Portland area course conditions

[jpdx]

Heron blue played very nicely today. Although a few greens looked like they did core on a few spots, mostly rolled very nicely and recovered well from the tine aerification. Very few soft spots and they were in the rough, unfortunately where I usually am.

[spud3]

Played Langdon last weekend. The greens are almost fully healed from the punching at the beginning of October, and the fairways were running very well for this time of year. No rain in the last couple weeks helps a lot, but we did have a short (30 min) frost delay, and more of those to come, methinks.

 

There is much work going on with bunkers. Many of the sight bunkers are being filled in, and some new ones cut. A few holes are big design changes (4, 10 and 15 come to mind), and I still haven't gotten a clear picture of what the intent is with those. Most of the changes are on the back nine, and are still unfinished enough so that I can't quite tell which bunkers are being renovated and which ones are being filled in. The final look should be clearer over the next couple weeks when they are seeded, so I'll reserve judgement until I can see the whole course in its finished shape.

 

However the final layout turns out, it's always good to see this kind of effort put into the maintenance of a course. My understanding is that Dan Hixson is involved from the design side, and that inspires confidence, as I'm a big fan of Wine Valley.

 

There are quite a few photos of the work on their FB site. I snapped a pic of the design doc on display in the pro shop.

 

[mallrat]

Dan is doing the work out at Langdon and like you, i’m Not sure what I think. Some I really like and some I don’t get. There are a few other changes (like taking out some pampas grass that we are trying to do at the same time.

 

10-15 are done just waiting for the sod/seed to settle. 10 I like and don’t. I love the mounding changes but hate the new greenside bunker. 11 I really like, shaved down some of the mounds and took out the middle and left bunkers in the middle of the fairway. 12 i’m Ok the greenside work but HATE the fairway bunker. 14, HATE the fairway bunker and like the greenside one but think it’s kind of bland. 15 I really like. 16 and 17 are good. 8 is good but 9 drives me nuts, very few people hit into that back bunker and it really provides a nice visual that is now gone.

 

On the front side 4 is the only one I really have seen the finished product and I don’t like the changes that much.

 

We’ll see, I think it will all play well except 12 & 14.

[ruffellprefley]

anyone play eastmoreland recently? know when they punch(ed)?

[jpdx]

> @ruffellprefley said:

> anyone play eastmoreland recently? know when they punch(ed)?

 

iirc it was about 3-4weeks ago

 

[spud3]

> @mallrat said:

> Dan is doing the work out at Langdon and like you, i’m Not sure what I think. Some I really like and some I don’t get. There are a few other changes (like taking out some pampas grass that we are trying to do at the same time.

>

> 10-15 are done just waiting for the sod/seed to settle. 10 I like and don’t. I love the mounding changes but hate the new greenside bunker. 11 I really like, shaved down some of the mounds and took out the middle and left bunkers in the middle of the fairway. 12 i’m Ok the greenside work but HATE the fairway bunker. 14, HATE the fairway bunker and like the greenside one but think it’s kind of bland. 15 I really like. 16 and 17 are good. 8 is good but 9 drives me nuts, very few people hit into that back bunker and it really provides a nice visual that is now gone.

>

> On the front side 4 is the only one I really have seen the finished product and I don’t like the changes that much.

>

> We’ll see, I think it will all play well except 12 & 14.

 

Played again today and could see some of the intentions on a few more holes. I chatted up the pros during the short frost delay, and learned that the primary reasoning behind all this is mainly to cut down the pace of play. Having suffered my share of near 5-hour weekend rounds, I can get behind that. Some of the changes I don't see as supporting that, like adding fairway bunkers on 12 and 14. Agree on the improved looks of 10 and 15 (never liked that wall o' bunker), and 16 (though I will miss the railroad ties). Unsure about the change on 4, as it was one of my favorite holes on the course. Filling in the bunkers short and left on 7 is fine, I never hit into those anyway.

