The last couple years I’ve started to enjoy re-visiting courses I’ve played in the past. I played Tri-Mountain Golf Course over ten years ago on a rainy February day. The course was saturated during that round and it would have been great to be a duck that day. Ten years is a long time, so I wanted to get back and see Tri-Mountain from the summer perspective.
After work I made the short drive from Vancouver to Ridgefield. It was cloudy and cool to begin the round, but the sun made an appearance once I got to the 6th hole. After that there was plenty of sunshine for the remainder of the round. On a clear day you should be able to see Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens from the course. That “tri-mountain” view is where the course gets its name.
I’m glad I got to see the course with some sun since it presents well, especially this time of year. Tri-Mountain is somewhat unique for a course in the Pacific Northwest because it has an open, links-type look to it. There are very few trees incorporated into the design. Mounding and tall fescue grass separate the holes instead of trees. During the summer the fescue is a golden brown color which contrasts against the green turf.
Bill and John Robinson designed Tri-Mountain and I’ve enjoyed some of their other courses. Most of their work seems to be in the Northwest and Northeast regions of the United States and Canada. Locally, the Robinson’s projects have involved work at Chehalem Glenn, Oswego Lake CC and the OGA Course – all courses I like.
From a design perspective, there isn’t anything overly distinctive about Tri-Mountain. The course sits on an old piece of farmland that is very flat. Most of the holes are straight and run parallel to each other. I’m not sure there is a signature hole, but at the same time there is nothing offensive about the course. Good shots get good results and bad shots get bad results. There are no design features trying to trick golfers and I enjoyed my walk just as much as I enjoyed the course. The design’s vibe is easygoing and I think that is what I liked so much.
Still, there are some challenging golf holes at Tri-Mountain. The course tops out at 6,600 yards from the blue tees – where I played – with a rating of 72.7 and a slope of 136. Much of that slope comes from many fairway bunkers and a few water hazards. The front nine is a par-37 with one par-3, six par-4’s and two par-5’s. The back nine is a par-35 with three par-3’s, four par-4’s and two par-5’s. That is a bit unusual and the course actually starts out with five par-4’s in a row. The distances on the holes vary and as an average-length hitter I used most of the clubs in my bag.
As far as favorite holes, I like the 6th and 7th holes on the front nine. The 6th is only 124 yards and tucked into a corner of the property. The green is large and hopefully the 6th should be a bit of a breather. The 7th is a short par-5 (487 yards) with water next to the green and tempts you to go for the green in two. On the back nine the closing three holes are memorable. The 16th is a 435 yard par-4 while the 17th is a 196 yard par-3 where you have to skirt the edge of a hazard. The 18th, at 555 yards, is the longest par-5 on the course.
My green fee was $32 to walk. The maintenance was impressive. Compared to Heron Lakes, Tri-Mountain was more lush and didn’t have as many areas of summer stress. The tees were full, with some sloped edges. The greens were great. The fairways were good and the ball mostly sat up. The rough was thick and I just had to guess how the ball was going to come out.
If I lived in the area I’d play at Tri-Mountain regularly. It is reasonably priced, in good shape and offers a different look compared to most courses in the area. I’m sure some will say the design is bland, and there is some truth to that. I’ll agree Tri-Mountain isn’t a must play for a visitor to Portland, but I think it is a borderline hidden gem with many positive characteristics.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):