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Portland area private clubs


spud3

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Am thinking about joining a private club and was wondering if there are members on WRX from one of these:

 

Waverly

Riverside

Columbia Edgewater

Persimmon

 

I live in SE Portland, and these are the closest to my house, which is a primary consideration.

 

Any comments, positive or negative, about the golf courses, costs, service, amenities, etc. would be much appreciated.

"take that, you miserable little white swine!"

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Not a member at any of them (actually a Reserve member) but my 2 cents...

Riverside probably has the best deals but the course is utterly forgettable and hearing the prisoners yelling while teeing off is just weird. Plus i HATE the range, they use balls that are designed to not fly far and can't hit anything over 200 I believe.

Columbia Edgewater is a fun course with a very nice practice facility.

Waverly I've never played but when we looked at it initiation was over $35k and I've never heard the course put in with the best courses in PDX.

Haven't played Persimmon but heard good things.

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I have friends who are members at the clubs you listed. Honestly, Waverley is probably out of range for most folks... and it's definitely one of the best in the area. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably high.

Persimmon is decent, but largely forgettable and not on par with the other clubs in town, in my opinion. I've voiced my opinion on them before, but they are managed by American Golf. I would absolutely avoid them like the plague.

If you're looking at Columbia and Riverside, you might as well toss Royal Oaks in, which is arguably as good or better than Edgewater and significantly better than Riverside. All three are very good clubs, with good playing memberships (with Edgewater being the strongest). They all have a strong network of reciprocals too.

The downside of any of the three is location, it is frequently difficult to get to with any sort of traffic. I know you said you live in SE... where? Happy Valley or actually in Portland? Where do you normally play?

I guess it boils down to what exactly you're looking for. What is your age? Do you play any local, city, state tournaments? Are you looking for a golf-only club or do you want the full boat (club, pool, etc)?

I went through the whole rigamarole a couple years ago and my girlfriend and I ended up choosing a course that wasn't originally on our radar, but we love the course and the practice facility (better than everything else in the area except for Edgewater). My advice is to check [u]everything[/u] out (except OGC--personal rant--horrible course). I wouldn't get too tied into your area, unless you're talking about crossing Portland (eastside to west). On the eastside, there are probably four or five worthy clubs that you should reach out and setup a play date with.

Every club is likely going to be running a winter/trial promo right now, but if it is anything like years past... the best deals will probably be around March. I didn't find there to be a whole lot of negotiating room when I dealt with some of the clubs, but ended up a club where it wasn't really necessary either.

Feel free to PM me with any questions and let us know which you choose.

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I live close-in SE PDX, not too far from Eastmoreland, where I play quite a bit in the summer, but mostly play at Langdon (love the course, but not the drive) and play/practice at Heron Lakes (not far from work). I drive to all the courses from time to time, for variety, but I'm getting fed up with driving a long way and 5 hour rounds (common at most public courses here, as you probably know). I'm in my early 50's, my wife plays a bit, but would love a pool and fitness facility, not so much into the whole social thing, just want a good golf setup with some other amenities. Really don't like driving to the west side. There's just no easy way to get to Reserve/Pumpkin from here, and access is primary. Riverside and C-E are pretty much a straight shot up 33rd, maybe 15 minutes from home, so that's why I was starting there. Persimmon maybe a few minutes more. Wish there was a setup like the Reserve on the east side.

"take that, you miserable little white swine!"

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[quote name='spud3' timestamp='1388219626' post='8358291']
I live close-in SE PDX, not too far from Eastmoreland, where I play quite a bit in the summer, but mostly play at Langdon (love the course, but not the drive) and play/practice at Heron Lakes (not far from work). I drive to all the courses from time to time, for variety, but I'm getting fed up with driving a long way and 5 hour rounds (common at most public courses here, as you probably know). I'm in my early 50's, my wife plays a bit, but would love a pool and fitness facility, not so much into the whole social thing, just want a good golf setup with some other amenities. Really don't like driving to the west side. There's just no easy way to get to Reserve/Pumpkin from here, and access is primary. Riverside and C-E are pretty much a straight shot up 33rd, maybe 15 minutes from home, so that's why I was starting there. Persimmon maybe a few minutes more. Wish there was a setup like the Reserve on the east side.
[/quote]

I quickly found out it is less about the drive and more about loving the actual course. I would sneak out for a few holes here and there then hit balls, but most of the time, I would be there for nearly the whole day on off days and weekends. That doesn't mean I was going to drive to Pumpkin, but for me, anything on the East side was probably fair game.

