My Quest to Check Off Golf's Best Experiences

#8, Par 5, 497 Yards


"This is a textbook par five.  A drive by the bunkers will give you a view to the green.  Remember the green is the smallest on the course and looks a little farther than it is.  Getting on in two is not a high percentage shot due to the size of the green.  There is plenty of trouble at the green, with the hollows and bunker, so the best chance at birdie is to wedge it close enough to one-putt."


​This hole opens up quite a bit where you'll land your second shot.  It's awfully tight until you get there though.  Keep the drive straight and you can swing hard at the second shot.  Once you get to the green, there's quite an expansive view out into the distance awaiting.

#14, Par 3, 219 Yards


"This is the introduction to a stretch of holes that were designed specifically for championship use.  It is a long downhill par three that plays tough.  It is followed by three holes where the scores can go in either direction depending on the player's courage or degree of desperation."


The large green is what makes this one tricky, in my opinion.  It's not terribly difficult to hit the green given the green's size and the fact that there is no trouble in front to prevent a run-up shot.  However, just hitting the green doesn't give any assurance of getting down in two and making par.

#2, Par 4, 391 Yards


"This hole requires a good tee shot because it is slightly uphill and there is a succession of trees both right and left.  it is difficult to judge the distance of the approach shot because the green is higher than the fairway.  Be careful when the pin is located in the back of the green as your target gets smaller."


Turning to the North, we got away from the rising sun.  The bunkers on either side of the fairway really just frame the landing zone, and shouldn't come into play.  The longer your drive, the tighter the landing area.  Same with the green--the deeper you carry your shot into the green the narrower the green.  From the tee, the right side of the fairway is the preferred angle into the green.  

#1, Par 4, 392 Yards


"Ghost Creek starts tough with a bigger than normal hole, a par four of near maximum length with a large green that is difficult because it is raised.  Avoid the bunkers on the right and do not go over the back of the green as that would make for a poor start."


A drive down the left side of the fairway put me in perfect position to score here.  The humps and bumps on either side of the fairway are fairly common of this golf course, as it was built to have vantage points for spectators.  As I mentioned above, the dew on the golf course and its shine in the morning sun made for an inspiring first few holes.  As is evident in this photos below, the first hole faces nearly due East, which isn't my cup of tee in golf course design.  I'm generally not a fan of course that have first holes that face the rising sun, or last holes that face the setting sun.  With that said, this is still a nice starting hole and adequate playability and challenge at the same time.

#9 Par 4, 443 Yards


"This is perhaps the most difficult hole on the entire property.  The bunkers tell you the best angle to the green is from the left side of the fairway.  An approach from the right side will leave you with a long iron or a fairway wood to a target with water left and slightly behind.  From the left, the green is backed by dry land.  The putting surface is somewhat forgiving with space to the right of the green."


I had been pretty steady on the front nine and had a chance to post a decent score on the first half...until I reach the ninth hole!  The landing zone off the tee is fairly wide, but that didn't help me any, as a hard pull put me in trouble from the start.  From there, recovering wasn't easy once the water came into play.  A par on this one is a major victory.

#12, Par 4, 406 Yards


"This hole shows you the line off the tee, but the tendency is to try to cut the corner and that is not a high percentage shot.  A drive by the bunkers on the left side of the fairway works well.  The undulating green makes for a difficult back flagstick.  When the hole is back, the best approach is from as close to the green as possible.  A long approach shot may be better off playing to the middle of the green."


I definitely agree with the advice to just get it out into the fairway, and to avoid trying to cut the corner.  The right side can be jail.

It was a fun morning at Pumpkin Ridge.  I really enjoyed the mix of tight holes with tall Pacific Northwest firs, and more open holes with long expansive views.  I can see how this course was built to host a professional golf tournament with a lot of mounding to support galleries.  However, They would probably need to renovate the course and add several hundred yards if they're looking for a men's tournament.  The LPGA could be a good fit though with limited work needed.


