89. Pacific Northwest (OR and WA) August 5-15, 2017 (Part I)

Pacific Northwest (OR and WA) August 5-15, 2017 (Part I)

We landed at Portland’s airport at about 7:30pm in 8/5.  Was a long day…I had played Brookline’s Championship/Composite course that day and am getting a bit old for this (but did have an 80 from the senior tees).  Got rental car and to hotel and quickly to bed.

Sunday we had lunch with an old friend of Pat’s from Milton, and then I went off to Vancouver, WA (about 15 miles north or Portland) to play Royal Oaks CC.  Pat chose to skip Royal Oaks (showing her greater level of wisdom) and spend the afternoon with her old friend from Milton. 

First, three comments on Portland…first, while it is a beautiful city, it is full of homeless people and residents seem to be mystified by this.  Reason is very simple…over generous welfare programs.  Homeless folks, like most folks are fairly bright and know how to vote with their feet…they tend to migrate to locations with overly generous welfare programs…why not?  Second, WA has no income tax and Portland no sales tax.  Lots of smart folks live in Vancouver and go 15 miles south to Portland to do their shopping…I wonder why.  Third, where else would one find a yoga mat in one’s hotel room???

Royal Oaks CC, August 6, 2017:  Designed by Fred Federspiel, ROCC opened with 9 holes and added a second 9 (also by Federspiel) in 1952.  It was renovated by Red Robinson in 1970 and Robert Muir Graves in 1982.  It was included in GD’s 1966 list of USA 200 Toughest, 1969 list of 100 Most Testing (in the #71-80 bracket), and in the 1971 list of 100 Greatest (in the #51-100 bracket).  GW included ROCC on its 1998 and 1999 USA Classic Top 100 at #98 and #83 respectively.  It has never hosted a significant national event.

I was scheduled to play at 3pm and the pro shop advised that a member, Katie, wished to play 9 holes with me.  I guess word of my travels is spreading far and wide.  Turns out that Katie was ROCC’s Woman’s Club Champion, and was practicing in anticipation of qualifying the following day for the US Senior Woman’s Amateur…also turns out that she is a very pleasant woman and we had a nice 9 holes.

In any case, Katie is a better golfer than Royal Oaks is a golf course.  It reminded me in many ways of Sahalee in Seattle.  Once again on the first tee I was thinking I needed a bowling ball instead of a golf ball.  Tree lined and tight for most of the holes…makes one feel claustrophobic, and I hit it pretty straight (see pic).  

Royal Oaks #1 par 4 368 yds, from tee...dogleg left...bunker is on outer corner of dogleg...TIGHT!

Royal Oaks #13 par 5 555yds...view from approach on right side of fairway...No Shot!

Course is also flat with only real elevation change on mildly uphill par 3 8^th hole and no “rumples” in fairways.  Holes feel very repetitive.  Greens very good and are the only thing that saves the course…interesting slopes and some great pin positions.  Also, view affected by smoke from fires in British Columbia…obviously will be worse in Washington when we get up there.

On the positive side, I was able to play in 2:55, it is in excellent condition (if a bit too green), and that brings my to do list down to 35!  Had a 39-39 = 78 mostly by putting well.

Drove and south to Portland, Pat and I had a great seafood dinner, and got some sleep.

Portland Golf Club, August 7, 2017:  Founded in 1913, Portland GC had 9 holes designed by Donald Junor and George Turnbull the next year and then an additional 9 (same architects) by 1918.  Since then the course has been altered by John Junoe in 1923, RT Jones in 1950 and ’63, Robert Muir Graves in 1985, John Steidel in 1987, and Robert Cupp in 1991 (I would not have liked being a member from 1985-1991).  It is situated on an excellent piece of property but I believe the tree huggers have thus far won most of the battles.  While not as claustrophobic as Royal Oaks, it is tight on a good number of holes, and the shade certainly affects the quality of the turf (apparently, the course was wide open as originally designed and its trees were planted in the 1920’s).  The greens really make the course and unfortunately we were playing it on Monday, so they had not been cut.  Filled with subtle devilish breaks, I would guess they are something else when they are quick and firm.  Plays to a relatively short 6703 yards (par 72)…but the ball does not fly as far in Portland’s humidity.

The club has a rich history of hosting events including the 1946 PGA Championship (won by Ben Hogan), the 1947 Ryder Cup (USA dominated 11-1), the 1955 Western Open (Cary Middlecoff), the 1982 US Senior Open (Miller Barber), 1999 Senior Am, and 2015 Woman’s Am, as well as the Fred Meyer Challenge form 1986-91.  It appeared to be a superb club (given it was Monday we did not enter the main clubhouse) that some opening up would significantly improve…a tough task in the Pacific NW!

I played well (except for #16) and had a 39-41 = 80.  It was a very hot day and we played in the hottest part of the afternoon.  Fortunately we were able to play in about 3:10.

Never on a Top 100, it was included on GD’s 1966 list of 200 Toughest.

