My work involves a significant amount of travel these days and it looks like I’ll be spending some time in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Portland. I’m hoping to golf when it isn’t pouring rain and today looked like a great day to be outside considering the time of year.

I have friends in the Portland area and we’ve played Langdon Farms Golf Club a couple times before. I’ve always enjoyed my rounds here and was excited to get back to one of my favorite Portland courses.

Before I get too far into the review, you should know that December isn’t prime golf season in the Pacific Northwest. The courses are typically soggy while the weather is cool and dreary. Plus, the courses don’t present as well visually in the winter as they do in the summer. Anyway, today we got some peaks of sunshine early before the clouds rolled in. Overall though, it was a nice day for golf.

Langdon Farms is a Bob Cupp and John Fought design that is about a half hour south of downtown Portland. I’ve been a big fan of both Cupp and Fought’s work for many years and Langdon is no exception. I enjoy Langdon Farms for a number of reasons, but towards the top is the course’s playability. It can be tough, but it isn’t overly harsh.

For reference, I played the “7” tees which are 71.5/133/6522 (par-71). Langdon Farms has an inland links look to it, so there aren’t many holes with trees in play. In fact, the course is quite open and the fairways are generous. Holes are separated by mounding that can kick the ball to a better spot, at least when things aren’t super soft. In the summer there is tall grass that can catch wild drives.

I think the green complexes and some lengthy holes make Langdon Farms challenging. While the greens vary in size, most have false edges that drop off into chipping areas. That can make it tough to scramble if missing a green. It doesn’t take much for a chip to go across a green. Or worse, a chip can end up back at your feet.

The 8th, a 449 yard par-4, is a long, tough hole. It has a big barn that adds to the “farm” look at Langdon Farms. The 11th is a 607 yard par-5 that never seems to end. There are cross bunkers that create a blind layup to make it more difficult. What’s interesting is that the course’s shortest hole might be the most difficult one. The par-3 6th is only 115 yards, but it is a scary short iron shot. The green is long and skinny and sits well above the surrounding chipping areas. The tee shot has to land in the right spot with the right spin to stay on the green. If not, then it is going to leave a tough short game shot with plenty of options.

The green fee was $69 to walk and the conditions were solid for the off-season. All of the turf was full, albeit squishy to walk on. Lies in the fairways were good. The greens rolled well and were quite speedy on the front nine. It rained a little on the back nine, which I think slowed them down. The rough was cut down.

I’d highly recommend a round at Langdon Farms and think the course is a hidden gem. I’ve never had a poor experience here. It is fun to play and has some cool features like its barn theme, a double green, and double fairway. My only complaint is the road noise from Interstate 5 is very noticeable. If you are flying into Portland with plans to drive down to Bandon, then I’d make sure to put Langdon Farms on your list.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):