Definitely look into Edgewater. Better course, better facilities (range, mason course, TM Lab), great playing membership (lots of competitive AMs). Riverside is a little more laid back and I personally like the atmosphere better. I know their in-network reciprocals are pretty good too and some are relatively local (Astoria, Salem, Seattle). It's nice to be able to go play another course if ]you travel or it's aerification time. I use my reciprocals almost anytime when I'm in Seattle or Salem.

Again, I would avoid Persimmon. It's nice to play a few times throughout the summer, but it is traditionally very wet, has a couple quirky holes, and not a great walking course.

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Spent the afternoon at Edgewater and Riverside. No one from Membership was around at CE, but the Asst Pro talked with me for a while and pointed out the practice facilities and they are quite spectacular. From what I could see of the fairways, they were in great shape, and I was able to walk around on the par 3 course and tossed a ball onto a couple greens, which actually bounced and rolled beautifully. Didn't get to go out on the course, but it looked pretty damn nice. They had no info available on fees and such. I will call them for an appointment for the whole sales pitch, including a round, next week.

Riverside was a much more laid back vibe, as you said. Got a full clubhouse tour and then went out with the head pro for a complete tour of the course. Their practice facilities are better than the public courses, but not in the same league as CE. Hitting restricted flight balls would be weird. The head pro was a really nice guy and loved to talk about his course, which looked to me to be not the most spectacular layout, but very well maintained and managed. They did have a fitness center, which my wife would like, and their initiation fees were reasonable. The guy from Membership who took me around the clubhouse said they would be having some better deals in March. I'll be scheduling a round there soon as well.

Both clubs are about 20 minutes from my house, and both are reasonably close (10-15 min) from work. The thought of playing at either of these places was very nice.

More as it develops. Thanks for the comments, everyone; keep 'em coming.

"take that, you miserable little white swine!"

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CECC hands down.

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[quote name='spud3' timestamp='1388214471' post='8358211']
Am thinking about joining a private club and was wondering if there are members on WRX from one of these:

Waverly
Riverside
Columbia Edgewater
Persimmon

I live in SE Portland, and these are the closest to my house, which is a primary consideration.

Any comments, positive or negative, about the golf courses, costs, service, amenities, etc. would be much appreciated.
[/quote]

Waverley is probably a nicer club than a course, however the recent course renovation is a nice improvement. The clubhouse and the overall setting on the river are outstanding, and their driving range is probably the best in Portland.

Columbia is a wonderful course and well managed. Very nice practice facility. If you are hard of hearing, this could be the best golf course on the east side. If you are not hard of hearing, the proximity to the airport makes it hard to relax.

Riverside is an okay course and the club is always rumored to be in financial difficulty. Being hard ot hearing will not help here. Many have said the combination of Columbia and Riverside would be the equivalent of Pumpkin or Reserve on the east side (which would be great). The reason this won't happen is because Riverside is financially very weak and Columbia would not want to take on the substantial liabilities. Perhaps if RIverside went under, Columbia could buy the Riverside assets.

Never played Persimmon. Haven't heard anything good. Lots of ownership changes over the years.

Driver: Ping G425 Max 12 deg w/MR Tensei Orange R
Woods: Ping G425 5w & 7w w/MR Tensei Orange R
Hybrid: Ping G410 26 deg w/MR Diamana Blueboard R
Irons: Ping i230 5-U w/Nippon Modulus3 105S
Wedges: Ping Eye 2 Gorge SW w/DG Spinner/Cleveland 588 Tour Issue 64 deg w/DG S400
Putter: Bettinardi Queen B #10
Ball: Titleist ProV1x (2021) 

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  • 1 month later...