 

I will personally sponsor a giant party if you can somehow convince the mgmt to fill in the church pew bunker on 8/9. I would settle for painting the barn...

 

All that said, it was a freakin' perfect Fall day and with the absence of any rain, the course played a lot faster than it should for Nov 3. Greens are still a little unpredictable, but all in all, it was a spectacular round.

[mallrat]

We may have crossed paths in the golf shop finally. I was in charge of the frost delay this morning.

 

#4 turned out very different than we thought. They are doing something with the church pews but we aren’t sure what.

[spud3]

Played at Langdon for the first time in a month, and the updates seem like they are all completed, just waiting on the seasons to finish the grow-in. Biggest thing that has changed since my last report is that the church pew bunkers are GONE! WOOT! Replaced by two normal fairway bunkers.

 

My playing partners and I discussed this quite a bit as we were on 8 and 9. In the context of the other changes, this makes total sense. I know the primary impetus for this was to speed play, and over all, I think it will do that. I also appreciate the effort by the club to freshen up the look and clear some sight lines into the holes. 10 and 16 especially look great. I don't know that much of my own strategy will change a great deal, though the softening of the hillside and removal of the deep left bunker on 4 leaves no real reason not to hit driver off the tee.

 

Side note: whoever placed the pins for today was just evil. Several in places that there was not really anywhere good to putt from. Other than that, the course played nicely. Rough had been cut, fairways were running, greens were a bit bumpy, but playable. Th rain over the past two days didn't have much of an effect. Thumbs up on the continued drainage efforts!

[ruffellprefley]

also played 13 holes out at langdon yesterday. course was in great shape. it was interesting using GPS distances and not seeing (on phone) what my eye matched because the satellite imagery is pre-alteration.

only thing to me was around the greens the closely mown areas were still so tight but the ground was soft, so it made it EXTRA difficult to use the bounce, as the soft ground acted like a suction cup on me. more a me issue i think than a course issue. I should have been putting or doing a hybrid-putt instead of trying to put loft on it.

[spud3]

I asked about whether there were plans for new yardage books, and was told they are probably not going to do them at all. Given modern tech, they are kind of anachronisms at this point. Can't necessarily argue with tha, but I still like them.

 

And I've taken to using my PW on those short chips/pitches around the green, if not a hybrid. Much more room for error.

[jpdx]

I’m actually sad to hear the church pews are gone. It was a nice feature to see. But I get it from a cost and pace perspective.

[soregongolfer]

I was thinking the same thing while reading Spud's report. I liked how they looked, but understand the need to speed things up there.

[mallrat]

I get the owners wanting the church pews gone but none of us did. We just wanted it reworked. Our point was what do you think of when you think of Langdon? #8 with the church pews and the barn.

 

Really curious to see how some changes play out. I actually think some of them will slow play down. Everyone will hit driver on 15 now and the fairway bunkers in the right hand side of 12 & 14 are already getting a TON of balls in them. I think 3 & 17 are much better, except the bunker behind 17, poorly executed. 9 I don’t like just visually, no one hit into that bunker and it just broke up all that green. 11 is an improvement. And 8 from the barn towards the green is much better. I’m curious to see what we do around the fairway bunkers on 8, I believe that will all be at fairway height.

 

No one has mentioned all the pampas grass we are removing.

[spud3]

Oooh, forgot about all the pampas removal.

 

All I can say to that is BRAVO!!!!

 

You guys have to be thinking about rebuilding that barn. A few more solid hits from some long irons will pretty much take care of half the demolition for you...

 

And my strategy off the tee won't change for 15. I'll still hit less than driver

[mallrat]

Every snow or day of very heavy winds we expec to come in and see it on the ground but hasn’t happened yet. The first barn you pass on the way in is cool with living quarters and stuff in it.

[mallrat]

can you guys do me a huge favor and fill this out for my wife? She is taking a research class and public courses around the Portland area is her topic.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1u0mMopgdkX2EL8g2viVRVCLw5LyG_H2KAGQdnH7KRaKb6w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1

[Pulledabill]

done

[spud3]

done

[jpdx]

PSU? I got sent one very similar from some student on Facebook.

