Courses near Portland, OR - PICS ADDED Pg 1 Chambers Bay, Pumpkin Ridge, etc

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Flying in thursday a.m. to PDX for the holiday weekend...Not heading to Bandon, but plan on seeing Pumpkin Ridge and Chambers Bay. Are there any other must-sees in the area?

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Update on May 31, 2012:

I played Chambers Bay on friday; Columbia-Edgewater C.C. on Sunday; and Pumpking Ridge GC (Ghost Creek - public) on Tuesday. All in all a great weekend. Chambers was incredibly fun. Pumpkin has all kinds of holes and is a true test of golf. C-E CC was a great club and members' course with a great set of greens.

CHAMBERS BAY:

Aerials





Hole 2 green (par 4)




Hole 9 (par 3)




Nice wide shot with my sticks




Hole 12 (drivable par 4)




Hole 14 (par 4)...similar to the 13th at Pine Valley GC...the tee shot is BEYOND fun, exhilarating, breathtaking.....




Hole 15 (par 3)






Hole 17 green (par 3)




P.S. The new pot bunker on 18 is stupid, IMO, the member I was with agreed.


COLUMBIA EDGEWATER C.C.: - a 1925 A.V. Macan design

6th hole (par 4)




12th hole (par 4)




16th hole (par 4)....really interesting stair step in fairway, apparently one of Freddy Couples's favorite holes




17th holes (par 3)....excellent, picturesque one shotter...18 is certainly a letdown after this signature hole





PUMPKIN RIDGE (GHOST CREEK):
Thanks Emile














































Trivia:  After my early morning round at Pumpkin, my cousin and I had time to drive through the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton before my flight home. It's only ~15 minutes from the course. When Tiger Woods won the US Amateur at Pumpkin in 1996, CEO/Founder Phil Knight was in attendance. While he won the Masters with all Titleist clubs (maybe mizuno irons), who can forget his red sweater and black Nike hat? So I like to think that after his win in 1996, both the sport we love and the entire industry were never quite the same...

[Dan Herrmann]

It's a tough course to get on, but Waverly is worth a look.  I always enjoyed Columbia-Edgewater and Portland GC.  Eastmoreland hosted the USGA Publinx a few years ago and is a very enjoyable course.

[Garland Bayley]

It's a tough course to get on, but Waverly is worth a look.  I always enjoyed Columbia-Edgewater and Portland GC.  Eastmoreland hosted the USGA Publinx a few years ago and is a very enjoyable course.

Waverly has just been through a Hanse restoration.
Eastmoreland hosted the Publinx a long time ago. Heron Lakes hosted it a few years ago.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Thanks for the responses. I'm Playing Chambers Bay on Friday and hopefully Columbia Edgewater CC on Monday. Pumpkin Ridge on Sunday, perhaps

[Sean Leary]

Play both at Pumpkin. Royal Oaks in Vancouver WA if you can as well.

[Dan Herrmann]

Funny story about Royal Oaks.  I was playing at Riverside with a couple from Vancouver BC.   They were playing Royal Oaks the following day, and asked me, "Which 'royal' played the course?"

We all had a good laugh over that one

[Craig Sweet]

If you're in Portland and you don't eat at Pok Pok it would be like being in Bandon and not playing any golf.

[William_G]

Pumpkin is good to see and play when it's dry, and it's not as far away as Chamber's Bay, LOL...

Waverley is re-opening Memorial Day weekend after their "resto-vation" by Gil Hanse...

Another within driving distance is Eugene Country Club, my course, let me know

Have fun and travel safe

[Stephen Davis]

Another good option is the South course at the Reserve. It is a pretty nice course and usually in very good condition.

Waverly is definitely on a must play list for me now that Hanse got his hands on it. I was speaking to a gentleman the other day and he said that they remove 700+ trees from the course. That is my kind of renovation Now if I could only figure out how to see it in person.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Thanks again for all of the recommendations. I guess a 5 day vacation isn't enough when you're a golf nut 

[Pete_Pittock]

Another good option is the South course at the Reserve. It is a pretty nice course and usually in very good condition.

Waverly is definitely on a must play list for me now that Hanse got his hands on it. I was speaking to a gentleman the other day and he said that they remove 700+ trees from the course. That is my kind of renovation Now if I could only figure out how to see it in person.

The Reserve (South) is the private side the second half of the month, and my preference is the North course. Sporry, but I'm travelling that weekend. 

[Matthew Essig]

Thanks again for all of the recommendations. I guess a 5 day vacation isn't enough when you're a golf nut 

Especially a golf nut who is on GCA 

Hope you have a safe flight and a great trip, although the weather, which was amazing for a while has turned into the stereotypical pacific northwest spring weather... Rain Friday, Sunny Saturday, Chance of showers Sunday. If it is windy when it rains on Friday when you are at Chambers, it is going to be extremely difficult, although, as it is a links, the weather might make your experience better.

