Portland Oregon's Heron Lakes Great Blue (images) ((RTJones Jr.))

[Michael Dugger]

It is difficult for me to get too excited about any of the Jones clan's golf courses.  However, thanks in large part to this website, I have come to realize that just because your course has the name Mackenzie, Raynor or Flynn attached to it does not mean it is the cat's meow, so to speak.

Here in Portland we have Eastmoreland, an H. Chandler Egan design available to the public.  While the back nine offers some fun golf, in general I would place the course you are about to look at above it.  Maybe Eastmoreland was the "bee's knees" fifty years ago, today it is somewhat of a boring tree-lined affair.  And, yes, I do have some images of it to prove it!

Heron Lakes, however, offers all the golf any public hack in Portland can handle.  Consisting of 36 holes built on a floodplain, the Great Blue has water in play on 12 holes and an abundance of bunkers.  All told, I would guess the number of bunkers to be in the 120 range.  Bring a lot of balls!!      

The opening tee shots ask the player to consider biting of the corner right of the bat.


This is the approach to the 2nd green.  A reachable three shot hole, this green is elevated and shallow.  I suggest playing it as a true three shotter.


Here is the view from the tee on the 3rd.  While I like the challenge of blasting it over those cross hazards, the oyster shell bunker shape causes my stomach to churn each and every visit.


Here is the first par 3.  Playing about 130 yards all carry, the hole is orientated into the prevailing wind.  It can swirl, as well, causing club selection to become a real chore.


This is the approach and close up of the bunker complex to the left side of the 5th hole.  A par five measuring about 550, this is the number 1 ranked handicap, although I sometimes do not see why.  How about those birds, eh?



Here we have the 7th hole, a medium length par four.  The challenge in this hole is the fact that the bunkers on the right hand side are not nearly as close to the green as they look.  Trust your yardage because the designer is beggin' you to underclub and come up short.  Since when did RT Jones Jr. understand illusion??


This is probably my favorite hole on the course.  A dog leg left par 4, the HUGE hitter could go left of the tree.  However, we mere mortals must try and hug the tree to the right.  A drive up the left side makes the approach shot longer not to mention you will be hitting a long iron or wood from a downhill lie.  I do not know about you but it encourages me to hit a worm burner.  The second images is up to the green. You can see going left is going to put you in Davy Jones' locker.




Here we have the 175 yard or so par 3 11th.  A nicely bunkered hole, in my opinion,  the green has quite a bit of movement in it.  


This is the par five 12th.  A long slog with water in play to the right on the tee shot as well as hugging the green to the right as well.  Three well placed shots are required to net a good score here.  


This is the approach to the short par 4 14th hole.  Most players will use an iron off the tee which still only leaves a 100 yard shot in.  The green is not terribly small but you can see it is protected by the small bunker in the front and what you cannot see is the water curls around the back making the green much like a peninsula.  Go long and you are wet.


This is the do or die 15th.  All water, all the time.  Yours truly netted the only ace of his career here.  


If #8 is not my favorite hole, this one, number 16 is.  Ages ago, during a local celebrity tournament held here each year, former NFL QB Jack Trudeau blasted a drive that bounced and rolled right up into the jar for an Albatross 1!!  Surely that does not happen every day but the big hitter can take on the carry to the left.  Most prudent player play out to the right which leaves an approach shot over water.  Jones created a cool swale in the green as well.  Approaches from the right fairway must contend with a spine running right along the middle of the green.  Better hit into the correct side (pin side) of the putting surface or this spine will take your ball further away.  A great, thought provoking hole.


And here is the final.  Nothing but a Pete Dye style finisher with water along the entire right side and bunkers hugging the left and up and around the green.  You have to keep it together all the way home here!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

When was this course built. The COO for Jones Jr is a friend of mine from Portland.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Michael,
Thanks for posting these.

I haven't played Great Blue since it was originally a 9 hole course, quite sometime ago--they then added the other nine and truthfully, ever hole is like a blur to me. I much prefered the older sister course, Greenback. In fact, I first played this course when it used to be called Delta Park many years ago. It too is another RTJ JR. design. More of a classical, natural bent then the moundy Great Blue.

Are they better then Eastmoreland?

Well, Michael, I will give them both their due and say that they certainly maintain them better, but golf owner wise, you take Great Blue and operate it; I'll take Eastmoreland and restore it, and then lets see which one is better!

But I think you know that!

For what its worth everyone, both Heron Lakes courses are located in swamp-like land right next to Portland International Raceway and across the freeway from the horse racing track (Stay away from that place! ) All just North of the Rose City, almost to the Oregon/Washinton state border.

I would also like to say that I think that the City of Portland has 6 or 7 city owned layouts that are a blast to play and well worth the price. Maybe the best muni golf in the country as far as price. (Other then Bethpage)

[JohnV]

The orginal 9 was built in the mid to late 1980s and is now the back 9.  The newer 9 was built around 1992 as it opened about the same time as Pumpkin Ridge did, which led to one of my favorite quotes about golf courses.  Willamette Week, which is a weekly alternative paper in Portland wrote, "If you want to go play the new Heron Lakes Great Blue course, take the $20 you would have to pay and put it in a drawer.  The next time you want to go play it, take that $20, add another $20 and then borrow $10 from a friend and go play Ghost Creek."

All that being said, I do enjoy the course, particularly the front (newer) 9.  The back 9 can be very difficult with a number of tough carries for the average player.  

Like Tommy, I'd take a restored Eastmoreland any day, but we are both odd Dodger fans so what do you expect.

[Ari Techner]

Thank you for the pics!  I have played Heron Lakes a few times and it is a good test.  We seem to have a big difference in opinion though, I cam away from my last round thinking that there were 16 pretty good holes and 2 bad ones (8 and 16)  

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