Columbia Edgewater (CECC) - Thoughts?

[Rob Rigg]

Hello Treehouse,

I have spent some time reading through old threads on the various courses in Portland - and from an architectural standpoint CECC has really sparked my interest.

I have not been able to find a hole by hole commentary or any serious discussion of the course although I did enjoy the article by Jeff M on Vernon Macan.

How true is the course to Macan's original routing and vision?
Is it a good representation of his philosophy (I have read that Alderwood which is NLE may have been his best work)?
How has it stood the test of time versus techonology (it has obviously hosted the Safeway through this year)?
How does it compare architecturally to other courses in Portland? eg) Classics like PGC, Waverley, Royal Oaks and moderns like Pumpkin Ridge.

Any insight, pictures, etc. would be appreciated!

[Bill_McBride]

Rob, I was a non-resident member until last fall when I made the fatal error of calculating my actual cost per round.  We were spending four weeks a year out in Portland and between a foot injury and whatever I just wasn't playing enough to make it worth while.

Having said that, I do have to say Columbia Edgewater is one of the most fun courses I've played.  The routing is one of those good ones with an inside loop (front nine) surrounded by an outside loop (back nine).  This is a "Muirfield" type routing that brings what wind there is coming from different directions all the time.

The club website (www.cecc.com) has a good hole by hole tour and some good photos if you are patient.

The greens are not quite varied enough to be really interesting, although there some very good ones - #8 is three tiered and set at a front left to back right angle on a 400 yard par 4.  Good hole.  #15 is surprisingly sloped back to front, never looks that steep.

My major objection to the course is the number and size of the trees.  Old photos of the course, like most courses, show few trees on what was farmland close to the Columbia River.  Over the years the fairways were surrounded with mostly coniferous trees.  In the '60s, Giant Sequoias were planted, over 100 of them, and now these monster trees are in some cases 200' tall.  The branches seem to reach out and grab your ball on shots you try to play around these giants.

Overall the course is very challenging but not too long.  The LPGA Safeway Classic was there for a number years but will move out to Pumpkin Ridge next fall.  The players always voted CECC "best conditioned" course they played each year.

One recent state ranking I saw may be a couple of years old as Bandon
Trails is not mentioned.  It has Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Crosswater, Eugene Country Club, Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow), and Portland CC ahead of CECC (#7), with Waverly CC behind.  CECC is a busy private club inside Portland, with a very active membership that has a lot of low handicappers.  At one time I heard that it had the most single digit players of any club in the country, including a couple of Walker Cuppers from the '60s.

I hope to be able to slip out there with a couple of member buddies next time in Portland, as it is too good to miss if you can get out to play.

[Michael Dugger]

I had the pleasure of taking a trip around Columbia Edgewater about a year or so ago. 

Nice old course, some good, some blah.

I especially liked the 10th, with the green set up on a hill.  #16 is a roller coaster of a par 4, probably the most demanding hole on the course.

Uphill and downhill shots.  A decent amount of variety.  Not overly difficult but plenty of trouble abound. 

   

[Garland Bayley]

I have only seen it during the LPGA event.

However, I am fond of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, 15, 16 if I can remember the numbers correctly.

[Bill_McBride]

I have only seen it during the LPGA event.

However, I am fond of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, 15, 16 if I can remember the numbers correctly.

Garland, the ladies reversed the normal routing, so your #1 is actually the nice par 4 #10 that Michael refers to, very good gentle dogleg right to a newly rebuilt green.  They wanted to finish right in front of the clubhouse so used #9 as the closer.

Michael, I have never thought of any of the holes at CECC as "blah," which did you have in mind?

[Garland Bayley]

I have only seen it during the LPGA event.

However, I am fond of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, 15, 16 if I can remember the numbers correctly.

Garland, the ladies reversed the normal routing, so your #1 is actually the nice par 4 #10 that Michael refers to, very good gentle dogleg right to a newly rebuilt green.  They wanted to finish right in front of the clubhouse so used #9 as the closer.