I was a member at Persimmon for a year, after going through a similar search. I also live in your area.

It was the best deal, for me. The wedge and short game area is pretty nice. It's also pretty common to find the course empty during the day, and especially the evenings. If you play a lot, it's a nice private area. I never used the facilities like the gym or the pool, but they seem adequate.

It had the best deal for me, by far. But, I am under 30, and I think they had a special promotion going. The people who work there are nice. I've heard a lot of complaints about American Golf, but in the end I think it mostly matters who are the people you see day to day. I always had a good experience with the folks who worked there.

The course gets really messy when it rains, though. The course is tricky. Lots of the holes play uphill into the wind, so you can face some really tough shots. It's not long on the scorecard, but it's long in play. The second hole is huge. Uphill most of the way off the tee, and even with bombs in the summer you can't reach it in two.

Practice area is okay. They use the grass during the summer. There have been some bees on the range before though. I've been stung a few times.

If the course didn't get so wet during the offseason, I would have stayed there...but I liked to walk and was trying to save money and play as much as possible...and it just didn't allow that, for the fact that it just got so sloppy and wet. It's a pretty technical course, and pretty tough for most. It's a good challenge.

I think a lot of people dismiss it because they "know someone" or "heard someone," but I enjoyed the experience there, aside from the trouble I listed here.

I've played Waverly once, and it was fun. It's not terrible hard. Persimmon was much harder, if you ask me. I'm not sure how easy it would be to become a member there, and the price difference is crazy.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Great information on here so far. Just about to start this process myself. I live in West Linn and mostly golf out at Stone Creek, OGA, or Langdon but play all around town. If location wasn't an issue I'd pick Royal Oaks. It's really not that far but it's the tracffic thats a b****. It wouldn't be a problem for me but for the family. Can't see it being a likely possability to go there after school once the kids start wanting to go to the pool and/or golf. I love the course! Plays well all year. I played in there Member Guest last year was blown away with how nice and fun most everyone was at the club. Definatly pushed me over the edge as to wanting to be a member at a club.

Here's my list of clubs to consider.

- Willamette Valley Country Club (pros - have never played but have heard great things about the course. only 20 mins from my house and not much traffic. quiet country course cons - no pool)
- Tualatin Country Club (pros - close to my house but will have more traffic. pool. heard the course is good. cons - just haven't really heard much about the place so I have nothing to go on)

Here's my list that are no longer being considered and why.

- Royal Oaks (location/traffic)
- Edgewater (love the course but location and traffic aren't going to be much better then Royal Oaks)
- Oregon Golf (not a fan of the course but it's so close to my house!!!)
- Persimmon (location and course winter play)
- Arrowhead (a little far for just a golf club with not much social/facilities.)

Any place I'm missing? Anyone have much experience with Tualatin or Willamette?

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[quote name='barosborough' timestamp='1394039410' post='8803671']
Great information on here so far. Just about to start this process myself. I live in West Linn and mostly golf out at Stone Creek, OGA, or Langdon but play all around town. If location wasn't an issue I'd pick Royal Oaks. It's really not that far but it's the tracffic thats a b****. It wouldn't be a problem for me but for the family. Can't see it being a likely possability to go there after school once the kids start wanting to go to the pool and/or golf. I love the course! Plays well all year. I played in there Member Guest last year was blown away with how nice and fun most everyone was at the club. Definatly pushed me over the edge as to wanting to be a member at a club.

Here's my list of clubs to consider.

- Willamette Valley Country Club (pros - have never played but have heard great things about the course. only 20 mins from my house and not much traffic. quiet country course cons - no pool)
- Tualatin Country Club (pros - close to my house but will have more traffic. pool. heard the course is good. cons - just haven't really heard much about the place so I have nothing to go on)

Here's my list that are no longer being considered and why.

- Royal Oaks (location/traffic)
- Edgewater (love the course but location and traffic aren't going to be much better then Royal Oaks)
- Oregon Golf (not a fan of the course but it's so close to my house!!!)
- Persimmon (location and course winter play)
- Arrowhead (a little far for just a golf club with not much social/facilities.)

