Willamette Valley Golf

[lazyjc4]

East Coaster here beginning to plan a trip to Willamette for my 15th anniversary this fall.  Another couple will be joining us for the trip, and along with the winery visits, my friend and I were hoping to squeeze in some golf.  Any suggestions as to where to stay/play/wineries to visit would be greatly appreciated.  I've driven from Portland to Bandon once in my life, but that was my only trip to Oregon and know nothing about the Valley.  Thanks! 

Also, is early November a good time of year to visit?  

[Seamus_MacDuff]

Early November isn't a horrible time to visit, but it's definitely into the off-season months for golf.  The rains will have generally started up by November, but the courses are still quite playable and some years remain drier later into October/November than others.  Unlike many areas of the midwest and east coast, we enjoy a 12 month season out here as long as you don't mind getting a bit wet during the winter months.  Closest good course to wine country is Langdon Farms, right off I-5 on the south end of Portland.  Very good course that plays drier in the wet months than anything else around town.  Unfortunately though, there really aren't any good courses close to where the wineries are concentrated.

 

If wine tasting is going to be the focus of the trip, you'll want to focus your time about 45 minutes SW of Portland in the area around McMinnville, Dundee and Newberg.  I'd suggest staying at the Allison Inn in Newberg.  Not inexpensive, at $500+ per night, but a great place to stay and a great on-site restaurant.  Otherwise, I'd probably suggest staying close to McMinnville. There are literally hundreds of wineries to choose from.  Everybody's going to have their own list of favorites, but my top ones include Beaux Freres, Patricia Green Cellars, Furioso, Archery Summit, Brooks, Soter, Penner-Ash, DePonte and Domaine Serene.

 

 

[lazyjc4]

Wow, thanks!  That's more than I could have hoped for.  Cheers! 

[puttnforthe8]

@lazyjc4

I can't recommend https://www.bellacollinabnb.com/ any higher...it is a fantastic place to stay.  They can help with wine tours, near Amity, near many wineries.

 

@Seamus_MacDuff has a nice list there....I own an Oregon wine...so I am biased to mine. 🤪  But +1 for Beaux, Domaine Serene, Domaine Drouhin, Erath, Bethel, Dobbes, and more.  willamettewines.com is a good reference to get info for your trip

 

Another option to stay; or 100% for sure a must visit; is the town of Carlton - there are about 2 dozen tasting rooms, shops, restaurants, other to enjoy a day of wining!

 

But you could stay in Mcminville, Amity, dundee, Newberg (great town - Rosmarino is one of the best italian restaurants anywhere, chocolate makers, Painted Lady if you want a real fancy dinner)

 

For golf,

 

I would personally go out the 26 and play Pumpkin Ridge, then head down the 47 and stop at places along the way.  There is even a sake brewery along the way.  When you are in the wine area, the closest course will be Chehalem Glen - a quirky but fun course - you could get out to the course while the wife wines and shops in Newberg and then meet up for dinner at either of the restaurants I mentioned.   Otherwise you will be driving a bit north or east to get to some of the other courses.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by puttnforthe8

[lazyjc4]

Again, more info than I could have asked for, thanks so much! 

Did you say that you own a winery?!  If so, please let me know which one and we'll make it a point to visit! 

[503Mike]

There are a lot of options because there is a lot of "wine country" in the Willamette Valley (I live in Salem).

 

North

Stay - The Allison or Black Walnut Inn. Both are in/around Dundee area and central to roughly 13 million wineries. Spendy, but worth it. If you want something a little more unique/quirky, try The Vintages (Dayton address I believe) and stay in a refurbished 50's Airstream. Fun stuff.

Wineries - My favorites of the smaller guys that you may not have heard of are Avidity, Parrett Mountain (1/4 mile up road from Avidity), Beckham Estate, and Terra Vina.

Golf - the aforementioned Langdon Farms and Chehalem Glen, but if you don't mind driving 15-20 minutes further south down Interstate 5 you can pay half the price for a very high quality course at OGA (Oregon Golf Association) course in Woodburn that will have half the number of golfers on it. 

 

MidValley (this is where I live)

Stay - The Grand Hotel in Salem, let's just say I have a vested interest, or The Independence Hotel are your best options if you want a hotel stay and not AirBNB or similar.

Wineries - My favorites are Bryn Mawr (Bethel Ridge) with breathtaking views, Van Duzer, Corea, and Ankeny. Corea and Ankeny are not too far apart and pretty casual, while the other two are west of Salem and maybe just a bit more formal-wine-experiences, if that makes sense.

Golf - Cross Creek on hwy 22 is a fun track with super relaxed vibes and staff, Salem Golf Club is an old school charmer (my home course) but can be pretty soggy if the rain comes early November. Creekside in south Salem is semi-private but still open to public play.

 

South

Stay - Inn at the 5th is a great little boutique downtown, but I don't know that Eugene is the worthwhile stay for a wine/golf trip. 

Wineries - I rarely get down this far south for wine trips because there are 100's of options much closer to home, but I've always enjoyed King Estates

Golf - the south valley doesn't have a ton of golf, but there are a few gems that are on the "edges" of the south valley that I think are worth the little bit of extra driving; Tokatee is about 35-40 minutes east of Eugene up the McKenzie River, and Mallard Creek outside Lebanon is another fun track in the middle of the country with scenic vista views (it's between Salem and Eugene, so I'll give it to Eugene for this response). Laurelwood is a 9-hole true muni course near the Univ of Oregon campus and was renovated fairly recently. As far as 9 hole courses go, it's up there as one of my absolute favorites, but it could be dicey conditions in Nov since it retains a lot of water.

