at the Reserve.
The par five is #6, not #7.
The par 3 7th is on the South Course, not the North course.

Fixed!!

« **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2006, 08:45:00 AM »

The fairway bunker on the 7th at Ghost Creek was affectionately named the "T**ty Bunker" by our old group.

Big hitters can challenge the 3rd bunker to really shorten the hole, but you don't want to hit it left.

I don't remember #4 at Langdon having the lower fairway when I played there, but it has been at least 6 or 7 years since I was last there. I'm not sure it has any real value since the second shot is so blind.

« **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:48:59 AM »

Quote from: John Vander Borght on February 16, 2006, 08:45:00 AM

...
I don't remember #4 at Langdon having the lower fairway when I played there, but it has been at least 6 or 7 years since I was last there. I'm not sure it has any real value since the second shot is so blind.

Talk about memorability be an indicator of greatness. This is the most memorable hole at Langdon, because of the split fairway. As I remember it, the angle into the green from the right (upper) fairway is terrible. Also, there is risk/reward in trying to carry the lower fairway for a short chip/pitch to the green.

« **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:56:55 AM »

I agree that you always wanted to carry the bunker to get the best angle, I just don't remember the lower area before the bunker as being fairway, but I only played it a couple of times when I lived out there and it was a long time ago.

« **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2006, 02:23:55 PM »

I think the lower fairway on the 4th at Langdon Farms was originally rough. Now mowed for speed of play.

« **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2006, 02:42:49 PM »

It's been several years since I played there, but I am pretty sure the scorecard called the 4th hole a split-fairway hole. I doubt they would promote it on the scorecard that way if it was rough at first.

« **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2006, 02:52:23 PM »

That lower fairway was most definitely rough in past years, really long rough from what I recall.

« **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2006, 05:09:05 PM »

I'm not sure I would want to meet the maniac that mows that slope in a dark alley. The picture doesn't do justice to how steep it is.

« **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2006, 07:25:53 PM »

Quote from: Mike_Erdmann on February 16, 2006, 02:52:23 PM

That lower fairway was most definitely rough in past years, really long rough from what I recall.

I had to look at the picture twice to even see what "lower fairway" everyone was talking about. It certainly used to be rough, but the main part of that hole was the risk reward trying to hit it over that bunker.

« **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2006, 09:47:44 PM »

Michael,

Is the 4th at Heron Lakes really a drop shot? I usually hit a mid-iron to that green.

-Micah

« **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2006, 11:51:47 PM »

Some Nice Photos, Mike.

My Short takes:

Ghost Creek 16th...a fantastic short, short hole...wedge on the green for a very possible birdie...miss the green and nothing but trouble.

btw...Cupp designed Pumpkin Courses without the "assistance" of JF....thank God!

Landgon Farms...when will the Maletis brothers do this course justice and plough it under to make a business park?...the contrived mounding and pompous grass tufts make this easily the worst design in the area.

Just a couple of more weeks of sun and wind and Heron Lakes might become playable...It's a shame that these fine courses become bogs in the rainy season.

Eastmoreland is where I had my junior card (75 cents per 9-holes)...The gem of muni golf in this great city of inexpensive quality golf courses...This course makes you play more different clubs off the tee box than any other that I have ever played...What fun to have to think how far to hit the ball versus just calling for the Big Dog on 14 of 18 holes.

Is there any interest in getting a GCA game together in the Portland area once the cold snap is over?

« **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2006, 08:13:04 AM »

Boy - the number of new courses in metro PDX is amazing. I moved from Portland in 1993, and a lot of the gems you pictured weren't there.

Eastmoreland rocks, and I always used to like the Heron courses. But Langdon, Redtail, etc.. are all new.

You should try to get some pics of the old private clubs - Waverly, Riverside, C-E, Portland, etc... Waverly is a course that deserves some architectural analysis, I think.

Thanks for the great pics!

« **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2006, 10:56:18 AM »

Quote from: Dan Herrmann on February 17, 2006, 08:13:04 AM

Boy - the number of new courses in metro PDX is amazing. I moved from Portland in 1993, and a lot of the gems you pictured weren't there.

Eastmoreland rocks, and I always used to like the Heron courses. But Langdon, Redtail, etc.. are all new.
...

Redtail is the old Progress Downs. I've played it only a few times, but my recollection is that it didn't change much when it was rebuilt. Maybe others are more familiar/have better memories.

« **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2006, 10:58:33 AM »

Quote from: Jim Adkisson on February 16, 2006, 11:51:47 PM

...
Is there any interest in getting a GCA game together in the Portland area once the cold snap is over?

I would like to get together, but preferably after the days get much longer . I.e., April or later.

« **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2006, 12:20:10 PM »

Jim,

John Fought did have a hand in the design of Pumpkin Ridge. If you are ever in the men's locker room at Witch Hollow, look at some of the routing drawings in there. On the one that comes closest to the actual course as constructed you can find at least one note with his initials on it.

Micah, I wouldn't call #4 at the Great Blue a "drop shot" either, but it is downhill. I remember working the old Portland Invitational at Heron Lakes back in the mid-90s. There were motorcycle races going on at PIR that day. Players would be up there on the tee with the race track at their back and as they took it back, a bike or two would come roaring by so they'd back off and reset and then another 3 would come by. It took some guys 4 or 5 tries to actually hit the shot.

« **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2006, 01:38:49 PM »

At www.foughtdesign.com he takes credit for work at Pumpkin Ridge.

« **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2006, 10:25:53 AM »

I stand (possibly) corrected regarding Fought's work at Pumpkiin...the course's website http://pumpkinridge.nemexinc.com/golf.cfm doesn't give him any credit at all.

Dan, my family lived on the drive into Waverley during my teen years and early 20's...My brother and I would frequently dress up like country clubbers and jump the fence to play twilight golf...It's a beautiful old wooded parkland course with diabolic greens...I've always wondered how the holes that play to the clubhouse are

« **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2006, 10:37:06 AM »

These courses are open now?

Is it worth the drive from freezing Montana (only -10 this morning) to play them this time of year?

« **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2006, 01:14:15 PM »

Michael,

Good stuff. I wonder if you have any pictures of Riverside? I think a lot of people here would enjoy that course.

« **Reply #20 on:** February 19, 2006, 01:03:10 AM »

Quote from: Craig Sweet on February 18, 2006, 10:37:06 AM

These courses are open now?

Is it worth the drive from freezing Montana (only -10 this morning) to play them this time of year?

Generally courses in Portland are open year round. Right now we are suffering through some unusually cold weather and some may restrict play. Another factor is that is usually is very wet and on some courses you can lose you ball when it comes down and buries itself, even in the fairway. I have not experienced buried balls in the fairway, but I have been told it happens at Eastmoreland.

« **Reply #21 on:** February 19, 2006, 07:02:56 AM »

Thanks for the photos, I didn't care much for this one though -

What happened here? It looks like the exact same shape of bunker repeated over and over. Does anyone think this looks good?

« **Reply #22 on:** February 19, 2006, 11:19:24 AM »

I'll be in Portland June 5-16 and hope to get some of the local GCAers together for a weekday round at Columbia-Edgewater. Will be in touch later.

It will be warmer and drier then for sure, right?

« **Reply #23 on:** February 19, 2006, 12:58:10 PM »

Its the Augusta look. Original sand was sun-glasses needed white.

« **Reply #24 on:** February 19, 2006, 03:10:36 PM »

Mike

I agree with you. More than one of those Heron photos have bunker overkill.

Michael

I really enjoyed the Langdon pics. Do you have more?

Ciao

Sean

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