The Resort at the Mountain - Detail
This review was written from the blue tees. The longest two of the three nines, PineCone and Foxglove, play at 6142 from the blues. For that matter the blacks are only 6405. So the Bogey Golfer really can't get in too much trouble distance-wise at this course. There are plenty of other ways for the Bogey Golfer to get in trouble!
The day this review was written, the greens ran pretty slow. I don't know if they were always like this because the place gets a lot of moisture, or if it was a seasonal thing (they'd been aerated a couple weeks earlier). It's certainly worthwhile to spend a few minutes on the putting green before the round starts in order to get a feel for the speed.
PineCone #1 is a 408 yard par 4 from an elevated tee. This is a pretty forgiving opening hole, with enough room right and left to feel comfortable hitting your driver. That isn't always true on this course, which has lots of paths carved through the forest, so take advantage of this opportunity! On your second shot, try to avoid the left side of the green -- there's a bunker on the front left side -- it's easier to come in from the right.
PineCone #2 is a short (344 yard) par 4. Here's where you start to feel a little cramped off the tee box, and you might want to hit a fairway wood, or even a mid iron. The fairway is not too long, but it is a bit narrow, and you certainly want to keep it in the short grass.
PineCone #3 is a little shorter and a little narrower. At 313 yards, big hitters will be tempted to go for it. The problem is -- there's no line! An old dead pine tree is the best target. From there, the hole doglegs right another 100 yards up the hill. There's trouble everywhere (woods, water, tall grass). If you've got a straight shot in the bag, use it here!
PineCone #4 is a short downhill par 3, playing 145 yards. Use one less club than normal because of the elevation loss, but don't be short!!! (water in front, don't you know...). The green is pretty large, and you can easily put yourself in 3-putt range if your tee shot isn't very accurate.
PineCone #5 is the first par 5, and it's really short (only 435 yards). However, the tee box is back in the bushes where the bears live, and you feel like you're hitting out of a narrow chute. Furthermore, there's nothing but swamp in front of you, and you feel like you have to hit it a mile just to clear the junk. This is all a mental game, meant to tense you up so you hit a bad shot. In actual fact, the carry over the junk is not all that long, and once you're off the tee, this hole should be an easy bogey, with a decent chance to make par. Pick a club you have a lot of confidence in, and start feeling good about your tee shot before you make it. The green is elongated from back left to front right, and not very wide, so an accurate approach shot is important.
PineCone #6 is another par 5. This one is a bit longer at 549 yards, but without all the drama off the tee. However, there is some drama to be had, in the form of a creek that crosses the fairway. I hit a 3 wood off the tee just to be safe, but I think there was probably room to hit a driver. Having said that, it was nice to be safely in the middle of the fairway... The second shot doesn't need to be anything special, just keep it in play, and be sure to clear that creek! The green is pretty flat, so feel free to attack the pin in whatever position it's in.
PineCone #7 runs back up alongside #6. It's a 379 yard par 4. Not particularly long, not particularly difficult. There are a couple of bunkers up around the green, so make sure your approach shot comes in high and lands soft (in other words, don't blade it like I did!).
PineCone #8 runs back alongside #7, and next to a practice area (it's not so much a driving range as it is a chipping range). The green is tucked in against a group of lovely willow trees. It's a 369 yard par 4, and it plays pretty much straightaway. Play it like you see it -- hit a boring shot into the fairway, and another boring shot into the green.
PineCone #9 is a testy 207 yard par 3 to close out this nine. There's a huge bunker fronting the green on the left, so if you're going to miss, make sure you miss to the right. Landing in the bunker is no fun, and also it's no fun to try and lob one over the bunker from being short and left.
By now, you realize you've circled around the clubhouse, and come up from the other side. Pick a new nine to start on, and proceed to...
Foxglove #1 starts a long narrow loop of holes strung end-to-end which circles out through the woods and back. The first hole is a very short (284 yards) par 4 with a huge rock smack in the middle of the fairway. (The hole is named "Monolith". I have no idea what the other holes on the course are called, but this one is fitting!) Obviously, with the huge boulder plugging the middle of the fairway, you need to be pretty accurate with your tee shot. If you can hit a straight ball (or a draw) go right of the Rock with a five or six iron. If you tend to hit fades, better try for the left side. There's no room on either side of the fairway -- if you miss the short stuff, you're instantly in the woods.
