Portland Course Suggestions

[talozz]

Just booked an impromptu trip for Presidents Day weekend in the PDX area. How's the weather and course options during mid February around Portland? A quick search says Pumpkin Ridge is questionable, especially at the prices they command. Any opinions? Thanks!

[mallrat]

Where are you staying? That might help direct you to a course or 2. This time of year I wouldn't go anywhere near Pumpkin. Stone Creek drains pretty well as done Langdon Farms, both are fun tracks to play.

 

Weather will be cold and wet, just plan for that and you'll be good. Bring some mudder shoes.

[FourUnder]

Unless you have access to private clubs, head a bit south to Langdon Farms.

[talozz]

I'm by Heron Lakes Golf Course and University of Portland. I've heard a lot of great things about Langdon Farms. Anyone wanna host me down there? Should be able to repay the favor if you come down to LA.

[spud3]

Langdon is a public course ("Public Only," as the sign over the entrance driveway says). No hosting required, though you'll get a cheaper rate by playing with a member of the Players Club. It's my home course, and I love the design (John Fought). The courses at Heron are also very well designed (RTJ Jr), especially the Great Blue, though they suffer from being munis. Drainage there has improved, but still not as good as Stone Creek or Langdon. Pumpkin is a swamp this time of year, as is the Reserve.

 

Drainage is the main thing to look for in the winter months, and if you are sticking to the public courses, hard to beat Langdon or Stone Creek, though both are a bit of a drive from where you'll be.

[talozz]

Is it worth the 35 mins drive to Langdon over the 10 min drive to Great Blue?

 

Thanks for the info on Pumpkin and Reserve!

[dave willie]

I agree on Stone Creek. It drains pretty well and is a nice, challenging layout.

[spud3]

Is it worth the 35 mins drive to Langdon over the 10 min drive to Great Blue?

 

Thanks for the info on Pumpkin and Reserve!

 

In general, this time of year, yes, it's worth the drive, as long as you're not making it during morning or evening rush hour.

 

What you'll want to do is monitor the weather for the four or five days prior to when you want to play. If it hasn't rained (much) during those days, then Heron will be okay. Damp, but playable, which is really all you can hope for.

 

Both Langdon and Stone Creek (which is a much further drive from where you are, probably close to an hour, depending on traffic) drain exceptionally well. Which is saying something, around here...

 

IMO, I like the layout at Langdon more than any of them, and they have the best maintenance of the three. Stone Creek has a couple holes on the back side that get a lot of gripes from players about the design (blind drives to the bottom of a ravine, then long steep/blind uphill approach shots). Never liked those... otherwise, it's a decent design (Hardy/Jacobsen).

 

Clubhouse facilities are far better at Langdon than the other two. Both Langdon and Stone Creek accept online tee times for singles.

[blazer_fan]

Both Langdon and Stone Creek are fun courses. Finding a course in decent shape this time of year in Portland can be challenging. Like another poster mentioned, I would be mindful of the traffic situation and plan out your trip. I was up there a few weeks ago and it took over an hour during rush hour just to get from one side of the city to the other. And where you are staying, that trip up and down Interstate 5 won't be fun after 3pm.

[talozz]

Don't worry, I'll likely be playing on a Sunday morning at the crack of dawn. Traffic isn't going to be the problem. Here's to hoping the conditions are good.

[TheGeekGolfer]

I'm by Heron Lakes Golf Course and University of Portland. I've heard a lot of great things about Langdon Farms. Anyone wanna host me down there? Should be able to repay the favor if you come down to LA.

As others have said, Langdon is public. I do have their preferred card, though. If you want to play, hit me up. I can save you about $15, plus I can converse on a wide range of general topics and offer the appropriate amount of unsolicited advice ;-)

[mallrat]

Spud question for you?

 

Do you really think Reserve is as bad as Pumpkin? When we were members at the Reserve I was able to play year round without too many plugged balls but there are definitely some very soggy spots. Plus they've been working on drainage for the last couple years. Pumpkin to me is just silly this time of year and takes longer than anywhere around here to dry out

 

Side note, how does OGA drain?

