First round of 2024 after a LONG break from regulation golf was a new course to this now Oregonian, the municipal Eastmoreland GC in Portland, OR. Great little club (reminds me of Balboa Park GC in San Diego) with an old-school course, cozy little clubhouse, and very modest amenities. Played 3/31 on an 11AM tee-time with unreal weather; 68 degrees and a slight cooling breeze.
Tee boxes: Fairly chewed up as you'd expect for a muni that gets THIS much play. Lots of tee boxes didn't have a place to stand level and the white tees were so beat up on most holes that there was more dirt than grass. That being said, it didn't affect play much.
Fairways: Considering it had only been sunny for 48 hours to this point after a fair amount of rain, the fairways were in good shape. The dampness and goose poop stopped the ball from rolling any, but hitting surfaces were good for the most part. Areas under tree canopies were understandably muddy and gross, but you know what you are getting on a course that sits just below sea level with poor drainage.
Rough: The rough here was just as penal as Torrey. It ate up balls left and right, and with d%mn or often muddy ground underneath, hitting a shot out of it was nearly impossible.
Sand: Was only in one bunker and as expected, it was wet, compact, and so challenging to hit out of, it may as well have been wet cement.
Greens: The highlight today. They were surprisingly tricky for a course like this. Quicker as the day progressed and all in all, not very easy to read. Beautiful color and had it not been for goose poop, the roll would have been great.
ETC: Pace of play was not awful at 4.75 hours with no waiting, just full tee sheet and lots of shorter par 4's. The front nine is parkland-style similar to Bayonet/Blackhorse in Monterey, the back nine looks like a completely different course reminding me of Goose Creek with the routing and hole layout. Fun times.
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