 

You really can't go wrong since you're on vacation and enjoying world class wine and great golf. Enjoy your time in my great state!

[spud3]

I'll leave the wine recs to the experts, but I'd say that if you only have one round of golf to play, go to Langdon Farms.  Chances are good that the rains will have already turned Pumpkin Ridge into a slog-fest, same for the Reserve.  And my personal opinion of Chehalem Ridge is...well... not good.  If you do play there, don't try to walk it.  Another possibility is the OGA course in Woodburn, but that's a bit more driving.

 

Keep tabs on the weather preceding your visit.  If there's been a good four or five days with no rain, you could consider Pumpkin or the Reserve, but they'll still likely be pretty damp.  Langdon is by far the best draining public course in the area, and that's key for playing in the winter months around here.

[puttnforthe8]

3 hours ago, spud3 said:

I'll leave the wine recs to the experts, but I'd say that if you only have one round of golf to play, go to Langdon Farms.  Chances are good that the rains will have already turned Pumpkin Ridge into a slog-fest, same for the Reserve.  And my personal opinion of Chehalem Ridge is...well... not good.  If you do play there, don't try to walk it.  Another possibility is the OGA course in Woodburn, but that's a bit more driving.

 

Keep tabs on the weather preceding your visit.  If there's been a good four or five days with no rain, you could consider Pumpkin or the Reserve, but they'll still likely be pretty damp.  Langdon is by far the best draining public course in the area, and that's key for playing in the winter months around here.

great point here - you will hit the ball dead center of fairway and it will be gone...it just bores 1 foot into the fairway.

[doc52]

On 4/27/2023 at 1:45 PM, spud3 said:

I'll leave the wine recs to the experts, but I'd say that if you only have one round of golf to play, go to Langdon Farms.  Chances are good that the rains will have already turned Pumpkin Ridge into a slog-fest, same for the Reserve.  And my personal opinion of Chehalem Ridge is...well... not good.  If you do play there, don't try to walk it.  Another possibility is the OGA course in Woodburn, but that's a bit more driving.

 

Keep tabs on the weather preceding your visit.  If there's been a good four or five days with no rain, you could consider Pumpkin or the Reserve, but they'll still likely be pretty damp.  Langdon is by far the best draining public course in the area, and that's key for playing in the winter months around here.

Pumpkin isn't as terrible as it once was due to the LIV money they put into the fairways. Played 10+ rounds there this winter and balls weren't plugging as much.

[mallrat]

Interesting you say that because I’ve heard the LIV money never materialized. Meaning Escalante kept it and didn’t reinvest it the way promised. From my understanding the private side has always been better than the public side. Also seems just more of a result of a constant top dressing program over the years. The members I know haven’t said they have been putting drainage in. 

[doc52]

10 hours ago, mallrat said:

Interesting you say that because I’ve heard the LIV money never materialized. Meaning Escalante kept it and didn’t reinvest it the way promised. From my understanding the private side has always been better than the public side. Also seems just more of a result of a constant top dressing program over the years. The members I know haven’t said they have been putting drainage in. 

 

Interesting, because the fairways on Ghost are night and day difference from 2020 to now. The private side is definitely better than the public side. I heard that the Superintendent left last year, not sure who replaced him. 

[spud3]

Maybe all that LIV money went into the private side...

[snakano]

From what I can tell this spring, Ghost has certainly had upgrades in cart paths and tee boxes. However by November the tee boxes will likely be pretty chewed up anyhow and I know I'd never pick one course over another based on cart path infrastructure.

 

Ghost is a great course, but personally and all conditions being perfect, I'd play Langdon over Ghost 9/10 times. Add in the late fall/early winter context and I would pick Langdon 10/10 times. It's the safest bet as far as conditions go rain or shine in November for roughly where y'all will be staying.

 

Be sure to book before a tee time before your departure date though as everyone in Portland knows where to play that time of year. Enjoy!

Edited May 3, 2023 by snakano

[mallrat]

13 hours ago, doc52 said:

 

Interesting, because the fairways on Ghost are night and day difference from 2020 to now. The private side is definitely better than the public side. I heard that the Superintendent left last year, not sure who replaced him. 

New super has been in place for about 2 weeks so can’t attribute anything to him. Actually was talking to a member today, she said this year is the worst the private side has been since they joined 15 years ago. Said they have done nothing g on either side to improve conditions, at least adding drainage wise. 

[doc52]

9 hours ago, mallrat said:

New super has been in place for about 2 weeks so can’t attribute anything to him. Actually was talking to a member today, she said this year is the worst the private side has been since they joined 15 years ago. Said they have done nothing g on either side to improve conditions, at least adding drainage wise. 

Interesting, I played the private side a couple of times this winter and had no complaints. I actually thought it was in better shape than some of the other clubs in the area.

[mallrat]

2 hours ago, doc52 said:

Interesting, I played the private side a couple of times this winter and had no complaints. I actually thought it was in better shape than some of the other clubs in the area.

And for me it’s all rumors. I haven’t played there in about 2 years. I had a 6 and 7 hour round one year and swore off the place. I think the course design is really good, fwiw. 

[lazyjc4]

Quick update, the trip has been pushed back to either next Spring or early Summer.  Hopefully that's a bit better time for golf, but I'll check back as plans get clearer.  Thanks again to all for the info so far!