Portland area is par-fect for a day trip

by Norm Maves

You’re sick of playing the same 10 courses over and over again. You’re looking for something new and challenging. You’re ready to put the top down, throw the clubs in the trunk and liberate yourself from the regular munis and public tracks of the Puget Sound in search of a new golf adventure. There is certainly no limit to the number of outstanding courses within a couple hours’ drive from the Puget Sound region. In our August 2007 issue, we took you east to showcase some of the finest golf available just on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. This month, we’re packing up the car and heading south, down the I-5 corridor to check out the courses on either side of the Oregon/Washington border. Conveniently located roughly three hours from the Seattle city limits, you can sleep in, head down for a true golf getaway, and be back in time to get a good night’s sleep. Of course, after playing some of these stellar offerings, you may not want to come back at all.

Reserve Vineyards Golf Club

The ongoing argument about the Reserve is the one about which of the two courses is better — The “Fought course” or the “Cupp course.” The answer is … yes.  There’s something to like about both the North Course (designed by Robert Cupp) and the South Course (designed by John Fought). They’re different, but not radically so, since they were cut 10 years ago out of the same piece of farmland. The South Course has played host to the Fred Meyer Challenge and its successor, the Jeld Wen tradition. It is the longer of the two courses (about 500 yards), has more trees and makes you take on 114 bunkers. The North Course is more linksy and can be just as tough in the wind. The complex is about a half-hour east of downtown Portland on a normal driving day, but the courses are in marvelous condition, the amenities are superb and the staff is professional. But if you have a preference on which course you like, understand that the North Course is reserved for members only on the first through 15th of each month; the South Course is open for members only the rest of the month.

• Location: Aloha, Ore.
• Rates: $40-$55
• Par: 72 • 7,196 (South) 72 • 6,852 (North)
• Website: www.reservegolf.com
• Tel: 503-649-8191

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Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club

Everybody in the Northwest has heard of Pumpkin Ridge, and real fanatics have seen it on television — it has played host to five USGA events in its 16-year history. But it’s easy to confuse the two courses in the complex. Witch Hollow is the private side, and the one that has attracted all those tournaments. But Ghost Creek, where the public plays, is worthy of the extended drive (about 20 miles west of Portland) and the higher fees. Why? The beauty and the challenge. Much of the wide variety of Northwest nature is on display — deciduous and evergreen trees line the fairways, vines and heavy grasses provide the rough. You’ll use every shot in your kit to negotiate the ups and downs and fairway bends. Toughest hole? Depending on the elements, all the fours and fives can present a real challenge, but here’s a tip for the 443-yard ninth — on your second shot, take two more clubs than it looks. You won’t believe me when you’re lining up your shot, but you’ll thank me when it drops safely on the green.

• Location: North Plains, Ore.
• Rates: $60-$90
• Par: 71 • 6,839
• Website: www.pumpkinridge.com
• Tel: v

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