Rob Rigg, aka “The Walking Golfer” and a good friend of Epic Golf, just posted a very thoughtful review of Columbia Edgewater Country Club here in Portland, with some excellent photos.

Having walked CECC at the Safeway Classic last year, I can attest to its superb conditioning.  However, I’d say that Rob doesn’t go far enough in his review in talking about how penal the course is.  I love tree-lined courses, but not when the trees border the lines of play so closely, and discourage a full-blooded whack off the tee.

The extreme tree-lined nature of CECC actually makes the course feel contemporary (appropriate, since most trees were planted in the ’60s according to Rob) and detracts from what could be an amazing vintage experience. This is presumptuous as hell, but I wonder if CECC members have considered a several-thousand-tree removal program along the lines of that implemented by Oakmont several years ago to restore the course to its full glory?

Rob is absolutely right about the 15th and 16th holes, however–trees and all, they are among the cream of the crop in terms of par fours in Portland.