Ken wrote:dried out areas
Rarely a problem with the North Coast, eh?
Last one I played was Stone Creek (I think was the name of it) in Oregon City.
Still haven't played it. Jacobsen/Hardy course, if I'm not mistaken. Nothing but rave reviews from my buddies, although they all seem to agree it needs a few more years to establish.
Prior to that, I've played Eastmoreland
I sooooooo :heart: "Easymoreland." Only course in SE, and gets heavy play. I'm not sure why I even tempt the fates by using the "Easymoreland" slang, since...in all my freaking years, in all my trips to Eastmoreland...I have yet to play well there once. Ever. Eastmoreland owns me. I am its bitch. And at this point, it's so deep in my dome, that I might never hit the ball straight there.
And as you know, that place is so breathtakingly beautiful for a muni, that I don't even care when I toss up a 99 or some stupid crap.
And I've been a couple of times recently...pretty deece for a heavily played course coming off one of the nastiest winters ever....not that I didn't play through much of the winter. It amazes me how nice they keep that place, considering the heavy play.
They held the US Am Championship there a while back. Probably speaks as well of a muni than any accolades I can heap on it. Eastmoreland just freaking rocks. Lost a drive on 13, the par 5 along the road, so badly right that I got a house. Played a second, and got a BIG piece of it...all the way into the intersection on the other side of the fence. Not sure if the sudden abundance of cop cars in the area were related, but I did the ole' "throw one as hard as you can down the middle, and swear with your last dying breath it was your only drive" thing. I picked up a chick on the sidewalk while walking past the Rhody Gardens between holes-btw...you know where I'm talking about.
Almost played Langdon Dunes (I think was the name)
Langdon Farms. Adjacent to I-5 in Wilsonville.
Never played that one, even though I can hop on I5 and get there in a few minutes. That place had a lot of money spent on it to allegedly make it the best draining winter course around, but I understand they're having finacial problems. And as big a gold mine as Wilsonville land has become, I would be suprised if it got razed...but I hope not.
Will be there again in August, possibly May too. Direct me to a nice course or two east of the city, within say... a 1.5 hr. drive of downtown.
With those parameters? Hell, Kah-Nee-Tah is damn0near within an hour and a half of downtown...not that I'd recommend a trip to the desert to get scalped by the Injuns.
When the day approaches, we'll talk. There's so many great places east of the city, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Depends on your preference, as far as emphasis on gameplay, scenery, or value-per-dollar. I'd almost say that the POS known as Mountain View in Boring(yup...Boring) is worth it just to see the freakish #12, but it kinda sucks overall.
And if you get a free afternoon, keep the Pub Course in mind. Not quite pure golf, but a good time is generally had by all who step to #1. Only place I've ever aced-btw...but it's hard to count it as "official" when the hole's only 45 yards...although it requires a pitch up into a maple, and then the ball "pachincos" down to the green...hopefully.
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&id=48
Like I say, far from "real" golf, but very hard to not have a blast playing. Plan on spending as much time as you can there...you'll enjoy it. If you never trust me on one other thing, trust me on this. I know people who generally hate golf, but enjoy playing there. It's in Troutdale, right on a bus line, matter of fact. Take the bus, enjoy the beer...which can be obtained at, among other places, the
two smallest free-standing bars in the country, or so I'm told. Basically, what I'm saying -- a 43 acre bar with 18 holes of
anything doesn't suck.
The Resort at the Mountain might be a good east-of-the-city destination.
I'll think of more eastside locations. I'm a Westsider, but it's not like I don't get East pretty regularly.