Michael, I have never thought of any of the holes at CECC as "blah," which did you have in mind?

No Bill, my #10 is actually the #10 that Michael refers to. I like #1 to a well guarded green with water and fronting trap in play. I think #2 is a neat short par 4. Being a fan of Astoria, how could I not like #3, and finally since you get a perfect lie on the tee shot over water, I like #4. Does it sound like I've got them right now?

[Rob Rigg]

Thanks gang,

One of the things that did puzzle me a bit was the size of the trees - it is unfortunate that they did not leave the course in a more natural state - although I guess some people enjoy the "corridor" aspect that it would seem to provide.

Bill,

One of the things keeping me from joining a private club is the numbers 
There are some decent public courses in Portland and I think the Ghost Pass at PR is one of the best deals in the country. Unless you can get over 50 rounds per year on your home course it is often difficult to justify from a strictly numbers perspective.

Being able to play a strong course like CECC with some low digit players must be very enjoyalbe though.

Michael,

How does CECC stack up against other area courses you have played?

[Michael Dugger]

I have only seen it during the LPGA event.

However, I am fond of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, 15, 16 if I can remember the numbers correctly.

Garland, the ladies reversed the normal routing, so your #1 is actually the nice par 4 #10 that Michael refers to, very good gentle dogleg right to a newly rebuilt green.  They wanted to finish right in front of the clubhouse so used #9 as the closer.

Michael, I have never thought of any of the holes at CECC as "blah," which did you have in mind?

Bill,

I was not blown away with #3, although I know they recently put in a new green.

#7, the par 3 kinda uphill.  A snoozer for me.

#12 and #13.  #13 especially with the round flat green

They are not terrible golf holes by any stretch, but nor are they noteworthy.

Just my two cents.

[Jim Adkisson]

Rob, I have played CECC apx. a dozen times over the years including an enjoyable afternoon with Bill a few years ago...

If I were to join a private course this would be my #1 choice in the Portland Metro area...I find the course to have a wide variety of holes, interesting doglegs, excellent green keeping, the new par 3 course/short game practice area, a good use of elevation change (considering the location in the Columbia River Slough system is extreamly flat overall), some very challenging greens (#8 as Bill mentioned is very demanding if you end up right of the hole), easily walkable, AND it is about 10 minutes from my house in Hollywood.

As far as comparison to other courses in the Portland area, I like it much more than their next door neighbor, Riverside...I find the holes more interesting and the double loop route more enjoyable.  It's longer and not as quirky as one of my other favorite courses, Waverley...I would compare it favorably to Portland (in Beaverton???) and Royal Oaks in Vancouver, both being older established courses, classic in design and a fun walk.

Of course as a mere public course Flogger, I am used to playing at Rose City Golf and Gun Club, Heron Lakes (NOT KEMPER SPORTS!!!), Eastmo as well as Quail Valley, Forest Hills, the Redtail abomination, OGA, Mtn View, Broadmoor, etc...all fun in their own ways...the city owned courses all excellent tracks (other than Redtail) but all public courses that get lots of traffic...and no matter how well the crew takes care of their courses, they do not have the resources available to take care of them in the manner that the PDX area privates can.

Reserve and Pumpkin being the exceptions...I have never been impressed with the 2 courses at the Reserve...the faux links of the North Cupp Course are lined with the penal ball grabbing tall grass hummocks in order to have long searches for lost balls...a great way to construct a 5 hour round of golf...the South Fought Course is more fun, but I find it not to have enough variety in the types of holes.

Of course that leaves Pumpkin Ridge as the premier daily fee, "member for a day" course in the Portland area...I have only played the private Witch Hollow once and truely enjoyed the course.  I agree that the Ghost card is a great deal and THE way to go to play a high quality course with lots of fun holes, quality green-keeping and excellent service.

[Garland Bayley]

...Unless you can get over 50 rounds per year on your home course it is often difficult to justify from a strictly numbers perspective.
...

It's not hard to get in 50 rounds per year at your home course if your not running off to Kingsbarns and Tetherow all the time.
Some of us do 20 in just one month.

