Course Review: Columbia Edgewater Country Club

Posted by Rob Rigg
September 2009

Columbia Edgewater Country Club
Par 71 (6,900 yards)

Columbia Edgewater Country Club, often referred to as CECC, is a classic parkland course located a few minutes from downtown Portland, a fairway wood away from the Columbia River and adjacent to the airport.

The club was established in 1925 and is fortunate to boast an interesting A.V. Macan routing that consists of an inner loop and outer loop that makes great use of the property. Macan remains a relatively unknown Golden Age architect, but he was responsible for several fantastic golf courses including Royal Colwood in Victoria, BC and California Golf Club near San Francisco.

The clubhouse and CECC hedge at the base of the 10th tee.

The motto at CECC is “Given to the Game” and the passionate membership have always had a reputation for being “players,” and for good reason, during the late nineties the club had one of the lowest handicap averages in the nation. CECC still boasts many ”sticks” today, including Randy Mahar who won the 2009 Oregon Mid-Am.

CECC also has a reputation for top notch maintenance and beautiful poa greens, thanks to the efforts of Superintendent Gordon Kiyokawa and his team. As host to the LPGA Safeway Classic for over twenty years, until the tournament moved in 2009, the pros routinely rated CECC’s conditioning as the best on tour.

1st Hole – Par 5 (514/434)

The golfer is introduced to the course with a tree lined hole that has a lot of movement and undulation in the fairways, a sign of things to come. A drive favoring the left side of the fairway is ideal, and the green can be reached in two on a good day.

1st Tee at CECC.

The green is slightly elevated and defended in the front by a bunker and short right by a pond that really should not come into play. A layup to around one hundred yard will leave a straight-forward pitch to the green which slopes from front to back.

1st Fairway at CECC.

The putting surface is fairly wide but not very deep, which can make it difficult to properly judge distance, and the elevated green presents many challenging up and downs after a missed approach.

The opener probably gives away a lot pars, and a few birdies, but a bigger number is achieved fairly easily for those who stray from the ideal line.

1st Green at CECC.

2nd Hole – Par 4 (347/310)

The second tee shot provides the golfer with a choice – take an iron or hybrid and play for the left side of the fairway up top, or hit an accurate drive towards the clump of trees at the end of the fairway and let the ball run into a gully leaving a wedge up to the green.

2nd Tee at CECC

An approach from the top level is fairly direct with the pin fully visible, while a wedge from below is almost blind.

2nd Fairway at CECC.

3rd Hole – Par 5 (592/480)

The third hole was lengthened this season and it is pretty much a three shotter unless you crush a drive with a strong tailwind.

The left side of the fairway is ideal as the hole turns slightly to the right.

3rd Tee at CECC.

The photo below shows how the tall tree on the right side of the fairway can stymie an approach to the green, especially from distance.

I really like how the hole sits in a natural trough, and it feels like there is a wall of trees on the right side.

3rd Fairway at CECC.

The new green has a lot of movement and undulation which will challenge even the best putters. There is danger to the sides on the approach but anything online and short can leave a very reasonable chip to get up and down.

3rd Green at CECC.

4th Hole – Par 3 (174/100)

From the back tees the green looks like a pretty small target, but it is deeper and wider than it appears, especially with the recent expansion of the putting surface to the edge of the slope on the left side of the photo. The golfer can find himself on the green with a very long and challenging birdie putt.

4th Tee at CECC.

5th Hole – Par 4 (361/296)

The fifth looks like a straight-forward two shotter but there is more to the hole than meets the eye.

The drive must carry across a depression to the fairway which is about two hundred yards away from the tips. A fairway wood or long iron could be a wise choice because it takes most of the trees out of play but leaves a longer approach. A driver can lead to a short iron in, but the fairway falls off on the left side where the trees are beckoning.

5th Tee at CECC.

6th Hole – Par 4 (384/331)

Hello sequoias!

If you have not noticed already, there are a few trees at CECC and some very tall sequoias line many of the holes.

Be careful with club selection on the sixth tee as a drive too far left or right will strike timber and need to be pitched out to the fairway.

The hole doglegs right beyond the fairway bunkers.

6th Tee at CECC.

The green is tricky as it slopes from front to back with internal movement. Several bunkers protect the putting surface which makes the tee shot even more important, because a good approach angle makes par a lot more attainable.

6th Fairway Bunker and Approach at CECC.

7th Hole – Par 3 (204/136)

From the tips, especially into the wind, the seventh is a challenging one shotter that calls for a nice high draw to land the ball softly on the green.