[Stephen Davis]

Another good option is the South course at the Reserve. It is a pretty nice course and usually in very good condition.

Waverly is definitely on a must play list for me now that Hanse got his hands on it. I was speaking to a gentleman the other day and he said that they remove 700+ trees from the course. That is my kind of renovation Now if I could only figure out how to see it in person.

The Reserve (South) is the private side the second half of the month, and my preference is the North course. Sporry, but I'm travelling that weekend. 

Thanks for the information. I have only played the South, so I couldn't speak for the North. I am glad to hear that you like the North so much. I am going to have to make a trip over there and check it out.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Hope you have a safe flight and a great trip, although the weather, which was amazing for a while has turned into the stereotypical pacific northwest spring weather... Rain Friday, Sunny Saturday, Chance of showers Sunday. If it is windy when it rains on Friday when you are at Chambers, it is going to be extremely difficult, although, as it is a links, the weather might make your experience better.

I don't think we're looking at the same weather report. 69 and sunny on friday, with a chance of birdies!

[Garland Bayley]

Hope you have a safe flight and a great trip, although the weather, which was amazing for a while has turned into the stereotypical pacific northwest spring weather... Rain Friday, Sunny Saturday, Chance of showers Sunday. If it is windy when it rains on Friday when you are at Chambers, it is going to be extremely difficult, although, as it is a links, the weather might make your experience better.

I don't think we're looking at the same weather report. 69 and sunny on friday, with a chance of birdies!

The Oregonian (Portland's newpaper) has rain showers for Friday.

[Kalen Braley]

I've found this site to be very accurate.

Looks like Friday thru Sunday should be just fine.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USOR0275

[Stephen Davis]

It is raining cats and dogs here right now, but I think tomorrow is supposed to be fine. At least I hope so, because I am hoping to play Pumpkin Ridge on Saturday afternoon and I would love for it to get a full day and a half to dry out some.

[Matthew Essig]

If you are playing Chambers on Friday like you said, it was supposed to rain as of yesterday, but I just checked and it is supposed to be okay now. I hate meteorologists sometimes. Although is supposed to be a little breezy. Anyway, have fun!!!

[Matthew Essig]

I hope you wouldn't mind taking pictures of the us open preparation changes at Chambers. You don't have to take a picture of the pot bunker on 18, but changes like 1, the drive on 18, the back tee on 3, the back tee on 6 (not sure if they added this yet), the new green on 13 which is supposed to open at the end of the month, and the green on 7 (it may be a pile of dirt because it isn't finished until next year).

[Emile Bonfiglio]

I'm playing pumpkin tomorrow AM, I'll post how it is.

[Stephen Davis]

I'm playing pumpkin tomorrow AM, I'll post how it is.

Thanks! I would appreciate it!

[Kalen Braley]

I've found this site to be very accurate.

Looks like Friday thru Sunday should be just fine.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USOR0275

Intellicast is right again as I look at the current conditions and radar!!  

Enjoy that nice weekend weather.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

wet, wet, wet ,wet...I barely hit my 3 wood thin from the fairway and it embedded 1 foot in front of me. That course just doesn't drain well. And the rough was USGA quality long.

[Stephen Davis]

Dang! I don't know why I was hoping for anything different, but I will enjoy my round tomorrow none the less. Thanks for the update.

[Joe Stansell]

I hope you wouldn't mind taking pictures of the us open preparation changes at Chambers.

I played Chambers Bay yesterday and took pictures that might be of interest:

First up, the first green, softened on the left side to reduce the number of tee shots that will roll all the way down the hill. I have tested this new "feature" twice, now, and can attest that it works.



This one is a bit difficult to see, but the following photo shows the new tee box (where the dunes peak, in the middle of the photo) on the third hole, looking back from the green:



Here's a photo of the 5th fairway, which shows that they've taken out the alternate 5th green and are in the process of "pinching" the fairway with waste bunkers on each side; happily, I'm hoping the new mow line on the right side of the fairway will be as its playing now -- i.e., no rough carried all the way into the rightside waste bunker:



This photo shows the new tee box being added to the 6th hole; I have to say that this tee box is meaningless for all but professionals, as I've never seen anyone even tee off from the strip behind the 5th green, much less from way back where this tee box is located:



This photo (taken from the 5th tee box) shows the progress that's being made on the new 7th green complex; it won't be ready for play until next Spring, soonest:



Finally, the next two photos show the new 13th green complex, which is supposed to open for play sometime in June. The first is from the fairway, the second is from behind the green. Interestingly, in the first picture, you can see the scar on the hillside way up high behind the green; presumably that's a new "big boy" tee box for the 14th hole. Let's just say its ridiculous for us mere mortals to think up teeing off from way up there.