Any place I'm missing? Anyone have much experience with Tualatin or Willamette?
[/quote]

I'm a member at WVCC and I love the place. I lived in West Linn when I originally joined. Strictly golf... something I definitely appreciate. The practice area is one of the best in the area. My girlfriend probably gets more utility out of it than I do, but it is a nice amenity. Being able to hit off grass (double sided range) year round is a nice perk.

A pool is nice, but to me seems entirely unnecessary here in Oregon (maybe Medford is an exception or something). The only club pool I've seen busy often is probably at Illahe Hills in Salem. There is also the added cost and liability... nobody wants an assessment.

I agree with everything on your list though. I would put Tualatin down on my list and just as soon drive to Edgewater, Royal Oaks, or Riverside before I would join there. Just a personal preference. The course is nice and in good shape, but could play drier and could stand to lose a few trees in some spots to help the turf.

If you want more info, send me a PM and I'd be happy to chat.

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[quote name='barosborough' timestamp='1394039410' post='8803671']
Great information on here so far. Just about to start this process myself. I live in West Linn and mostly golf out at Stone Creek, OGA, or Langdon but play all around town. If location wasn't an issue I'd pick Royal Oaks. It's really not that far but it's the tracffic thats a b****. It wouldn't be a problem for me but for the family. Can't see it being a likely possability to go there after school once the kids start wanting to go to the pool and/or golf. I love the course! Plays well all year. I played in there Member Guest last year was blown away with how nice and fun most everyone was at the club. Definatly pushed me over the edge as to wanting to be a member at a club.

Here's my list of clubs to consider.

- Willamette Valley Country Club (pros - have never played but have heard great things about the course. only 20 mins from my house and not much traffic. quiet country course cons - no pool)
- Tualatin Country Club (pros - close to my house but will have more traffic. pool. heard the course is good. cons - just haven't really heard much about the place so I have nothing to go on)

Here's my list that are no longer being considered and why.

- Royal Oaks (location/traffic)
- Edgewater (love the course but location and traffic aren't going to be much better then Royal Oaks)
- Oregon Golf (not a fan of the course but it's so close to my house!!!)
- Persimmon (location and course winter play)
- Arrowhead (a little far for just a golf club with not much social/facilities.)

Any place I'm missing? Anyone have much experience with Tualatin or Willamette?
[/quote]

What about Portland, Waverley, Pumpkin or the Reserve?

Driver: Ping G425 Max 12 deg w/MR Tensei Orange R
Woods: Ping G425 5w & 7w w/MR Tensei Orange R
Hybrid: Ping G410 26 deg w/MR Diamana Blueboard R
Irons: Ping i230 5-U w/Nippon Modulus3 105S
Wedges: Ping Eye 2 Gorge SW w/DG Spinner/Cleveland 588 Tour Issue 64 deg w/DG S400
Putter: Bettinardi Queen B #10
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[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1394050618' post='8804927']
What about Portland, Waverley, Pumpkin or the Reserve?
[/quote]

Thanks for the reply. Here's my thoughts on each.

-Portland (hadn't really considered it but it's location is probably no better then Royal Oaks or Edgewater in terms of fighting traffic) Great idea though. I'll have to look into it more.
-Waverley (I don't know the cost but assume it's outta my league.)
-Pumkin (way to far for me to drive.)
-Reserve (again to far. but it would be well in the running if it wasn't for the location. I like both courses and having that change up would be awesome.)

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[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1394045654' post='8804307']

I'm a member at WVCC and I love the place. I lived in West Linn when I originally joined. Strictly golf... something I definitely appreciate. The practice area is one of the best in the area. My girlfriend probably gets more utility out of it than I do, but it is a nice amenity. Being able to hit off grass (double sided range) year round is a nice perk.

A pool is nice, but to me seems entirely unnecessary here in Oregon (maybe Medford is an exception or something). The only club pool I've seen busy often is probably at Illahe Hills in Salem. There is also the added cost and liability... nobody wants an assessment.

