Camas Meadows Golf Club
4105 NW Camas Meadows Dr., Camas, WA 98607; Tel. 360.833.2000
This Portland golf course is about 30 minutes from downtown Portland, just over the Columbia River and on the outskirts of Vancouver, Washington. Designed by Andy Raugust and opened in 2000, Camas Meadows is a local secret. The course is immaculate and scenic, but beyond that bring you're A-game because the challenge positively brutal. The greens are the biggest and fastest in the Northwest, and you get country club service at municipal prices. Green fees are a scant $30-$60 for this gem.
Eastmoreland Golf Course
2425 SE Bybee Blvd., Portland OR 97202; Tel. 503.775.2900
This is Portland's oldest golf course, first opened in 1918. This municipal track is one of the state's best golf values. It measures 6,548 yards from the championship tees, and can be quite busy on the weekends. Green fees are in the $20-$25 range.
Glendoveer Golf Course
14015 NE Glisan, Portland OR 97230; Tel. 503.253.7507
This 36-hole facility plays host to the 6,510 yard, par-73 East Course, and the 6,129 yard par-71 West Course. Both courses feature a good combination of flat and hilly terrain, well-placed bunkers and plenty of native trees lining each fairway. This Portland golf course gets a ton of play, but is still remarkably maintained. Green fees are in the $20-$25 range.
Heron Lakes Golf Course
3500 N. Victory Blvd., Portland OR 97217; Tel. 503.289.1818
This Portland golf course facility is just minutes from the airport, and features two 18-hole tracks offering almost opposite terrain. The Great Blue Course is a links style, measuring 6,916 yards, and the heavily-wooded Greenback Course features plenty of over-water approaches. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed both courses and they both feature views of Mt. Hood when it's clear. Green fees are modest for the quality of play: $18-$40.
Rose City Municipal Golf Club
2200 NE 71st., Portland OR 97213; Tel. 503.253.4744
This city park Portland golf course was once the first airplane landing strip in Portland before it became the Rose City Country Club and later one of the Portland's more popular municipal golf courses. It's flat, and lined with mature pine trees. The course opened in 1923, and measures 6,455 yards from the tips. Green fees are dirt cheap, $13-$23.
The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club
4805 SW 229th Ave., Aloha OR 97007; Tel. 503.649.8191
The top luxury Portland golf course available to the public (on a limited basis) in the Portland area, the Reserve is a 36-hole facility just 20 miles from downtown Portland. The South Course, designed by John Fought, is a 7,180 yard track featuring natural landscape and water. The North Course, designed by Bob Cupp, is a 6,852 yard track modeled more as a links style course, yet still featuring plenty of water and indigenous trees. Both courses are mentioned in Golf Digest's top 50 condition courses in the country. Green fees are also not that bad: $50-$80.
Red Tail Golf Course
8200 Scholls Ferry Rd., Beaverton OR 97008; Tel. 503.646.5166
This is another of Portland's municipal tracks, just five minutes from downtown Portland on the outskirts of nearby Beaverton. This Portland golf course was redesigned and reopened in 2000, and it's been highly praised ever since. A new drainage system has made this Portland golf course playable even in the wettest conditions. Green fees are in the $25-$40 range.
