Lives
Portland, OR
Age
45-54
Gender
Male
Skill
Beginner

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.0
3.0
Total 4 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

4 Reviews
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
4
Not Recommended Courses
0
Helpful Votes Count
1
Not Helpful Votes Count
0
First Review
03/12/2013
Last Review
07/15/2013

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.0
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Summerfield Golf & Country Club

Played On 7/14/2013
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

Nice, but.....

Overall, this is a decent course.....with a few peccadilloes.

First, the good. The course itself is well maintained. Decent fairways, bunkers, and greens. Not championship quality, but nice. Very playable. You're unlikely to lose your ball on an errant shot because there's not much in the way of thick bushes or dense forest to lose it in. All greenery is well trimmed and kept to a minimum.

Most of the fairways are lined with a few trees. They don't necessarily come into play unless you're like me who brings them into play when I don't hit straight. The entire course is surrounded by homes but they are far enough from the fairways to keep you from worrying about breaking someone's window or ruining the family barbecue. If you're always swinging for the fences then you might want to reconsider playing this course. Anything less than that type of play will cause you no worries. Play your game and you'll be fine.

There are water hazards on a few holes but, once again, they really don't come into play. There's sufficient room on the fairways and greens to avoid the water without much fuss. If you end up in the water, it's either because you're hitting much further than normal to the right or left. Or, you're taking chances trying to get on the green when you shouldn't. There's no need for this because the course is reasonably forgiving.

On the final hole, there's a forced carry over water. Don't let the sight of this scare you. It's not as difficult as you think. The tees are set close enough to give you a good chance of clearing the water and ending up dry on the opposite side. It's only about 116 yards from the tee to the flag, and that's from the blue tees. The visual of water is really just a mental challenge. If you let the sight of water get into your head then,.....well.....keep a few extra balls handy. There's no shame in it. I've done it too.

After checking in at the pro shop, they'll give you a tag to place on your bag or cart. Show it to the starter at the first hole and you're on your way. They keep a tight ship around here so make sure your tag is visible for the starter to see. He's friendly enough and will answer any questions you have if it's your first time to the course.

It's a nine-hole course so if you want to play 18 then you just play it twice. There's two sets of tees, one red and one blue. The red double as the ladies (or "forward") tees and as the front nine. The blue are set further back and double as the back nine in case you want to play 18 holes. The course only has par 3's and par 4's. No par 5's.

Summerfield is nestled in a 55 and over community so you won't find much empty beer cans laying around or weekend warriors stirring up trouble. Parking is not allowed on the street but there's ample parking in their lot. The pro shop is close to the first tee.

Now, the minor infractions.

Summerfield needs better signage. When I first arrived, I couldn't tell where the pro shop was located. I walked around the entire building on the second level until I realized it was set on the lower level on the opposite side of their public parking area. Perhaps a few more visible signs would help people like me who are new to the place.

This course is busy, especially on the weekends. I was part of a threesome and there was a foursome ahead of us and behind us. On just about every hole I could see, there were groups of at least three or four people. We often found ourselves bunched up on a tee box waiting for the group ahead of us to finish. I joked with my fellow golfers that I felt like we had a gallery watching us at every tee shot. No pressure there, right?

While we were waiting to begin on the first tee, one of the ladies behind us got the attention of my playing partner. She told him, "We keep our (pull) carts 10 feet from the tees and greens." Not sure why she said that since all three of us had our pull carts on the cart path while we waited. It made for an awkward moment. We politely assured them we'd respect the rules and the course.

A few times when they were bunched up behind us on a tee we would offer some friendly chatter to help keep the mood pleasant. A little levity always helps. It did. There were no other awkward moments for the rest of our round.

I guessed these ladies lived there and played there often. If that's the case, then I realize it's THEIR home and THEIR home course. I just prefer to play at courses were strangers don't REMIND us of the rules, especially when we're already following them. I think you understand what I'm trying to say.

That's my take on Summerfield. I enjoyed it and I'll stop by again sometime in the future. It's a good course and worth a try, especially for the price.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Woodburn Golf Club

Played On 7/9/2013
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

A good practice course

For five bucks, I'd say 18 holes of golf can't get much cheaper. Mind you, this is not a regulation course and I use it as a weekly practice facility. It's less than going to the driving range and paying for a large bucket of balls. I've been told the best practice is not on the range, it's on the course. I agree.

Be realistic. What do you expect for five dollars? This course has only par 3's and par 4's, but it's still a decent challenge for most golfers. Providing you don't bomb the ball 300 yards off the tee, you can use every club in your bag.

