New to PDX area - questions

[paologolf]

Hi All,

Am new to the PDX area and am looking for a membership to a club. Have not yet decided between Pumpkin and Reserve. Looking at both and deciding which one is financially best for me.

Any thoughts?

Never played Reserve...so that is still on to do list for the coming weeks.

I know what everyone is saying about the rain....and believe me, coming from Netherlands I know what rain, and wind mean! But still playing in winter for me has its charms and playing in winter does bring an advantage coming into summer!

Big unknown for me is where to enrol my 11 year old son for lessons? Does anyone have any good ideas? He started laying golf 12 months ago. We played a lot during winter through June but then when weather actually got nicer we could not play a lot due to move to US.....we played Pumpkin Ghost last week and he shot 104 from the white tees! I really want him to start well and learn good from the start!

Please let me know your thoughts and look forward to meeting you on the course some day!

This is my son and I on a course in Belgium earlier this year.

P

[oregongolf]

[quote name='paologolf' timestamp='1386543411' post='8269131']
Hi All,
Am new to the PDX area and am looking for a membership to a club. Have not yet decided between Pumpkin and Reserve. Looking at both and deciding which one is financially best for me.
Any thoughts?
Never played Reserve...so that is still on to do list for the coming weeks.
I know what everyone is saying about the rain....and believe me, coming from Netherlands I know what rain, and wind mean! But still playing in winter for me has its charms and playing in winter does bring an advantage coming into summer!
Big unknown for me is where to enrol my 11 year old son for lessons? Does anyone have any good ideas? He started laying golf 12 months ago. We played a lot during winter through June but then when weather actually got nicer we could not play a lot due to move to US.....we played Pumpkin Ghost last week and he shot 104 from the white tees! I really want him to start well and learn good from the start!
Please let me know your thoughts and look forward to meeting you on the course some day!
This is my son and I on a [url="http://www.familypolla.net/p519385051"]course in Belgium earlier[/url] this year.
P
[/quote]

Where do you live? I am guessing on the West side?

I'm a member at a club here in town--what specifically are you looking for and what is your budget? There are definitely a few I would avoid.

[paologolf]

I live in the Bethany area....so both Reserve and Pumpkin are within 25min.
Looking for a club where me and my family will be able to play while we are in US for a few years.

More importantly I am looking at good junior coaches for my son!

[oregongolf]

I have a couple ideas for good teaching pros here in town. I'll shoot you a PM with some suggestions, as well as some courses you might look into.

[paologolf]

[quote name='jon2' timestamp='1386546498' post='8269413']
I have a couple ideas for good teaching pros here in town. I'll shoot you a PM with some suggestions, as well as some courses you might look into.
[/quote]

Thanks!!!

[DJFRY5]

Both Pumpkin and the Reserve are great places to be a member. I'd definitely give Pumpkin the edge as far as the golf courses are concerned, but The Reserve is a little quicker/easier to get to (From downtown anyway). I don't think you can really go wrong either way.

I'd strongly recommend getting your son involved in Oregon Junior golf (Ran by OGA), they have tournaments all over the state in the summer time and they are awesome for kids. It's what got me really into golf when I was a kid. I still have great friends/people that I golf from those days and I'm 30 now. I hope you enjoy Portland!!

[spud3]

Welcome to Portland!

[FlyFish]

Both clubs are great. I'd say that The Reserve South Course is better for winter play - Pumpkin can get a little soggy.

Pumpkin Ridge has one member's-only course (Witch Hollow) and one course that's open to the public (Ghost Creek).

The Reserve member's course alternates between North Course and South Course and the greens can get a little beat up during the height of the summer tournament season. More people prefer Fought's South course to Cupp's North course, which has a few quirky holes.

Both courses at Pumpkin Ridge's are top notch - they were both co-designed by Cupp and Fought. The greens are usually in great condition.

The Reserve used to host the Champions Tour Tradition tournament. Pumpkin Ridge Ghost Creek used to host the LPGA's Safeway Classic tournament.

