What's the Most Interesting Course in Portland, Oregon?

[Tom_Doak]

I am going to spend a day or so in Portland on my next trip to Bandon in order to see a couple of courses for The Confidential Guide.

Getting out to Astoria CC is first on my list, and I've already been to Pumpkin Ridge.  If I've only got time to see one or two of the other courses in Portland, which should be my first priorities?  Below is my current pecking order, based on flimsy info.  Please rearrange as you see fit.

Waverly
Columbia-Edgewater
Eastmoreland
Portland GC

[Dave McCollum]

Never played golf in Portland , so no help here.  My son went to Reed College which is next door to Eastmoreland, so I’ve seen golfers hoofing around there in the drizzle.  Seems like a classic layout overgrown with huge Douglas Firs that make for narrow playing corridors.  That’s the walk by impression, for whatever that is worth.  Take your rainsuit. 

[Richard Choi]

Pete Pittock should be the man for this job...

[Nick Schaan]

Tom,

Go 5 min from the airport across the river into Vancouver and look at Royal Oaks. It is the best in the area.

In Portland Metro,

1. Waverley
2.Columbia Edgewater/ Riverside  CC
3. Portland GC
4. Oswego Lake CC

Public golf in Portland is not bad but not great either? Tops a probably Heron Lakes, and Langdon Farms.

[Sean Leary]

Waverley by far. I haven't played since the redo by Hanse but it is certainly the most interesting in that list by a good bit.

[John Kirk]

Tom,

Based on limited experiences, I like:

1.  Waverly
2.  Columbia-Edgewater
3.  Royal Oaks

Rose City GC
Portland GC.

Edited.

[Rob Rigg]

1. Waverley - Must see after the reno


2. Portland - A good classic NW parkland course. Some interesting greens and a bit more elevation/movement than other local fare
2. CECC - Not a lot of Macan left but a unique inner / outer loop and some very enjoyable holes.

4. Royal Oaks - Another good course - IMO it is more uniform than PGC or CECC - narrow, big trees, with back/front sloping greens

Hopefully you are visiting in August or Sept to enjoy the lovely PDX summer weather!

[William_G]

Waverly

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom,

Go 5 min from the airport across the river into Vancouver and look at Royal Oaks. It is the best in the area.

Interesting Nick, someone else recently mentioned to me that Royal Oaks is quite good. I'd never heard of the course before.

@Tom: Waverley is a must-see, in my opinion. Its setting, history, clubhouse, and the golf course are really, really neat. The place exceeded my expectation during a recent visit, which doesn't happen so often anymore.

[Bill_McBride]

With the nines reversed at CECC, the original plan, it's an authentic Muirfield routing.  There is some elevation change and a number of interesting greens.  I love the place. 

[Tom_Doak]

So far, my flimsy order seems to be holding up pretty well.  I had forgotten about Oswego Lake, there's an old pic of it in George Thomas' book, I think.

I hope that Royal Oaks is more interesting than their web site photos of the course would indicate, but I don't know if I will have time to get that far down the list this trip.

[Pete_Pittock]

Without question, Waverley is at the top of the list. After that it is a tossup. Be advised that the Sellwood Bridge is a construction zone. The second course I would recommend is Riverside, which has Macan roots and flies below the radar. Good use of doglegs, mostly good greens, good ballstriking course. It could use a judicious tree-trimming. I gave Jim U a quick tour when he was looking at Macan remnants in the area. It id directly south of Columbia Edgewater if you want aerial view. I've always liked Royal Oaks, but it only comes alive with greens at tournament speed.

As to your pecking order I would reverse Portland GC and Eastmoreland. The best holes at the latter(11 and 13) are too short for today's game. But don't expect anything above a 6.

Our courses are just coming through aeration. It was a shock after Streamsong.

[Pete_Pittock]

Regarding Riverside I'll check on Monday to see what Eldrick shot in the Hogan Cup (Eddie, not Ben), which is a junior state association team event).
EDIT:
Tiger shot 72-73=145 to win low individual by two shots. This was in 1990, when he was 14. Only other noticeable name was Jason Gore, who shot 158.

[Jeff_Mingay]

So far, my flimsy order seems to be holding up pretty well.  I had forgotten about Oswego Lake, there's an old pic of it in George Thomas' book, I think.

