Eugene CC, Sandpines?

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Looking to play something else on my way out to Bandon, any ideas?  Are either of these two worth the trip?

[Scott_Burroughs]

I'll recommend Eugene, though I haven't played Sandpines.  I'll take a wild stab that I wouldn't like Sandpines as much.  If you can't get on Eugene or have more time, you might want to try Ocean Dunes, also in Florence.  Here's Ron Whitten recent update on it:

http://www.golfdigest.com/courses/critic/index.ssf?/courses/critic/oceandunes.html

It sounds a bit like Pacific Grove's back nine.

[jim_lewis]

Ben:

Is this a trick question?  Of course Eugene CC is worth playing.
If you have time, try to play Astoria. There is probably nothing like it in North America.

If your car breaks down in Florence and you have to kill half a day waiting for it to be repaired, play Sandpines.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I'll second Jim's recommendation of Astoria.  It's a little out of the way, but well worth it.  Very fun and unique.  A you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it course.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Not a trick, those were the two that came to mind on the drive from Portland to Bandon.

Where is Astoria?

Thanks for the advice guys.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Astoria is in Warrenton, in the far NW corner of the state.  I assume you're driving from Portland, so it's just a little more circuitous, with route 101 being not nearly as slow as you might think it is.  Just don't let the slog of traffic in Seaside get you down.  101 has numerous passing lanes/sections and has some great views, especially through one state park section along the cliffs high up.

Another note about Eugene.  Ask to play with a member who is knowledgable about the reversal of the course.

[Mike Erdmann]

Astoria is at the far northwest tip of Oregon, right where the Columbia River meets the Pacific.  It's about a 90 minute drive west/northwest of Portland, so not really on your way from Portland to Bandon.  Definitely worth the time though, if you can find it in your schedule.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ben,

The drive to Astoria, and then, down the Oregon coast is spectacular, take a camera and have a great time.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Thanks again guys, I may now go through Seattle and then drive down from there (business stuff).

Perhaps I will go down through Eugene and back up through Astoria.

Can anyone give me some info on Astoria, I know it has been discussed, but the search revealed nothing for me.

[Bill_McBride]

Ben, if you've got time and want to play an inland course near Eugene, drive up the Mackenzie River highway and play Tokatee Golf Course, a beautiful, very natural public bargain. The holes in the trees are tight, the holes in the meadow area are demanding with excellent green complexes.  Just a super day on a low cost course, about an hour and a half max from Eugene.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

I highly recommend Eugene CC and don't waist your time on Sandpines. I also think Astoria would be a good choice as would Pumpkin Ridge.

[Pete Lavallee]

If you are traveling down the I 5 from Eugene to Bandon, you might want to go a little out of your way to try Eagle Point GC, near Medford. The drive by Crater Lake and the Rouge River is very scenic. I really enjoyed this RTJ Jr. course. The only reason to play Sandpines is so you can join in on the disscussions of what a wasted opportunity this course turned out to be.

[Doug Wright]

Scott Burroughs,

Didn't you do an AOTD of Astoria? If you could pull that up it'd be helpful--I seem to recall it was one weird course...

All The Best,

[Mike Erdmann]

Ben (& others), here's a picture of Astoria from John Vander Borght's website.  As illustrated by this photo, many of the holes run right between the natural dune lines.  Most certainly aren't this tight, but the photo gives you a taste of the quirkiness.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Mike,
That is a great picture, post more if you have them.

Looks like a lot of fun.  Who is the architect of record?  George Junor?

[John_D._Bernhardt]

I would love to see more pictures of Astoria too

[Scott_Burroughs]

Here's the aerial of Astoria, which was AOTD #80.  Having recently played Astoria, the holes aren't as straight as they look, as several tees are offset making them slight doglegs.  For instance, the hole at the far right #9, a par 5, has the two back tees on the other side of the creek at the top right of the pic.  The big, long fairway corridor in the middle, is actually two holes, with the tees at the top of each parallel dune, making each a dogleg left.