I agree with everything on your list though. I would put Tualatin down on my list and just as soon drive to Edgewater, Royal Oaks, or Riverside before I would join there. Just a personal preference. The course is nice and in good shape, but could play drier and could stand to lose a few trees in some spots to help the turf.

If you want more info, send me a PM and I'd be happy to chat.

[/quote]

Thanks for the reply. Hitting off the grass year round sounds fantastic. Not that I'm a range guy (although I should be). I agree with you on the Pool but it's a really nice "family" selling point. I have three little ones and the hope is they will be into golf but you never can tell. If just one of them used the Club a lot it would make the cost that much easier to handle. Having the pool assures that everyone gets some use out of this large expense even if it's just a couple months outta the year.

I appreciate your opinion on Tualatin. I'll have to look into Riverside a bit more. I got a really quick reply from WVCC today and hope to play a round out there next week. Will send you a PM after I get my first impressions. Thanks a bunch again for your opinions.

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[quote name='barosborough' timestamp='1394055296' post='8805721']
[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1394045654' post='8804307']
I'm a member at WVCC and I love the place. I lived in West Linn when I originally joined. Strictly golf... something I definitely appreciate. The practice area is one of the best in the area. My girlfriend probably gets more utility out of it than I do, but it is a nice amenity. Being able to hit off grass (double sided range) year round is a nice perk.

A pool is nice, but to me seems entirely unnecessary here in Oregon (maybe Medford is an exception or something). The only club pool I've seen busy often is probably at Illahe Hills in Salem. There is also the added cost and liability... nobody wants an assessment.

I agree with everything on your list though. I would put Tualatin down on my list and just as soon drive to Edgewater, Royal Oaks, or Riverside before I would join there. Just a personal preference. The course is nice and in good shape, but could play drier and could stand to lose a few trees in some spots to help the turf.

If you want more info, send me a PM and I'd be happy to chat.

[/quote]

Thanks for the reply. Hitting off the grass year round sounds fantastic. Not that I'm a range guy (although I should be). I agree with you on the Pool but it's a really nice "family" selling point. I have three little ones and the hope is they will be into golf but you never can tell. If just one of them used the Club a lot it would make the cost that much easier to handle. Having the pool assures that everyone gets some use out of this large expense even if it's just a couple months outta the year.

I appreciate your opinion on Tualatin. I'll have to look into Riverside a bit more. I got a really quick reply from WVCC today and hope to play a round out there next week. Will send you a PM after I get my first impressions. Thanks a bunch again for your opinions.
[/quote]

Good stuff. I didn't originally mention PGC or Wave, since they're both clearly in another bracket. I'm sure the initiation is $35k+ at both too.

Riverside is good, but most of the issues have been covered in this thread. It was pretty wet and muddy on Monday in the Pro-Am. Great greens though. That was second on my list.

If you want to get out at WV, let me know.

Good luck and have fun shopping!

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[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1394055700' post='8805777']

Good stuff. I didn't originally mention PGC or Wave, since they're both clearly in another bracket. I'm sure the initiation is $35k+ at both too.

Riverside is good, but most of the issues have been covered in this thread. It was pretty wet and muddy on Monday in the Pro-Am. Great greens though. That was second on my list.

If you want to get out at WV, let me know.

Good luck and have fun shopping!
[/quote]

Didn't realize Riverside was up there by Edgewater so likely out. Seems like WV is might be my best option. Have scheduled a round through the Club Manager out there next week. Looking forward to it. I'll send you a PM after the round and may take you up on the offer for more inside info then. Again thanks for the insight.

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No mention of OLCC?

Driver: Ping G425 Max 12 deg w/MR Tensei Orange R
Woods: Ping G425 5w & 7w w/MR Tensei Orange R
Hybrid: Ping G410 26 deg w/MR Diamana Blueboard R
Irons: Ping i230 5-U w/Nippon Modulus3 105S
Wedges: Ping Eye 2 Gorge SW w/DG Spinner/Cleveland 588 Tour Issue 64 deg w/DG S400
Putter: Bettinardi Queen B #10
Ball: Titleist ProV1x (2021) 

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Yeah I think like a lot of others have said you either really like OGC or you don't. I don't really dislike the course it's just never struck me on first impression as a place I'd like to walk/play all the time. The location and amenities sure are nice.