There is a steep false front that will repel anything just short and a large bunker is lurking on either side. If you walk off the green with a three you should be pleased.

7th Tee at CECC.

8th Hole – Par 4 (401/302)

The tee shot at the eighth, like to the second, asks the golfer to make a choice.

You can hit a fairway wood at the bunker to keep the ball on the top shelf and then hit a short iron approach to the pin, which can be seen under the red tree in the distance.

Or, you can attempt to hit a drive right up the gut which will probably run down the slope and leave no more than a wedge to the green. Anything sprayed to the right will probably find its way into a water hazard that lurks below the treeline and anything left is in the trees.

8th Tee at CECC.

The green slopes from front to back and is protected on the left by a very deep bunker and on the right by another that is not quite as ominous.

The false front on the eighth is not as severe as on some of the previous holes, but the green is elevated and anything short will stay short.

8th Green at CECC.

9th Hole – Par 4 (394/293)

The ninth requires a long and accurate drive followed by a well executed iron that avoids a pond on the front left side of the green and various bunkers that lurk around the putting surface.

A drive pulled left into the sequoias will cost you at least a stroke.

9th Tee at CECC.

The putting surface on nine is quite large, and it tends to move back to front and left to right. A pin position beyond the pond will certainly test a golfers nerves and par is a great score here.

9th Approach at CECC.

10th Hole – Par 4 (378/342)

The two shot tenth is tougher than it looks on paper. Once again, the hole doglegs slightly to the right from tee to green.

A drive too far left off the tee could end up on the side of a hill, while too far right brings some big trees into play.

10th Fairway at CECC.

A steep false front protects the green from anything short. The bunker on the left is extremely deep while the one on the right is just deep. Good luck getting up and down from either of those.

The safe play is to the middle of the green, regardless of pin position.

Short of the 10th Green at CECC.

11th Hole – Par 3 (186/127)

From the tips, especially into the wind, the eleventh can play as a long one shotter.

The green is narrow at the front and opens up at the back. Again, a nasty false front and deep bunker will repel or gobble up any errant tee shots, while several bunkers on the right remove any bailout options over there.

In front of the 11th Green at CECC.

The photo below, looking back to the tee, cannot do justice to the wonderful movement that can be found on this green. As with the one shot seventh, par should be welcomed.

11th Green at CECC from behind.

12th Hole – Par 4 (424/319)

Ten and twelve are similar as both move a little to the right from tee to green.

Bunkers guard the right side of the fairway and another protects the left side of the green.

12th Fairway at CECC.

13th Hole – Par 4 (424/329)

As we move to the back of the property, the two shot thirteenth, again, turns just a bit to the right from tee to green. An accurate drive, that avoids the trees on the left, will set up a mid-iron approach to the green.

13th Tee at CECC.

The fairway bunker on the left is a little bit short of the green which can make it challenging to judge distance. An up and down from there is not easy.

There is a little rumple just in front of the green on the right side that adds some visual interest to the approach. If you miss anywhere but the bunker, an up and down is a reasonable possibility.

13th Fairway at CECC.

14th Hole – Par 5 (520/456)

The tee shot at fourteen is a lot of fun. The hole is lined from tee to green with a wall of sequoias that enjoy inhaling golf balls. The pond on the left is in play if you get too aggressive with your tee shot, so it may be wiser to play the hole as a three shotter and aim your drive straight ahead.

14th Tee at CECC.

Unlike many holes at CECC, the fourteenth doglegs sharply to the left. Once you get to the top of the plateau the ground is fairly flat as the hole plays through the corridor of trees.

14th Fairway at CECC.

Bunkers protect the green on the left and right. As is evident below, the sand at CECC is wonderful to play from, but the lips on the bunkers can grab a weak blast if you are not careful.

14th Green and Bunker at CECC.

15th Hole – Par 4 (403/339)

The two shot fifteenth is my favorite driving hole on the course as there are several teeing options that will change how the hole plays.

The picture below is taken from the Black tees which sit at fairway level, adjacent to the 14th green, and provide a straight path to the green. A big draw up the right side, taking advantage of the slope off the hill if necessary, is a great play from here.

15th Back Tee at CECC.

The Blue, White and Red tees are located behind the fourteenth green which creates an elevated tee shot to a fairway that moves away to the right. A fade off the fairway bunker on the left is a safe option.

Upper Tees on the 15th at CECC.