The Reserve used to do yearly memberships for $3K - I'm not sure if they're still doing that. Pumpkin Ridge also has the "Ghost Pass" which gives discounts on the Ghost Creek course if you just want to try it out for a year.

Chris Smith and Jerry Mowlds are well-regarded teachers at Pumpkin. Fred Haney, an accomplished local amateur (played his way into the Senior US Open one year), teaches at The Reserve. I've never had a lesson from Jim Waldron (wish I had), but he teaches out of nearby Quail Valley (a fun public course with a strong men's club) and is also well-regarded. He posts here on GolfWrx.

[njlam]

Any consideration of private golf clubs in Portland would be incomplete without looking at Portland Golf Club, Waverley Golf Club and Columbia Edgewater CC. If you are on the west side of town PGC is the best course in Portland. The east side is debatable (depends on if you are hard of hearing).

If playing during the rainy season is important, why are you considering Pumpkin?

[FlyFish]

Does PGC still require a $55K equity membership to join? That might be a factor for somebody who's only going to be here for a few years. It's a great course though.

[oregongolf]

[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1386657957' post='8276853']
Any consideration of private golf clubs in Portland would be incomplete without looking at Portland Golf Club, Waverley Golf Club and Columbia Edgewater CC. If you are on the west side of town PGC is the best course in Portland. The east side is debatable (depends on if you are hard of hearing).

If playing during the rainy season is important, why are you considering Pumpkin?
[/quote]

I tossed out all three of those in a PM to the OP. I think the initiation is too high for what is temporary stop for him.

I made the same note about Pumpkin... too wet. It would be an amazing place to have a membership at--if you could pick it up and put it in a place with 300 days of sunshine a year. Beyond the wet weather, they are crazy careful with their greens if there is any chance of a freeze... to the point where they'll just shut the whole course down.

I'm not even convinced The Reserve is dry enough either, but it might be the best option nearest to him. I know TCC is cutting deals, but the course is incredibly pedestrian.

[paologolf]

Exactly....private clubs are not an option. I will be here for a few years only....actually even if I was here for longer they would be out of budget!

I am thinking that all courses in the neighbourhood will be bad for playing in winter, no?

Jon, I haven't called Willamette CC yet but will just to get information. It is just a bit too far for me....so I will have to make a decision between Pumpkin or Reserve I think.

[FlyFish]

Check out this thread for public course information. Langdon Farms and Stone creek are the best public courses for winter play.

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/114230-best-public-golf-courses-in-northwest-oregon/"]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/114230-best-public-golf-courses-in-northwest-oregon/[/url]

[njlam]

Red Tail?

[TheGeekGolfer]

The previous poster beat me to it, by a bit. I was going to mention Langdon Farms, also. I've played the Reserve (both), Pumpkin (Ghost), and just about every public course in the area. Langdon is by far my favorite. Plus, the pro there, Bruce Furman, was named Oregon coach of the year for 2013. Might be a bit of a drive from the west side, but still worth a mention.

[paologolf]

Thanks...I have considered those but they are too far! I want to be able to play and still have time later with family. Dont want that much car time.

Red Tail is great in winter...frozen or not you can always play. Experienced that in January...

http://www.familypolla.net/p257280694

[gr8blueheronbird]

I really enjoyed Chehalem Glen in Newberg when I visiited a good friend about a year ago. We also played Langdon Farms in Aurora. Forest Hills in Cornelius used to be where I played the most. They have an awesome mens club. I believe they have a great deal for membership as well.

[edryer3]

Best courses i have played in the winter and always on the Rotation for me is Stone Creek, Chehalem Glen and Its a drive but Elk Ridge up in Carson WA (Tough Course)

[spud3]

IMO, Redtail is not nearly as good a layout as Langdon, Reserve or Pumpkin, but it is close to you and they have a pretty good junior program, and one of the best teachers in the Metro area (Nick Mabry). Another downside is the course gets a LOT of use, especially in the summer, and 5-hour rounds are common.

Neither of the Reserve courses nor Pumpkin are good winter courses. They do not drain well and temp greens are common. Langdon is one of the best draining courses in the area, and really isn't that much farther away than Pumpkin, and they have one of the best teachers in the country (Bruce Furman) and a strong junior program, as well as an excellent Tournament Players Club.

Shoot me a PM if you'd like to meet up for a round (BTW, that invitation goes out to all WRX PDX'ers), and good luck with the decision!

[Jim Waldron]

I have to give a shout out to my home course, Quail Valley, which drains very well in the wet winter months. My friend and colleague, Doug Hixson, is an excellent teacher, who runs a great junior program in the summer. Quail has the best greens of any public course in the Northwest. I live in Bethany as well and it normally only takes me 17-20 minutes to get to Quail, straight shot out the Sunset Highway, exit at the Highway 6 Banks/Tillamook left lane Y merge exit.

I teach there from May through October. You can PM for more info.

[paologolf]

Thanks Jim. That is a good point also I feel that it will be easier to get to Pumpkin or Quail Valley than Reserve due to traffic....
Wanted to play Pumpkin today but they were shut down just like Reserve.
Played Red Tail and yes it was wet but not unplayable....if both Pumpkin and Reserve are like Red Tail then no issues with either.
P

[paologolf]

So after all the feedback, financial considerations on various offers I had from different clubs, transit times (to course from both home and work), courses conditions, etc etc....I made the decision.
I picked Pumpkin and sent in my papers today.
Looking forward to playing there! ....and if anyone wants to play there PM me.

Just for the record, I played a few holes there yesterday after being closed for many days, rain, frost, etc...and course was wet but was still great. Yes it was soggy and wet but balls rolled without a problem!

Cant wait to get out there again!

[wine&poker]

Pumpkin member checking in - You haven't seen Pumpkin wet yet this year. We really haven't had that much rain. Ghost Creek does get very wet during the wettest months and a couple of the holes (4 and 6) get really soggy. That said - there wasn't a 2 week stretch that I didn't play Pumpkin in the last two years. It's never unplayable, in my opinion. Witch drains a little better or just doesn't have the same type of spots that hold water. Chris Smith is a great teacher and the summer junior program is top notch. The ghost creek men's club is a good group of guys - they play one weekend day most weekends between April and November. If you're interested, I can get you contact information. There are plenty of regular weekly games on the Witch side.

[paologolf]

Hi wine&poker,

I became a member there some 10 days ago....and played a few times already. Course in great shape for winter. I can already see the difference from Tuesday after the snow break of some 14 days back to now.....

Played there today with my son!

Look forward to meeting you at PR.

P

[DD4442]

Old topic, but I'm going to have a day next week in the Yamhill area (south of Portland) and was looking at Chehalem Glenn. Any updates on this? Good, bad, changes? If not there, where within an hour?

[oregongolf]

It's a pretty good public course. One of the tougher walks in town... a couple odd holes, but should be in pretty good shape for a public.

Not an OGA fan at all for layout, but it's always pretty well kept. Langdon Farms is good. I'd probably play there before anywhere else in the area honestly. Should be about a 40 minute drive.

[DD4442]

Played Chehalem as a single in a cart on an 86 degree midweek day. Bottom line is it was a great day, the course - particularly the greens - in great shape and it was fun. As mentioned above, there are a couple of odd uphill/down hill shots, but I could see with a little local knowledge the course would be a challenge. A par five on the front presented with a difficult blind tee shot up and over a hill, causing this first timer to lay up unnecessarily - I hate when that happens. Played from the back tees (didn't see "black" markers, but that was the yardage per the card) with no problems in terms of distance.

Front nine more residential, back nine is more forested and much nicer to look at. I saw a range, lots of practice areas, cart person, clubhouse (meh) but fully functional with friendly assistants. I would play again. Newberg is a nice smaller city that must make people crazy commuting to busy Portland. For me, Langdon Farms was just too much of a drive from where we were staying. I'd definitely play this again, but will try Langdon first if ever out this way again.

Thanks for the tips OG lefty.