[spud3]

The last time I played the Reserve was probably a year ago after a couple days of rain. I played the South course (the drier of the two) and almost got my shoes sucked off in the middle of several fairways. They may have improved things; they really needed to. I've never cared much for the layout of the North Course, but I like the design of the South. The myriad of bunkers has never bothered me much.

 

I had a Ghost Pass card for a couple years for Pumpkin, so I got to play the Ghost course quite a bit and don't think I can remember a time it was not squishy, at best. For what they charge, and as far out from Portland as it is, I don't understand the draw. During the winter months, it's not uncommon for them to have two or three temporary greens and losing balls six inches off the fairway happens a lot. If I'm going that far out of town, I'd rather go two more exits on Hwy 26 and play Quail Valley.

 

The OGA course drains ok. I've played it many times and never been too enthusiastic about the design. Some good holes, some 'meh' holes. Nothing too bad, just kind of uninspiring. Reasonably priced, though.

 

I wish Heron Lakes would get bought by a private group, who could afford to put some $ into it. Those designs are really splendid, and it needs something more than a glorified double-wide for a clubhouse.

[TheGeekGolfer]

The last time I played the Reserve was probably a year ago after a couple days of rain. I played the South course (the drier of the two) and almost got my shoes sucked off in the middle of several fairways. They may have improved things; they really needed to. I've never cared much for the layout of the North Course, but I like the design of the South. The myriad of bunkers has never bothered me much.

 

I had a Ghost Pass card for a couple years for Pumpkin, so I got to play the Ghost course quite a bit and don't think I can remember a time it was not squishy, at best. For what they charge, and as far out from Portland as it is, I don't understand the draw. During the winter months, it's not uncommon for them to have two or three temporary greens and losing balls six inches off the fairway happens a lot. If I'm going that far out of town, I'd rather go two more exits on Hwy 26 and play Quail Valley.

 

The OGA course drains ok. I've played it many times and never been too enthusiastic about the design. Some good holes, some 'meh' holes. Nothing too bad, just kind of uninspiring. Reasonably priced, though.

 

I wish Heron Lakes would get bought by a private group, who could afford to put some $ into it. Those designs are really splendid, and it needs something more than a glorified double-wide for a clubhouse.

Agree, I enjoy Quail Valley more than Pumpkin Ridge. Also, I've seen plans and redesigns for the Heron Lake clubhouse and parking lot. They had been floating around for the last few years, they have been taken down now.

[DFinch]

This time of year, following what is working out to be one of the wettest winters on record, you're best bet is going to be Stone Creek. Nothing else in the area drains as well.

 

Pumpkin Ridge will be a swamp.

 

The drainage quality of Quail Valley (my home course) seems to be diminishing as the years go by. Recently the Quail Valley progression has been soggy in the winter/spring, prime shape for about 8 weeks starting in early June, and burned out bare spots by August. It used to drain better, and the bunkers get worse every year. It's the only local course layout I never get tired of, but that makes the issues it has that much more frustrating.

[Matt J]

How's the drainage at Eastmoreland?

[spud3]

Historically, poor. Like Pumpkin at this time of year, you can hit a great tee shot, watch your ball land in the middle of the fairway and never find it.

 

There have been improvements the last couple years, but in a wet winter like this one, it won't be really playable until May or so.

 

Which is a shame, as it's a fantastic old-school layout (Chandler Egan). It's the kind of place I play in late summer when I'm tired of fast, burned-out fairways.

[TheGeekGolfer]

How's the drainage at Eastmoreland?

I live about 3 miles from Eastmoreland, but yes, very wet in the winter months. Langdon Farms is still my favorite in the area. I think Stone Creek's back 9 gets wet down in the valley portion. If you head up the road to Washington, you can play Three Rivers. It's a decent, but not amazing layout. But it's the one of the driest (if not THE driest) around. It was built on ash from the St. Helen's eruption in 1980.

[mallrat]

I'm amazed at the love Pumpkin gets. It seems to stay a swamp through May and I've played 3 6+ hour rounds. Can't believe how many balls you see land 2 ft off the fairway and then can never find.

 

On a side note, anyone go down and play Sandpines or Ocean Dunes in the winter? How do they play or drain. Can't beat the prices and last time I went down there got a deal for $45 a night at the casino and usually stay there and play Sandpines on the way home from Bandon