After leaving Pumpkin Ridge, I'd head over to The Reserve Vineyards for an afternoon round, which I also enjoyed thoroughly.  From there, it was dinner and a beer at Pyramid Brewery before settling into my cramped seat on Delta Airlines for an overnight flight.  Spending five days golfing in Oregon was a really good time.  I'm anxious to get back again, to play Bandon again and then sample the golf in the Bend area.

#10, Par 5, 474 Yards


"If you hit a good tee shot, the approach may well be with a medium long iron because you are with the prevailing wind.  The creek winds its way across the fairway, but it is really not in play.  There is some trouble around the green, but it is a definite birdie opportunity."


Running parallel to the first hole, the opening hole of the back nine is a bit longer, but also a better chance to score with one more shot to par.  The drive just needs to get out there, avoiding the bunkers and mounds that straddle either side of the fairway.  A layup shot needs to land on the right or left side of the dry bed creek that divides the fairway in half.  If you're going for the green in two, the creek doesn't really come in play.

To a layman in the Midwest, it's not normal to take a golf vacation to Oregon in early March.  The average rust belt golfer is familiar with escaping the winter with jaunts to Florida, the Carolinas, and maybe even Arizona or Palm Springs.  However, the Pacific Northwest?  Not so much--but boy, are they missing out.  Of course, you're not going to get 80 degree sun-filled days in the Beaver State this time of year (and probably not ever in some spots!).  However, if you're willing to sacrifice some warmth, you'll get golf that is just as good, if not better.


When I booked my first trip to Oregon, the Bandon Dunes resort was the centerpiece.  I would spend three days there, sampling as much of the golfing fare as possible.  However, since my travel plans had me flying in and out of Portland (4-5 hours from Bandon) and I wasn't sure how many times I'd get back to Oregon, I tried to pack as much golf into the trip as possible.  So, I filled the day before Bandon with a round at Eugene CC, and had a full day after Bandon to check out golf in and around Portland.  I would be taking a red eye flight out of Portland that night, so I had an entire day to kill/fill.  What better way to spend a day leading up to a overnight flight, than with 36 holes of golf.  The most obvious public golf option in and around Portland is Pumpkin Ridge, so I poked around the internet, made a tee time, and my plans were taking hold.


Pumpkin Ridge opened for play in 1992, with two golf courses, both designed by Bob Cupp.  The Ghost Creek course is open to the public, with Witch Hollow reserved for member play and occupying a different clubhouse and practice area behind a gate.  Both courses have hosted numerous tournaments, but the higher profile events have typically chosen Witch Hollow.  None is more memorable than the 1996 US Amateur Championship, won by Tiger Woods in an epic comeback over Steve Scott.  That victory would be Tiger's final appearance as an amateur golfer.  However, even though the biggest events chose the private track, the public one next door is no slouch.  Ghost Creek is a solid course, and one built to host major championships as well.  Unfortunately, with Bandon to the South, and Chambers Bay and Sahallee to the North, Ghost Creek is an underdog to get any majors anytime soon, but it's not because the golf course couldn't handle it.  Pumpkin Ridge is on a large piece of land with ample land surrounding it for staging a tournament.  It's in a large enough city with corporate backers to handle the economics.  Perhaps even more importantly, it sits in the Pacific Time Zone, where golf would be on TV in prime time out east.  It would make a great venue for a major championships, as would dozens of golf courses around the country.  The course would need to add some yardage to be capable of testing today's pros, but there is room there to handle such a renovation if need be.


From the yardage book:


"Ghost Creek Golf Course at Pumpkin Ridge has had a bewitching effect on guests and the media since debuting in 1992.  That magical year, Golf Digest named Ghost Creek the 'Best New Public Course,' recognizing it for its playability, immaculate conditioning and stunning beauty.


Ghost Creek's awe-inspiring championship layout was exquisitely designed by world-renowned golf course architect Robert Cupp in the 'old style,' leaving the terrain completely natural.  Dense strands of immense fir, maple, oak and ash trees line pristine fairways and protect gently rolling greens, while the picturesque Ghost Creek meanders throughout the course.


