After a few weeks away from the game I played at OGA Golf Course this afternoon. The weather has been very nice in Portland recently – quite a few sunny days and decent temperatures. But, the nice weather ended earlier this week and today’s forecast wasn’t great. Think cold and rainy.
The rain was supposed to stop about noon so that’s when I got to the course. There were maybe five other cars in the parking lot. Obviously all the smart golfers stayed home! Sure enough though – the rain stopped, the clouds broke, and I got some sunshine on the back nine. I walked the course in just three hours. Sweet.
OGA is the home course of the Oregon Golf Association and I played here once before – close to fifteen years ago. I didn’t remember much about the course, but I recall liking it.
OGA is a Bill Robinson design that can be quite the test. I played the four tees which are 72.0/138/6565. The course isn’t super long but almost everything else about it can be challenging. There is quite a bit of lost ball trouble, including water in play on twelve or thirteen holes. Fairways can be narrow. There are a bunch of bunkers – too many if you ask me.
The course has some funk too. The 3rd is a 190 yard par-3 with water dangerously close to the green. A miss short and right is no good. The 4th is a par-5 where less than driver is probably the best play. The 5th is a tight par-5. The 11th has a hidden water hazard. The 14th curls around a hazard. Well, you get the idea. There are five par-5’s at OGA and three of them are quirky.
The par-3 17th, at 155 yards, was my favorite hole. It plays slightly downhill to a green that sits in a hillside. A cool looking bunker guards the front of the green and the green has two tiers. The par-5 9th is another good hole. It is a reachable par-5 with a large double green.
I paid $54 to walk and the conditions were fine. After a drier January, I was surprised with the softness of the course. I had a couple tee shots plug. Lies were mostly good and the greens rolled well – medium pace. The bunkers look tired and could use a refresh.
Ultimately, OGA wasn’t quite the premium course that I remembered. I think it is still worth a play for the Portland golfer, but quite a few homes have been built along the holes. So, the setting lacks some. For the same/similar price there are a number of other courses around I’d prefer to play.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):