Never really looked into OLCC. Don't know anyone who's a member. They have a slick website with nice pictures but they don't really talk much about the course? They don't even have a link to the scorecard on the site. Will have to look into it more but on the surface it doesn't seem like a golf minded club. Maybe I'm completely wrong.

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[quote name='barosborough' timestamp='1394238910' post='8822643']
Yeah I think like a lot of others have said you either really like OGC or you don't. I don't really dislike the course it's just never struck me on first impression as a place I'd like to walk/play all the time. The location and amenities sure are nice.

Never really looked into OLCC. Don't know anyone who's a member. They have a slick website with nice pictures but they don't really talk much about the course? They don't even have a link to the scorecard on the site. Will have to look into it more but on the surface it doesn't seem like a golf minded club. Maybe I'm completely wrong.
[/quote]
I think OGC suffers from the whole 6/6/6 affliction. I can think of 6 really good holes there, 6 ok ones, and 6 not so great holes. Couple that with it not being exactly being a walking club, it usually loses points for most people. I will admit, the ambience and family amenities are really nice. Being an American Golf club, not so much.

OLCC is a nice club, but the practice area and layout of the course kind of detract from the whole thing. I don't think it doesn't gets as much love because the initiation used to be (I'm not sure what it is now) pretty high considering the course quirks.

Last time I played there, the greens were some of the best I putted on all year.

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Well I played WVCC on Monday. Not the best day to golf as we had two huge rain systems come in during the round. Also I guess it was extra bad timing as they just sanded the greens that morning!!! Really enjoyed the calm quiet course. Enjoyed the tree lined fairways. #1 is a good opening hole. The first par 3 is a great hole. 6 is fun although the sight lines from the blue tee that day was not great (big downhill dog leg left where all I could see is the cart path going across the fairway). The heavy rain hit then so much of the end of the turn and the first half of the back was kinda a blur. Really like what I think was 14 (par 3) 15 (par 5) and 16 (signature par 4).

I also liked the clubhouse and the guys they paired me up with were fun to play with. Will have to keep WVCC in the short list. I kinda hoped it would just be so great that I'd just have to sign up that day and be done with it but I didn't get that impression.

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[quote name='barosborough' timestamp='1394640627' post='8855835']
Well I played WVCC on Monday. Not the best day to golf as we had two huge rain systems come in during the round. Also I guess it was extra bad timing as they just sanded the greens that morning!!! Really enjoyed the calm quiet course. Enjoyed the tree lined fairways. #1 is a good opening hole. The first par 3 is a great hole. 6 is fun although the sight lines from the blue tee that day was not great (big downhill dog leg left where all I could see is the cart path going across the fairway). The heavy rain hit then so much of the end of the turn and the first half of the back was kinda a blur. Really like what I think was 14 (par 3) 15 (par 5) and 16 (signature par 4).

I also liked the clubhouse and the guys they paired me up with were fun to play with. Will have to keep WVCC in the short list. I kinda hoped it would just be so great that I'd just have to sign up that day and be done with it but I didn't get that impression.
[/quote]

I'm glad you were able to play... although it was surprising they put you out on a Monday. It's not typically the best day to see any private club. Talk about some insane weather that afternoon too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='barosborough' timestamp='1394238910' post='8822643']
Yeah I think like a lot of others have said you either really like OGC or you don't. I don't really dislike the course it's just never struck me on first impression as a place I'd like to walk/play all the time. The location and amenities sure are nice.

Never really looked into OLCC. Don't know anyone who's a member. They have a slick website with nice pictures but they don't really talk much about the course? They don't even have a link to the scorecard on the site. Will have to look into it more but on the surface it doesn't seem like a golf minded club. Maybe I'm completely wrong.
[/quote]

I know a guy who was a member at OLCC. I do know that one of the teaching pros there, Scott Erdman, is supposedly an awesome guy who has a lot of experience. Not sure what the experience there is like, but they definitely have golf-minded people there, if Scott is any indication. I've heard nothing but good things from people about him.