The punchbowl green is protected on the front left and right by fairly deep bunkers, and back left by another. The left side bunkers make it tough to use the slope on that side to feed the ball towards the center.

15th Fairway at CECC.

Looking back, you can see where the Black tees are located, between the trees on the left side of the photo and the tall yellow grass.

The open space afforded by the field next to the teeing area is a nice change of pace as tall trees tend to dominate many of the other holes.

Looking back from the !5th Green.

16th Hole – Par 4 (460/429)

The rumpled fairway on the long sixteenth is what makes this my favorite hole on the course even though it can be a brute.

A big drive that hugs the left side can get a kick down to the bottom of a hill that is located about 250 yards from the tee. A tee shot too far right will be in trouble because there are tall trees and a depression that runs between the sixteenth and second hole.

For this to play as a two shotter, a great drive is paramount, followed by a mid to long iron approach. Most of the members probably have to play sixteen as a par five.

16th Tee at CECC.

The photo below looks across the chasm in the fairway to the green, it cannot do justice to the rumple.

16th Fairway at CECC.

Looking back, the wonderful topography is even more evident. It looks like a set of beautiful green waves are rolling slowly towards the putting surface. Fantastic.

16th Green at CECC looking back.

17th Hole – Par 3 (141/108)

The fourth and seventeenth are both one shotters that play over water but the challenge off the tee is very different.

The seventeenth green is large, undulating, and protected by an ominous bunker on the left side that should be avoided at all costs, but refrain from dunking one in the water.

This should be an easy three because the tee shot only requires a wedge or nine iron, but there is enough trouble to make you nervous.

17th at CECC.

18th Hole – Par 4 (426/333)

Eighteen is a long straight par four that is a bit anti-climactic, especially after the spectacular sixteenth.

However, as the final hole in a match or a tournament, it demands focus and respect.

The trees left and right of the fairway tend to play as a one stroke penalty so keep it on the short grass to leave a longish approach to the front to back sloping green.

18th Tee at CECC.

The second is plain vanilla from the fairway, nothing sneaky going on here.

If you get into the bunker on the right side of the photo below, which is well short of the hole, an up and down will be admirable.

18th Fairway at CECC.

The greenside bunkers should provide a decent chance at a sandy to finish off the round, although if you are going to miss, just short is the best option.

Greenside bunker on the 18th Hole at CECC.

Columbia Edgewater is a very walkable golf course. Greens and tees are close to one another and while the terrain is rolling and interesting, with some small hills, it is easy to navigate on foot. This is the type of course that you could walk at least thirty-six a day no problem. Thus, CECC receives a 4 out of 4 for Walkability.

In terms of Architecture, the A.V. Macan routing should be cherished and the greens are a lot of fun to putt on because there is an enjoyable amount of movement. The inner front nine loop and outer back nine loop are unique, but an overwhelming number of holes move to the right from tee to green which can get repetitive. 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, and 15 all move left to right – that is nine out of the fourteen two and three shot holes.

Aesthetically, CECC is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. Many sequoias were planted in the 1960s, which are now towering over some of the fairways, which is good and bad. The trees are impressive, but the fairways can feel pretty tight off the tee and there are a lot of shadows on the course. Mr. Kiyokawa and his team do a great job of ensuring that branches are kept head high so there is room to punch out to the fairway if you stray offline. CECC is an impeccably maintained course.

For Architecture and Aesthetics I would rate Columbia Edgewater a 2.5 out of 4.

For a parkland course with treelined fairways, CECC does provide some club selection challenges on several tees because of the undulations and small hills that add strategic merit to the design. The general movement of holes from left to right means that a fade is the shot du jour off the tee. The course varies in length from 5,500 to 6,900 yards, depending on where you play from, so it is enjoyable for golfers of all levels. There is not a lot of water on the course and the golfer only faces a couple of forced carries which occur on one shotters. The trees that line most of the holes put a premium on accuracy, especially off the tee. I would give CECC a rating of 1 out of 2 for Strategy and Playability because, like Royal Oaks, it is essentially a penal design.

TWG Rating for Columbia Edgewater:

4.0 / 4 – Walkability

2.5 / 4 – Architecture and Aesthetics

1.0 / 2 – Strategy and Playability

7.5 / 10 – Total

Review by Rob Rigg, 2009
Photos by Rob Rigg, 2009

The Walking Golfer Course Rating System

Total is out of 10 Points

0 – 4 points – Walkability

0 – 4 points – Architecture and Aesthetics

0 - 2 points – Playability and Strategy