111
ROCK CREEK
Country Club
PAR 4 395 YARDS
Portland, OR
503.645.1115
www.rockcreekcountryclub.com
The members at Rock Creek Country Club like to refer to their golf course as the best-
kept secret in Portland. However, there is no secret about the beguiling 14th hole:
Treat it with the respect it deserves, or perish. The choice is obvious from the tee of
the 395-yard dogleg par 4. Either risk putting your tee shot out of bounds by trying
to overpower the tall trees down the left side of the fairway and get a wedge to the
green, or resign to play carefully to the middle of the fairway and be content with a
medium-iron shot to the green. Any shot, from any distance, to the small, quick green
is a challenging one.
The 14th is also the first of a series of demanding finishing holes. Next up is a par
3 that can stretch to over 190 yards. The tee shot must be played over water and
around an ash tree that sits ominously in the pond. The 16th hole is another long
par 4, and the 17th is a par 5 with a creek in front of the green and little room for a
layup shot.
Rock Creek has morphed into a course that is both welcoming and challenging,
noted for its small, smooth, and fast greens, as well as tree-lined fairways that can
bring down any errant shot. From the back tees, the course is a test, with a rating
of 72.4 and a slope of 128. Located in a quiet, quaint neighborhood, Rock Creek
has a grass driving range, dry-in-the-winter fairways, and isn't totally unhappy about
remaining the best-kept secret in Portland.
14
Photographs by RCCC Photography