[Rob Rigg]

Garland,

Ha! Kingsbarns, I wish - still hoping to get to Bandon next year for the first time . . .

My rounds per month are slightly limited because I spend a lot of time chasing around a 2.5 year old. But wait until he gets into golf, then we'll be doing 50 rounds a month (okay maybe not, I would be happy with 10).

The things I enjoyed a lot about being a member of a private club was a great range (hitting of grass not mat - yippee) that you can sneak off to when the bird is not looking and having some good mates to play with. That is definitely worth a lot!

[Dan Herrmann]

I used to be a member next-door at Riverside and usually played C-E a couple times per year.  If I recall correctly, C-E always had the best golfers in Portland and you needed a game to get an invite to join.  Of course that was in the late '80s when clubs had waiting lists..

I always enjoyed the course.  And I know the LPGA players loved it too.  I worked at Nike back then and had access to a number of the players.  Two things they always looked forward to in Portland were:
1.  C-E
2.  The Nike employee store (every player had access the week they were in town)

[Bill_McBride]

I have only seen it during the LPGA event.

However, I am fond of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, 15, 16 if I can remember the numbers correctly.

Garland, the ladies reversed the normal routing, so your #1 is actually the nice par 4 #10 that Michael refers to, very good gentle dogleg right to a newly rebuilt green.  They wanted to finish right in front of the clubhouse so used #9 as the closer.

Michael, I have never thought of any of the holes at CECC as "blah," which did you have in mind?

No Bill, my #10 is actually the #10 that Michael refers to. I like #1 to a well guarded green with water and fronting trap in play. I think #2 is a neat short par 4. Being a fan of Astoria, how could I not like #3, and finally since you get a perfect lie on the tee shot over water, I like #4. Does it sound like I've got them right now?

Yes but...that's not how they are numbered during the LPGA event!  You've got it right.  #3 now has a new green 40 yards farther away and set off to the right.  I haven't seen it, the work was done last fall.  And right, the tee shot is down a valley between two dune-like hills.  The real "hazard" on that hole is the hogback fairway that throws every slightly errant second shot into the rough either left or right.

[Pete_Pittock]

The PGA Tour Portland Open was played at CECC a few times in the 60s and early 70s. Back then parking and the wooden clubhouse was between Marine Dr and the river and you took a tunnel to get to the course. A spectular christmas tree caused fire took care of that. 
  Would guess that less than half of the course remains Macan. Most greens were small and circular, maybe 25 yd diameter, which was pretty standard. The routing has remained pretty intact, with #1 lengthed to the old #2 tee. The new green on #3 was still under construction this fall. 4-6 all have new and larger greens on the old sites.
Same for 9, 10 (shortened by clubhouse construction), 13 and 14. The 15th green has been moved right about 50 yards and 17 is in the same place after at least 3 rebuilds.
  Historically Waverley and Portland GC are the orginal private clubs with old money and USGA pedigrees. CECC, Riverside and Tualatin, and later Royal Oaks are the other nearby options and CECC was, and still is head and shoulders above. It has always been a players club. Bruce Cudd and Dick Yost were the 1955 Walker Cup members. Jerry Mowlds was the long time professional, and is one of the top rated instructors.
  Both courses at Pumpkin Ridge would have my highest rating (probably Doak 7s) in the metro area. The highest I'd give anything else nearby is Doak 5.5. Within Oregon, Ghost Creek and Witch Hollow would maybe be 9th and 10th best in the next two years.

[Rob Rigg]

- Dan (or anyone else in the treehouse) let me know if you want to visit the Nike employee store - I work at the Swoosh (as does my wife) and I always have extra passes (it's a pretty sweet deal)

- Seems like we have a decent number of GCAers who live in or frequent Rip City on a regular basis - we should get a game together next summer?

Has this been done before? Should be great craic! Maybe Ghost Creek would be acceptable on a Friday during the summer (anyone swinging through P'town on their way to Bandon could join in the festivities . . .)