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I won a KP contest and was a 'guest' member at Riverside for a month a couple of years ago. I had the option to upgrade to a full membership for 'dues only', no initiation fee. I found the layout to be very uninteresting and the membership not very inviting. I played about 10 full rounds during my 'trial month' and left very unimpressed. Decided I enjoyed paying / playing at public courses better, friendly playing partners, more variety, and facilities were just as good if you pick the best from each place. I live in SE about 10 minutes from East Moreland, but more often I drive to Langdon Farms, love that place. The best course around!

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I am a member and while I don't like to promote it to keep membership down, Rock Creek CC is a cheap no frills option. They are also having a promotion right now. I pay 270 / mo for a couples membership for unlimited golf and range balls. While not on the level of the upper tier CCs, the greens are fast and overall it's better than most munis. Also nearly everyone is friendly. The mens club has some good players too.

PM me if interested and I think if I sponsor a new member, they will offer a deal for both of us.

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TEE CB2 15* 3w, 43" 65g Fujikura Motore F1 S-flex
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Miura Black Wedges 53* and 60*, Nippon NS Pro 850 GH S-flex
GripMaster Club Maker's Stitchback Grips
34" Piretti Bosa, GripMaster Pistol Grip

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Ajlepisto' timestamp='1396339895' post='8992729']
I also know a guy who recommended Rock Creek and said he really enjoys being a member there, and that it is more golf-oriented.

Sounds nice.
[/quote]
Yes it is nice. The members are very golf-oriented and laid back for the most part. I forgot to mention earlier that it is also one of the better draining courses in the Portland area.

TEE CB2 13* 3w, 43.5", 57g Fujikura Motore F1 X-flex
TEE CB2 15* 3w, 43" 65g Fujikura Motore F1 S-flex
Miura Black Boron 1957 Small Blades 2i-PW, Nippon NS Pro 850 GH S-flex
Miura Black Wedges 53* and 60*, Nippon NS Pro 850 GH S-flex
GripMaster Club Maker's Stitchback Grips
34" Piretti Bosa, GripMaster Pistol Grip

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Outlaw Golf Association Member #7

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[quote name='FlyFish' timestamp='1396596305' post='9017251']
I remember that Rock Creek used to have some drainage issues in the winter. Did they fix that? The public used to be able to get on there every once in awhile through GolfNow...I'm not sure if that's still the case.
[/quote]

The last three years they've dumped a ton of effort into drainage, especially on the back nine. I dropped my membership two years ago because I just got tired of the course, but the greens are consistently fantastic. I still have friends who are members and they've been very happy with the drainage improvements.

Titleist TSi3 9* B2T2 Tensei AV Raw White / Cobra SZ Tour 3W Tensei AV Blue 15* / Cobra F6 Baffler Matrix Red Tie 18.5* / Maltby KE4 TC 22* / Maltby TS1 IM 5-GW Nippon Modus 120x / Taylormade Hi-Toe 54*/60* / Cobra Supernova

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  • 4 months later...

Throwing my two cents in since this thread, while old, seems to be the general Portland private course thread. I'm currently a member at both Rock Creek and Riverside. I joined Riverside because I moved from the west side to NE Portland, and I'll be quitting Rock Creek in September when my one year commitment is up.

While I would have stuck with Rock Creek if I had not have moved, I'm not sure I could have lasted that many more golf seasons. It's definitely more interesting than you'd think looking at the score card, but there isn't nearly enough going on with the design to keep you interested, especially if you play a LOT of golf like I do (I'm big on getting 9, or even 18, in after work). There's one true dog leg on the entire course, and the challenge comes from fast greens (which, to Rock Creek's credit, are usually in REALLY good condition), really tight fairways, and a decent amount of out of bounds territory. My score card often looks like: Par-Par-Par-Double-Double-Double-Par, etc. The practice facilities are just ok. Putting/chipping green is big, and usually empty. They have a pitching green with sand trap, which is nice. The range is just meh. The balls suck, in my opinion, and while you hit off grass you're really hitting off mangled turf. I also don't like that you're hitting into an uphill/sidehill landing area. Visually it's unappealing, and (at least for me) makes it difficult to judge some of the movement. Other than greens, course could use a lot of work, especially the tee boxes. Hard to find even ground.