Adding to the tranquil ambience and remarkable mystique of Pumpkin Ridge, a variety of indigenous wildlife including deer, hawks, blue herons and an occasional coyote take refuge on the property's vast wetlands - earning it international recognition as a 'Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.'


The serenely beautiful, yet challenging, Ghost Creek Golf Course at Pumpkin Ridge offers an unparalleled golf experience amidst the splendor of the Pacific Northwest."


After my three days in Bandon, two of them with rain, wind, and cold, I was happy to get to Portland where the climate is a bit more temperate.  The forecast looked great on this Monday, with clear skies and a high in the 60's.  I tried to dry out my equipment as best I could on my overnight stay.  Rain gear, gloves, clubs, and other stuff were strewn all over my hotel room and on the top of the air conditioning unit in hopes that they'd be dry for my 36 hole tour of Portland.  After four straight days of walking golf and three straight days of walking 36, 31, and 31 holes, my muscles were a little sore when the alarm went off the next morning.  With 36 holes left to play, I would have to grind my way through the golf, with the "reward" of a red eye flight on the horizon.  The morning was chilly, and I faced a short frost delay.  When I was given the go-ahead to tee it up, I was a dew-sweeper in every sense of the phrase, and boy did that make for a beautiful and serene experience (with some awesome photos to remember it by).


The Ghost Creek course at Pumpkin Ridge has four sets of tees, starting with the Red, and then moving backwards to the white, blue, and blacks tees all the way back.  While I was tempted to test out the tips, at a manageable 6,839 yards, the fact that this was the last day of a long stretch of golf with 36 holes on the horizon, I decided to just have as much fun as I could.  With that said, the Blue Tees would be my starting points on this trip around Ghost Creek.  They measure 6,386 yards, and play to a rating and slope of 71.6 and 138 with a par of 71.  I'll quote those yardages below, with hole descriptions from the yardage book in italics, followed by my commentary, if necessary:



#7, Par 4, 409 Yards


"A tee shot that turns a little left should catch the slope.  Remember the bunkers at the green are 'fore bunkers.'  They are well short of the green.  The tendency on the approach shot is to be a little short.  No matter what your yardage is, the tendency will be to hit it softer.  It's a feature that Golf Course Architect Donald Ross liked, and it might make you think a little harder about what type of shot to hit."

#18, Par 4, 428 Yards


"On the tee at eighteen, all you have to do is hit a perfect drive about four miles and then a long iron into the prevailing wind with water on the right side of the green, just to get on the big dance floor and hope for a par.  As a matter of fact, some may be more aggressive at seventeen just to make up for what they might do at eighteen."


Definitely a tough finishing hole.  With two well hit shots, it can be negotiated with success, but mishit one of them, and you'll be quickly out of position and possibly going into your bag for another ball.  A tough final exam at Pumpkin Ridge.

#17, Par 4, 301 Yards


"This hole is perfectly placed for championship use.  Those who play safe may perhaps criticize the hole, commenting that it is too short.  Those players will probably make a par.  If you want to make three, you need to go after it with a driver; who knows, you may even make a '2'!  Players walk away from seventeen either completely pumped or totally devastated."


A cool hole in a cool position on the course...make or break.  A drive or fairway wood down the left side of the fairway will keep it on away from the creek and give the best angle into a tiny green.  It's only 14 yards wide and 24 yards deep, with water hugging the front right.

#15, Par 5, 531 Yards


"This hole can yield some birdies, and your chances are enhanced if you can play your second shot up around the fairway bunker on the right.  This will put you in position to play into the slope of the green with a short iron.  Long hitters need to favor the left side of the fairway if they are going to try to reach this green in two shots.  The green is not complicated."


Kind of just your average garden variety par 5.  It's a dogleg left with bunkers on the inside elbow off the tee.  Avoid the traps and a birdie is realistic with a par as a fall-back.

#5, Par 3, 205 Yards


"Ghost Creek umps up to bite at five, a big par three that played well over par in the 1996 Amateur.  it will be a long iron or hybrid and the green is immensely wide.  It can be possible to have a 120-foot putt.  Good luck."


