Sean,
As you friend is moving to Portland in a few years for two or three years and is looking for a private club to join here is what to expect.
You can golf year-round, but handicaps are frozen Dec-Feb because ground conditions are less than firm. Expect about 25" of rain in the winter, 35" overall. Slight chance of snow remaining on the ground for more than a day.
Usually equity clubs, some also have non equity memberships. When you leave the club likely will refund part of your initiation, usually in the 20%-40% range, usually when your membership is re-sold. Few clubs are full or have waiting lists. Most also have tennis courts and swimming pools and a good social program. Dues in the top and middle tiers are probably in the $400-$600 in the md-range clubs.
Many clubs levy assessments over and above dues, have dining minimums have other fees.
Portland has one of the higher commute times so golf should be near work or home. Information about individual clubs can be obtained by contacting the club through their websites. I will try to group by what I think are initiation fees,
Top tier clubs, all have held multiple USGA events.
Waverley CC High end old line club located on the Willamette River near south city limits. Good drainage, semi-hilly, five short climbs, 50'ish
Portland GC. High end club located in SW Portland on Scholls Ferry Rd. Moderate drainage, semi hilly, fewer but high climbs.
Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow). West of town in North Plains. Golf only, affiliated with American Golf. Modern design. Flattish, iffy drainage. Pumpkin Ridge also has Ghost Creek, a public daily fee course with a separate clubhouse near the far end of the double-ended range. Witch Hollow hosts a Web.com vent in August.
Next
Royal Oaks is located in Vancouver WA north of the Portland airport (PDX). Flat, well draining. holes fairly straight through evergreens or oaks.
Some holes are tight.
Columbia-Edgewater is located just west of the airport on Marine Drive. Flat, reasonable drainage. Straight to slight doglegs hole through variety of trees. Holds an LPGA event in August. Has a 9 hole short course.
Riverside CC. Abuts Columbia Edgewater on the south. Lotta doglegs, helps if you can work the ball both ways. Flat,reasonable drainage
Oregon Golf Club is south of town near West Linn near the top of Pete's Mpuntain. Very hilly. Modern design
Oswego Lake CC in the SW suburb of Lake Oswego. Hilly, tight, provides a cart to get to the 8th tee.
Willamette Valley CC in the south east exurb of Canby. Modern design, flat, mostly good drainage.
Tualatin CC in the SW suburb of Tualatin. Tight, straight holes. front through very tall evergreens.
Persimmon GC in east suburb of Gresham. Modern, hilly, moderate quirk.
Outlier courses- Club Green Meadows (Vancouver WA), The Cedars (Brush Prairie, WA) Orchard Hills (Washougal, WA), Rock Creek (aloha OR)
The Reserve Vineyards is a semi-private club in Aloha OR which has 36 holes, with the private and public course alternating on the 1st and 16th of the month. Two very different golf courses. I have a membership.