[mallrat]

UC Berkeley. Starting down the Masters path and doing some contracting work on the side.

[wingedfeetxc]

Done! Happy to help.

[soregongolfer]

Done, though my scores may seem a little weird since I live in Roseburg lol

[Kernel]

Played Stone Creek Sunday in the small window when it wasn't raining. Fairways were in great shape given how wet it's been. Greens rolled true, though a bit slow. Bunkers looked like they hadn't been tended to in a few days and were basically unplayable. Overall, the course is in good shape for late December.

[Pulledabill]

I play McNary in Keizer year around and play 4-5 days week.  Last night was super soggy.  About what I would expect the rest of the Willamette Valley to look like as well. 

[jpdx]

Langdon today was a dream. Played terrible but was nice to play without rain. Fairways (when I hit them) were as expected and the rough I was pleasantly surprised at how little mud there was. Dont get me wrong it was still squishy but a huge difference from what I’ve been playing in. Greens were quick also considering how wet it still was. Rolled true. Great condition for late dec.

[kmac49]

Stone Creek conditions - Friday 1/3 - The weather was perfect - a little cold but no rain and even some blue skies toward the end of the morning. I couldn't have asked for a better January golf day. I just got back in town so I'm not 100% sure of the weather prior to my round there but I think it had been pretty dry for at least the past week or so.

 

Tee Boxes - the tee areas were all in great shape though a few were pretty soft in certain areas. All tee boxes seemed to be in their normal sections.

 

Fairways - Most of the fairways were in great shape though there were a few that were closed off from cart traffic. Carts were in fairways on the entire front 9 which is pretty typical but there were some soft spots on 5 and 9 where I wouldn't drive because they were really soft. 5 has a spot on the left side of the fairway that has been pretty soft for a while now. It was roped off for a bit but that is now gone. However, there is still a fairly large area where you can plug easily and I wouldn't want to hit from if given the choice. 9 was soft enough that I wouldn't mind if they just made that hole cart path only. The back 9 was a little more hit or miss as 12, 13 and 15 all had sections roped off where you can't drive down. 11 and 17 have significant sections of the fairways that I wouldn't drive on as they were pretty squishy. All things considered, most of the fairways played exceptionally well for January golf in the PNW. Some of them were firm enough for drivers to actually bounce a bit but there wasn't much rollout overall.

 

Rough - The rough throughout most of the course was still in good shape overall but there were definitely more soggy areas in the rough than there was in the fairway, which is expected. It just holds more water and doesn't dry out as fast. Again, it exceeded expectations for January golf.

 

Greens - The greens were in fantastic shape overall. Aside from the apparent inability for golfers to fix their pitch marks, most of the greens were rolling incredibly well and still fairly fast. The number of unfixed pitch marks is crazy though, especially on the par 3s. I didn't have any problem on the day getting the ball to the hole and some even rolled out well past. I flew one up on the hill on 14 and it rolled back as expected down all the way to below the hole. Pitching around the greens was still rolling out well and though there were some soft areas on a few greens, they were largely very solid.

 

Bunkers - The bunkers here are often the worst part of the course conditions-wise but I didn't find that to be the case. Perhaps I just got lucky but I did end up in the big greenside bunker on 17 and was pleasantly surprised by the condition of it. There weren't any puddles and it seemed to have been raked well recently. I didn't hit into any other bunkers on the day but I did try and catch a glance at them here and there and they all seemed to be in pretty good shape.

 

Bottom Line - Stone Creek as a great winter golf course and the fairways and greens play really well even after rains. very playable no matter the weather.

[motts]

Does anyone know what the conditions are like at The Reserve lately?

[spud3]

With all the rain we've had over the last week? Probably not good...

[motts]

Yeah, I think it might just be time to put the bag away for a few months

[spud3]

Well, let's not be hasty......