As it suggest above, this green is 50 yards wide, but only 29 yards deep, so direction is key to leaving a manageable two-putt.  The creek should only come into play for a badly miss-hit shot.  The good thing with the Ghost Creek, is you shouldn't lose a ball in it.  On some holes, it isn't even filled with water.

#11, Par 3, 170 Yards


"This hole can be disastrous with the creek.  It seems to break up the perception of length because it is slightly uphill.  Beware!  Club selection is everything, especially if the hole is back right.  Much like twelve on Witch Hollow and that other twelve at Augusta, getting on the stick when the hole is back right takes some courage and talent.


Not so sure about any comparisons to #12 at Augusta National, but whatever.  A shot to the middle of the green is definitely the wise play here.

#16, Par 3, 125 Yards


"This hole is intended to be one of those devilish par threes that entices you to shoot directly at the flagstick that might be just a little too dangerous (especially if the wind is blowing).  Over the back here is a sure bogey.  It is downhill so over-clubbing is a real possibility.  This is one of the best short par three's around."


This green is only 22 yards deep and only 18 yards wide.  It's a small target, but with only some kind of wedge, it's plenty fair.  With seven bunkers surrounding the green, this one reminded me of a minor league version of some of the great short Donald Ross par three's around the country, like #13 at Oakland Hills South or #5 at Aronimink.  The green is not nearly as interesting, nor are the bunkers, but it's a fun hole nonetheless.

Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Ghost Creek)

North Plains, Oregon


http://www.pumpkinridge.com/ghost-creek


Checked Off the Bucket List March 16, 2015


Golf Magazine:
#56, Top 100 Courses You Can Play (2014)
#6, Best Public Golf Courses in Oregon (2014)

Golf Digest:
#67, America's 100 Greatest Public Courses (2015-2016)
#13, Best in the State of Oregon (2015-2016)


#4, Par 5, 515 Yards


"This is a birdie possibility if you position the drive well and don't get too greedy with the second shot.  The fairway is wider than it looks, and it is a good idea to get within a sand wedge because the green plays like three different putting surfaces.  For those long hitters, favor the left side if you are trying to get home in two shots.  But be careful, there is plenty of trouble left of the green."


The fourth hole was where I had my spiritual moment.  I felt like the only person on the golf course (and I probably was), and when I looked back to see one trails of footprints in the dew, I had to stop a moment to take it all in before hitting my next shot and being on my way.  While the advice above says to favor the left side, do so at your own risk as a miss to the left will end up below the fairway on on a dramatic side hill lie.  The fairway definitely tightens up in the landing zone, so be precise with a layup if that's your strategy.  

#6, Par 4, 366 Yards


"This hole is a bit of a breather though a little nerve-wracking with the creek and the woods on both sides of the fairway.  if the tee shot is too sagfe, the shot to the green is precarious.  Missing to the left puts you 30 feet below the green.  Missing right is in the creek.  Play whatever club you need to get to the end of the bunkers left of the fairway.  From there it's just a wedge."


I liked this hole.  Like some of the others, the longer you choose to carry your drive off the tee, the narrower the landing area.  Hugging the creek definitely gives the best angle and look into the hole.  While I refer to a "creek," there wan't a drop of water in this one...just rocks.

#3, Par 3, 158 Yards


"Three has some surprises because of the elevation change, and the subtleties around the green are difficult to read from the elvated tee.  Club selection is crucial, and long is not a good alternative."


A sharp looking hole for the first one-shotter of the day.  I got a real kick out of seeing the trees throughout Oregon which tend to have moss on them from all the rain that hits the area.  Kind of creepy, yet cool.

#13, Par 4, 356 Yards


"This hole can give up some shots, but don't get it off line on the tee shot, or you'll find yourself hitting some trick shots to get on.  if the flagstick is back, it is best not to be too bold because over the back is likely bogey.  Since this hole plays uphill, make sure that you know your yardage and be careful of the false front on this green."


The drive is the key to this hole.  As long as you're straight, you can attack the green and make a good score.  Get out of position off of the tee, and you'll be fighting for a par.