That being said, I really enjoyed my time there, and would recommend it to anyone as an "entry level" country club. It's a really good deal, and I definitely got my money's worth. The men's club is active, fun, and nice, and the staff is great. Drainage problems have by and large been fixed. Atmosphere is definitely golf oriented, which I appreciate, and food minimums are small and include alcohol.

Everything I say about Riverside comes with the caveat that I've only been a member a month, but I've still played about 15 rounds. I migrated to Riverside because, while it's no Rock Creek, it's still highly affordable relative to other courses. They were (and are) running a great promo where initiation is hugely discounted if you join with one or more people, and as an "intermediate" member I'm not paying much more than what I paid at Rock Creek for dues. Not sure if this is standard, but when I joined they also threw in free cart use for a year, which is really nice for getting 18 holes in after 6:00 at night (I've done it three times). The higher food minimum, which DOESN'T include alcohol, kind of sucks, but food is overall pretty good. Facilities (clubhouse) are pretty nice, way nicer than Rock Creek. Much nicer locker room, work out room, restaurant/bar, etc. Riverside seems like a great fit for families. They have a great and active junior golf program, and just built a "junior clubhouse" with foosball and other games. Pool facilities are great, with a bunch of lounge chairs and a few cabanas for use with comfortable outdoor furniture. Food and beverage service goes to the pool. Pool always seems busy, but not overly crowded.

On to the golf at Riverside: I think the practice facilities are great. Multiple putting/chipping greens, plus a 110-yard short game area with multiple greens. The range does have the reduced-distance balls, but I don't see that as much of a problem. I don't use range sessions to gauge my club distance. While the balls are reduced distance, the feel is the same, and they seem to fly true. As for the course, I'm actually surprised at people who say it's boring and/or forgettable. I don't see myself getting bored with it anytime soon. The greens are in great shape and REALLY challenging without being ticky tacky. Putt well at Riverside, you can putt well most places. Played a round at Rock Creek last Saturday, and despite Rock Creek being much faster, putted like a champ. Every putt seemed straight compared to Riverside. Rest of the course is in great shape as well. Someone mentioned the prisoners yelling; that's on two holes, max, and it's not like it's constant. Every now and then on those two holes (really just one) you'll here something over the loudspeaker. I'll also challenge the "not friendly members" opinion that someone mentioned. I've played almost entirely with randoms, and have not played with a group that hasn't been extremely welcoming, helpful, and friendly. I also appreciate the fact that membership as a whole seems to run MUCH younger than Rock Creek. I'm 33, and very, VERY rarely played with anyone close to my age at Rock Creek. Lots of young members at Riverside.

I'm sure the sheen of Riverside will wear off to some degree, but for what it's worth I pretty much had the same opinion of Rock Creek from the start, and feel I'm being pretty objective.

Alright, finally, while I was never a member at The Reserve, I've played both courses frequently having lived five minutes from the course. I love both of those courses, especially the South, and love their facilities. The atmosphere is also fantastic. Hard to beat a beverage on a summer night on their patio, overlooking the course and the sunset. Problem with Reserve, and why I didn't join when I lived out there, is I simply couldn't afford it. When I looked into it a couple years ago, full initiation was $12,000 (payable in two installments), and dues were higher than Riverside. Trial initiation was $1,000 for a year's worth of play (at 80% dues), but if you wanted to keep going you had to pay the full initiation. I paid $1,000 for initiation to Riverside. The Reserve does have an edge in that cart is included, and there aren't any food minimums. Other than cost, biggest hit on Reserve is location. It's a good 15 minutes off of 26, so unless you live in west Beaverton/Aloha/Hillsboro, it's going to take you some time to get there.

/novel

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