Dug this thread out of the archives to post a few photos from Astoria G&CC that I took Saturday morning. Astoria gets discussed on here now and then, but not too many from outside the region have played it due to its somewhat remote location on the north Oregon coast. That's too bad, as it's a wonderfully quirky course. It was on Golfweek's Top 100 Classical in the past, and Brad has a whole chapter on the course in his Rough Meditations book, but even so I'd still very much call it a hidden gem.
While the course is back from the ocean by a half mile or so, its dominated by the massive parallel dunes. The majority of these holes run north south between the dune ridges, with the par 3 4th playing to the NW, and three holes at the north end of the property (2, 8, 17) running east-west.
Link to Google satellite photo.
#3 - 378 yard par 4. A very claustrophobic feeling on the tee, with an iron being a wise choice. Cart path looks downright aweful, but there's not much alternative given the steepness of the dunes and the heavy amount of rain the area gets.
Same hole, but from above the green looking back towards the tee.
And again, but from behind the green, showing the steepness of the dunes. Depending on the length of the grass, sometimes an errant ball will kick back down, sometimes not.
#6 - 308 yard par 4. A very cool hole. Trying to drive the green here requires you to flirt with the slope of the dune coming down from the right. A very tricky second shot if you miss the fairway right.
#8 - 360 yard par 4. One of the three east-west holes on the NE corner of the property that lack the huge dunes elsewhere on the course.
#14 - 444 yard par 4.
Same hole, looking back towards the tee.
#15 - 269 yard par 4 or 190 yard par 3. Interestingly, the back tees play this as a par 3, while the forward tees play it as a 4. Very cool greensite tucked in the dunes.