Foxglove #2 is a straightaway 361 yard par 4. It is pretty narrow, and intimidating, with a slight uphill slant to it. Don't take any chances here -- your tee shot needs to be straight, even if you have to go down to a six or seven iron to do it! Bogey is a good score on this hole -- use it to get used to feeling a bit confined as the fairways cut through the woods.
Foxglove #3 is much shorter (314 yards) but still narrow! Stick with a mid iron that you feel comfortable with. The reduced length gives you a chance to still make par despite being a wuss off the tee.
Foxglove #4 is a short par 3. It's only 104 yards, but you don't want to miss short because of the bunker in front of the green.
Foxglove #5 is a 539 yard par 5. There's a ravine across the middle of the fairway about 250 yards off the teebox, and big hitters can definitely reach it. I wouldn't try to fly it, even if you're a big hitter -- it isn't worth it. Hit a long iron or a fairway wood if you feel like your driver might reach the creek. From there on in, the hole is pretty straightforward. Hit the ball straight and keep it in play.
Foxglove #6 is another par 3, this one at 152 yards. It also has a bunker in front of the green -- a much bigger one. Take plenty of club!
Foxglove #7 is another par 5 with a 250 yard layup (by now the course has turned around and is headed back to the clubhouse, so you're basically crossing the same stream as you saw on #5. The same strategy applies -- hit a nice safe 200 to 230 yard shot off the tee, hit a straight midiron or short iron shot, and then land your approach on the green. It's an easy game!
Foxglove #8 is a 406 yard par 4. It's long enough that you need a decent drive. As always, the ever-present trees on both sides keep you hemmed in. Hopefully by now, you've
straightened the kinks out of your swing enough that you can get away with a fairway wood. There's a slight dogleg to the left, so start the ball down the left side off the tee. There's a little bunker guarding the front left side of the green, so be prepared to bail out right.
Foxglove #9 is a short narrow hole, with a couple of tall skinny pine trees framing the green that remind you for all the world of goal posts. Since the hole is 335 yards, there's nothing to be gained by going for a long impossibly straight shot. Make sure your first shot is either a) right down the middle, or b) short enough that neither tree takes away your angle into the green. (Hint: alternative b makes more sense of us bogey golfers...).
And that's all she wrote for Foxglove, now on to Thistle...
Thistle #1 is a 338 yard par 4, with a bit of a dogleg right. There's a small grove of trees on the right, which I got tangled up in for no other reason than that I shanked my second shot. This is a really easy two-shot hole, just make sure you hit your tee shot straight!
Thistle #2 is a par 3 playing at 141 yards (check the tee markers for true yardage). There's a nasty little bunker on the front left of the green waiting to gather in any slight mis-hits, so take plenty of club (the green is huge, by the way).
Thistle #3 is a 404 yard par 4. It's actually wide enough to hit your driver, so what the heck -- go for it! This green is also pretty large, so pay attention to the pin placement on your approach shot -- it's really easy to three-putt here!
Thistle #4 is a narrow twisty par 5, one of the more claustrophobic holes on the course. It's not that long, only 502 yards, but it does require a fair amount of accuracy on all three shots. I say "three shots" assuming that you'll a) club down to take advantage of the hole's shortness, and b) hit the ball straight. Two 180 yard shots, and a 140 yard final approach will get you there. That math will also leave you laid up at about the right distance to stay out of trouble from a creek crossing the fairway in front of the green, along with a swamp to the right of the fairway.
Thistle #5 is an interesting 175 yard par 3. "Interesting" is because there are several trees all down the right hand side. Plus there's a creek crossing the fairway in front of the teebox. Plus the green is kind of long and narrow. Well, if you're going to miss, left is better than right -- fewer trees...
At this point in the round darkness fell, so I haven't actually seen the last four holes of the Thistle nine. According to the scorecard, Thistle is only a par 34 course, having only one par 5, three par 3s, and five par 4s. Total length from the blue tees is 2786, which compares well with the other two courses (they have par at two strokes higher, and 230 to 350 yards more length.
The Resort at the Mountain is a thoroughly enjoyable set of courses, taking full advantage of the Oregon woods. You can get your fill of mountain scenery, plentiful wildlife, lots of water hazards, and golf shots of every shape and size. A "must see" if you're in the Portland area -- make a day of it!
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