Look at it this way, any course is a challenge. No two are exactly the same. I'm fairly certain you haven't played a course like this one. It has nine holes (I play them twice for 18) with a good mix of straight fairways, dog legs, no water hazards or sand bunkers, short par 3's, two sets of tees, and sand greens. Yep, you read that correctly. Sand greens.

Each hole has a green made of sand. Guess that's how they used to do it a long time ago, or so I'm told. Depending on the weather conditions, the green can be fast if it's hot and dry outside or very sloppy when there's rain. Providing it's not wet, you're expected to rake the greens after you finish each hole. They have a square of carpet attached to a metal handle that you pull behind you to smooth out the sand after you're done on the green. It's pretty easy to do and only takes a few moments.

Here's what I've experienced on the course. When I chip or pitch onto the green, it can roll fairly quickly across it if you're not careful. Putting is a different story. It takes some getting used to. The sand is not consistent on the green. Some parts of it can be baked dry, causing your ball to roll like it was moving across hard soil or clay. Other parts have a layer of sand that can literally bring your ball to an abrupt stop.

Reading the greens is essential. Try to find where the sand is thicker and where it's dried, making it a harder and faster surface. It's pretty fun guessing when you need to putt with enough force that would send your ball off the green on a traditional course or only using enough contact to dribble your ball into the hole.

The grass on the fairways is kept reasonably maintained and without trying to compare it to a regualtion course, it's managable. In other words, you can play golf on it. If you're going to complain about any part of this course, remind yourself you only paid a few bucks.

For me, this is the best practice facility anywhere near the Portland Metro area. Yes, I know. It's in Woodburn, but it's an easy drive down I-5. I love it and I plan to keep going here.

Besides, I need the practice.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Easy
I Recommend This Course
3.0

Good, but not great.

I was really hoping this course would be among my favorites. To my disappointment, it's not. Maybe I came at a bad time.

Two weeks prior, I had played THE RESERVE north course. It's more links style and plenty fun, although a bit overpriced. I was a little concerned when I played that course because it did not live up to the hype surrounding it.

The fairways and greens were slightly above average for a public course. Not what I expected for a place that held some major tournaments. The cart paths were horrendous. It was like driving on the broken streets of Detroit. Sorry about that, Detroit. There was standing water in several places along the cart path and I lost count of how many cracked surfaces I drove over. At times, I almost felt it was better to drive off the cart path in order to preserve the golf cart's suspension.

I feel a semi-public course should have absolutely manicured fairways and greens. Maybe I'm spoiled by other courses. I'm not sure.

This place asks a good amount of money for membership. Each person must decide if it's really worth all that money. If it's just for bragging rights or to impress your friends, then this could be the place for you.

The clubhouse and pro shop makes up for some of this. The deck adjacent to the restaurant has excellent views of both courses. It looks like a fun place to hang out, especially in the summer. The restrooms and locker room seem a bit on the small side. They're nice, but maybe there's a Members Only area I don't know about. Hopefully, it's roomier. Inside and out, the facility is pleasing to the eye. I give higher marks for all of it.

I'm not a golf course specialist and I don't know everything about the different kinds of grass out there. I'm a frequent golfer that takes advantage of the many courses we have in the Portland metro area. That's what this is all about. My impression of a golf course counts, along with everyone else who does the same as I do. We at least want value for our money.

When I played the north course, I got a few glimpses of the south course along the back nine. It looked impressive from a distance. Lots of trees and several challenging bunkers. I was eager to play it. When I finally did, I kept hoping there would be another hole that would really impress me. Something unique or of championship quality. Nope.

I'm not saying the course is in disrepair. The cart paths, YES. But, the course itself is in decent shape. Just not the impressive place I was hoping it would be. The fairways were average and the greens were much the same. In some places, the second cut of grass or the rough was pretty mushy. I expected this from lesser courses.

I played when it was overcast and damp. I think it rained the day before. Maybe that had something to do with it. I honestly hope that was the case because I went here hoping to find a jewel of a course. I'd even be willing to pay the steeper prices if it lived up to it. I'll listen to other people who play it in the months to come.

Now that I've played both courses, I'm not in a hurry to go back. Especially, for the spring and summer rates they'll be asking. I'll wait for more feedback from others before I play this course again.

Hopefully, by that time, it will be a different story.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Stonecreek Golf Club

Played On 11/27/2012
I Recommend This Course
4.0

Easily one of the top five courses in the Portland metro area.

I'm in a hurry to get ready for golf tomorrow but I'll say this is one of the best courses I've played in the metro area. Excellent fairways and greens. Well manicured and kept in great shape. Almost no standing water anywhere. This is important, considering we live in Oregon. Good value for the money.

The clubhouse and pro shop are a disappointment. Really small and they don't match the upscale feel of the golf course. Thankfully, it doesn't detract from the course itself.

Great course and well worth playing.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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