Waverley Country Club, August 8, 2017:  Founded in 1896, this is a club proud of its history…its course is the oldest continuously operated course west of the Mississippi River.  Initially, in 1896 the club’s members played on a 9-hole course in Portland, designed by members.  By the turn of the century, Waverley members were playing at the current facility designed by Jack Moffat…and within another 15 years or so had a club with a course renovated by H. Chandler Egan, a clubhouse designed by the firm of Whitehouse and Fouiloux, and grounds designed by the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., Frederick Jr. and his brother John Charles.  The property included a polo field, which today serves as the practice range.  In 1924 Chandler Egan rebuilt 9 of the greens…and the next major restoration/renovation was by Gil Hanse in 2012 (more below). 

The club has hosted a total of six National Championships:

1952 US Woman’s Open Championship won by Jackie Pung

1964 Men’s Senior Amateur--William Higgins

1970 US Amateur—Lanny Wadkins

1981 US Woman’s Amateur—Julie Inkster

1993 US Junior Championship, Tiger Woods’ first USGA Championship

2000 US Woman’s Amateur—Marcy Newton.

We met a twosome of guys as we were waiting to tee off and they invited us to join them.  Brian S. and Greg P. are both great guys and good players and added much to our round.  And, not surprisingly, we quickly found out we had friends in common, Rick H. and Marjorie M., ISAGS members we met a few years ago in South Africa (and I saw 2 years ago in Bend, OR).

The course sits along the Williamette River south of Portland.  Hanse’s renovation removed some 400 trees (remember, the trees in the Northwest can be huge!), opening up the fairways and vistas. A good number of bunkers that were in the Egan’s original design were also added.  Both Pat and I simply loved the course.  It plays fast and firm, is in superb condition, great concise routing, and presents a wonderful variety of holes and shots.  This is a marvelous piece of property for golf and Hanse brought out the best of it.  From the back tees it plays a relatively short par 72 at 6668 yards.  Best holes are #1, 3, 7-9, 11, 12, and 16-18 (last three holes are par 3, 5, and 5 consecutively with 17 and 18 lying alongside the river).  The only hole I would question is #5, a 463 yard par 5 that is very much lined with trees on both sides and OB on the right.  It in some ways reminded me of #6 at Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz, CA, another par 5 that also is tree lined with out of bounds on one side (right).  Surprisingly, the course has never been included on a USA Top 100.  GD shows it as #11 in Oregon…I think I would place it as #5 (behind the four at Bandon)…but what do I know?  Shot a 40-43 = 83 (a 7 on #17 not helping).

Waverley #1 approach shot...small green guarded by large tree on left and bunker right

Waverley #3 green...pin in back of green (view from 4th tee about 50 yds to right of 3rd green)

Waverly Par 3 10th green...sharply sloping from back right to front left...and Clubhouse behind

Waverley's tiny 11th green (169 yd par 3) with huge false front

Waverley #17 par 5 from tee..Williamette River to right

Waverley is also a wonderful club, and its facilities, generally as much as 100 + years old are in extraordinary condition.  All in all, a very special place.

After the round we drove north up to Seattle, stopping for dinner in Olympia, WA.  Fortunately we were not playing until noon on Wednesday.  When we awoke on Wednesday, it became clear (no pun intended) that the smoke from the fires in BC was much worse in Seattle than Portland (not surprisingly) given Seattle’s closer proximity...but thankfully not bad enough to affect our breathing or eyes.

The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, August 9, 2017:  Formerly a TPC property, this club lies about 30 miles east of downtown Seattle and is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design.  The 18 holes wind through a massive real estate development with homes lining most of the fairways, and long cart rides separating greens from following tees.  It has hosted the annual Boeing Classic on the Champions Tour since the event’s inception in 2005 (this year it will be played August 25-27). 

The course opened in 1999 and shortly thereafter, was rated #33 on GW’s USA Top 100 Modern list in 2001…placing it at #66 on my merged Classic/Modern list.  It fell to #85 on the Modern list (170 on my merged list) in 2002, falling off completely after that…one of the fastest falls from grace I have seen (and frankly, very appropriate).

It plays to 7264 yards from the tips, and probably has a series of spectacular views, but these were mostly obscured by the smoke.  The course has zero flow because of all the housing and several highly questionable holes (most questionable being #14, a downhill 90 degree dogleg left).  It was hot, and we were stuck behind a slow foursome who would not wave us through (we ended up skipping the par 3 9^th and going from 8 to 10, playing the back nine and then playing the par 3 9^th).  All in all not a great experience, even though I had a 39-39 =78.  Frankly, Seattle does not rank high on my list of cities with great courses!

We drove back to Seattle after the round for much needed naps and showers…followed by with superb dinner at Shaker + Spear…if you go there, have the Red Snapper…hard to describe how it is prepared and presented (the whole fish), but great fun and delicious.  Seattle too edgy for these old folks but not bad for a couple of days.

Next post…Gamble Sands and Wine Valley, both in central WA, and then Manito G& CC in Spokane (eastern WA)…have already played the first two and playing Manito tomorrow.