I hope that Royal Oaks is more interesting than their web site photos of the course would indicate, but I don't know if I will have time to get that far down the list this trip.

Lake Oswego's on the cover of Thomas' book, Tom... isn't it? I should have made time to go over there for a look last fall, but I didn't unfortunately; it can't top Waverley, I'm sure.

[Garland Bayley]

My preference in the publics is for Rose City over Eastmoreland.
I haven't played many of the privates, but I loved Columbia Edgewater from seeing it during the LPGA tourney.

[John Kirk]

Royal Oaks is loved because the greens are often smooth and lightning fast.  The course has a few good holes, but in general it is very narrow with overgrown trees.

By the way, whether the club is spelled Waverly or Waverley is a bit tough to figure out.  It's located on Waverly Drive.

[Adam Clayman]

Tom, checkout the trophy case at Portland. Great history. And when you see the 10th at Eastmoreland, imagine a much smaller green abutting. the rear bunkers.

[Steve Lang]

  and for dinner, Peter P's recommended Salty's Seafood Grill on the river...  3839 NE Marine Dr, Portland, OR 97211

[Pete_Pittock]

So far, my flimsy order seems to be holding up pretty well.  I had forgotten about Oswego Lake, there's an old pic of it in George Thomas' book, I think.

I hope that Royal Oaks is more interesting than their web site photos of the course would indicate, but I don't know if I will have time to get that far down the list this trip.

Lake Oswego's on the cover of Thomas' book, Tom... isn't it? I should have made time to go over there for a look last fall, but I didn't unfortunately; it can't top Waverley, I'm sure.

Probably very little left from the original except the hills and more mature trees.

[Pete_Pittock]

and for dinner, Peter P's recommended Salty's Seafood Grill on the river...  3839 NE Marine Dr, Portland, OR 97211

When Jonathan Cummings was here we dined in the wine room at the Veritable Quandary.

[Pete_Pittock]

.

By the way, whether the club is spelled Waverly or Waverley is a bit tough to figure out.  It's located on Waverly Drive.

It is Waverley, was orginally Waverly, but changed about a century ago. Legend has it a printer's error was accepted in short times and they changed the name. I'll have to re-look it up in the club history.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

Tom-

The People's Republic of Portland welcomes you whenever you come, let me know where you end eating lunch and I'll be sure in interrupt again  . You can't go wrong with the choices that you've listed, if you go to Astoria, you should go 6 miles south and look at Gearhart Links (oldest course west of Mississippi). I'd also throw out Stone Creek in Oregon City, it has 2 diverse nines and is the most playable course  when its wet outside because of its construction and conditioning.

I play more rounds at Eastmoreland than at any other course. Some of the transitions between holes are odd and its is surrounded by Railroad Tracks, but I think it is worth a look. The back nine has some great holes.

[Garland Bayley]

If we are now doing restaurant recommendations, I recommend Marrakesh, and Jarra's Ethiopian.

[Dan Grossman]

I made a few golf trips to Portland about 10-years ago and saw most of the courses discussed above.  I've put my order below.  One caveat is that I saw Waverly before the re-do, I've moved it up based on what I have heard about it.  When I saw it, it probably would have been 2nd or 3rd on the list.  

I really enjoyed CECC and it was the surprise of our trip.  It needed at chain saw (at the time), everything about it was just wonderful from the routing to the green sites.

Astoria CC is interesting because of the wild topography, although now that I have seen it, I wouldn't miss a round at either Waverly, CECC or Portland GC.  The "wild topography" is a bit odd, however, because all the sand dunes have been grassed over and the holes tend to run between these narrow dunes, rather than over.  If you expecting the sand dunes of Bandon, you will be bummed.

Eastmoreland was very neat and had "great bones," but needed a chain saw and some TLC.

1) Waverly
2) CECC
3) Portland GC
4) Witch Hollow
5) Astoria CC
6) Ghost Creek
7) Eastmoreland
Royal Oaks

[Scott_Burroughs]

Two notes about Eastmoreland....the 10th tee is similar in vein to the openers at Riviera and Merion....right in front of the clubhouse/gathering area.  If alone, good luck finding the 14th tee after 13 green if you hadn't already gotten an idea of the layout of the course ahead of time.

[Tags:]

Tags: