kwhitegocubs

First off, the greens had been aerated perhaps 7-10 days before I played. So they were still sandy and a bit bumpy, but they rolled surprisingly true 9 times out of 10. In another week, they should be fine.

BUT... with that said, the course was in excellent condition. And so dry for late September in Oregon!
The drainage is legendary, according to the staff, and I believe it after playing. It rained heavily the day before and yet it rolled almost like a summer course.

It's a beautiful course, an open semi-links style layout with relatively few water hazards. The greens range from medium to extremely large, and if you are a good lag putter you should score well. They undulate a lot but the breaks are very readable and straight putts roll straight (other than a couple aeration pachinkos).

There are a few tough bunkers here and there and a couple of water hazards (most dangerous on #9) but most of the trouble is avoidable with strategy or power. The fairways were short, almost too short for a "picker" like me who takes shallow or no divots. The rough was fair - you can hit out of it easily but it will definitely slow the roll on an errant drive (or second shot on a Par 5).

There are no "gimme" holes from the blue tees but every Par 4 is reachable in two by a golfer of even modest skill, every Par 5 comfortably reachable in 3. The ball does not carry in the colder, damp air that tends to congregate on the high plateau where the course is situated, so be prepared to have your clean drives go 10-20 yards shorter than you thought. You may have to take an extra club on your mid irons, and the Par 5s are not as easily reachable in 2 as the yardage markers imply.

All in all, this is by far my favorite course in Oregon or Washington, of the courses I've played. It's high marks are deserved. It's a hidden gem, that's almost empty in the afternoons despite spectacular conditions. I played 18 in 2 hours 20 minutes and then played another 9 (mainly screwing around with cut shots and weird punch shots and multiple balls, basically an unscored practice round) in about another hour.

It's also scoreable - I shot a 79 from the blues but a few more missed shots and that score could easily balloon. It's a course that "levels" the playing field across handicap groups.

This is a very short pitch and putt course; I think the longest hole is about 120 yards, and a few are in the 70 yard range. But it's a fun course and pretty well maintained. Nice views all around and some ducks and deers and critters to keep you company.