The 10 Best Golf Courses Near Portland (2026 Guide)

The best public golf courses near Portland are Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge, The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club, and Heron Lakes' Great Blue course. For value and history, Eastmoreland is a city-run course from 1917 that has hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links twice.

The list at a glance

| # | Course | Location | Distance | Access | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Pumpkin Ridge: Ghost Creek | North Plains, OR | about 20 mi | Public | Championship pedigree | | 2 | The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club | Hillsboro, OR | about 15 mi | Semi-private | Two contrasting courses | | 3 | Heron Lakes: Great Blue | Portland, OR | about 10 min | Municipal | A championship test in the city | | 4 | Langdon Farms Golf Club | Aurora, OR | about 15 mi | Public | Wet-season golf | | 5 | Stone Creek Golf Club | Oregon City, OR | about 20 mi | Public | Mount Hood views | | 6 | Camas Meadows Golf Club | Camas, WA | about 20 mi | Public | Airport-side round | | 7 | Eastmoreland Golf Course | Portland, OR | about 15 min | Municipal | History and value | | 8 | Gearhart Golf Links | Gearhart, OR | about 80 mi | Public | Coastal links day trip | | 9 | OGA Golf Course | Woodburn, OR | about 30 mi | Public | South-metro round | | 10 | Rose City Golf Course | Portland, OR | in the city | Municipal | Classic city golf |

How we chose

Every course here takes public tee times. We ranked them on course quality, published recognition and the experience for a visiting golfer, and mixed tour-tested layouts with city-run courses at lower prices. Facts were checked against course websites and golf media in October 2026; private clubs are listed separately below.

1. Pumpkin Ridge: Ghost Creek

Location: North Plains, OR · Access: Public · Holes: 18 (par 71) · Designer: Bob Cupp and John Fought (1992) · From downtown: about 20 miles

Ghost Creek is the public half of Pumpkin Ridge, whose private Witch Hollow course hosted the 1996 U.S. Amateur. Golf Digest ranks Ghost Creek No. 16 in its 2025-26 Best in State list for Oregon. It hosted the Nike Tour Championship in 1993 and 1994 and the LPGA's Safeway Classic from 2009 to 2012.

It stretches to 6,839 yards. Pick it for tournament history a short drive west of town.

Around the greens: Championship-tested greens deserve a plan: pick a landing spot on every chip rather than aiming at the flag.

2. The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club

Location: Hillsboro, OR · Access: Semi-private (public tee times) · Holes: 36, two par-72 courses · Designer: John Fought (South) and Bob Cupp (North), 1997 · From downtown: about 15 miles

Members have the North from the 1st to the 15th of each month, so check which course is open to the public on your date. The South is Fought's layout with more than 60 bunkers. The club has hosted the Fred Meyer Challenge and the JELD-WEN Tradition.

Cupp's North features a 43,000-square-foot triple green shared by three holes. Two contrasting designers on one property give you a reason to play both.

Around the greens: On a green as large as the North's triple green, distance control matters more than direction, so pick a landing spot and commit to it.

3. Heron Lakes Golf Club: Great Blue

Location: Portland, OR · Access: Municipal · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr. (1992) · From downtown: about 10 minutes

Heron Lakes is a Portland Parks & Recreation facility with two 18-hole courses, and the Great Blue is the harder one. It has more than 80 bunkers, and it hosted the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links.

The 1972 Greenback course next door is a gentler parkland design, so mixed groups can split up. Better players will get the most from the Great Blue's 6,902 yards.

Around the greens: Small, undulating greens leave little margin, so land chips on the flattest section and let the slope feed the ball.

4. Langdon Farms Golf Club

Location: Aurora, OR · Access: Public · Holes: 18 · Designer: John Fought and Bob Cupp (1995) · From downtown: about 15 miles

Langdon Farms comes from the design pair behind Ghost Creek and opened in spring 1995. The club says it aims to be the best-conditioned public course in the area. It has also invested in staying dry, which matters in a Portland winter.

A 64-player winter match-play event starts in November. It suits golfers who keep playing through the off-season.

Around the greens: Because the course works to stay dry, low running chips remain an option in the wet months.

5. Stone Creek Golf Club

Location: Oregon City, OR · Access: Public · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy (2002) · From downtown: about 20 miles

Stone Creek covers 165 acres of Douglas fir and lakes, with views of Mount Hood. Clackamas County Parks lists it among its parks, and it plays 6,840 yards from the back tees.

The club treats its greens as its calling card. It suits east- and south-side golfers who want a scenic round without a long drive.

Around the greens: A course that prides itself on its greens may roll quicker than you expect, so ask the pro shop for the speed.

6. Camas Meadows Golf Club

Location: Camas, WA · Access: Public · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Andy Raugust (2000) · From downtown: about 20 miles

Across the Columbia River, Camas Meadows sits among wetlands near Lacamas Lake. Tees run from 4,859 to 6,518 yards.

It is a short drive from Portland International Airport, which makes it handy at either end of a trip. Heading north? See our Seattle guide.

Around the greens: Wetland edges tighten some targets, so when you are short-sided, land the chip safely on the green and accept a longer putt.

7. Eastmoreland Golf Course

Location: Portland, OR · Access: Municipal · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: H. Chandler Egan (1917) · From downtown: about 15 minutes

The city calls Eastmoreland the second-oldest golf course in Oregon, and it was Portland's first public course. Egan was a former national amateur champion. It hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 1933 and 1990.

It borders the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Southeast Portland and has a covered, lit range. Portland Parks offers reduced rates for golfers 65 to 84, and those 85 and older play free with ID.

Around the greens: At 6,529 yards, many approaches are short irons, so most chips come from close range and landing-spot precision matters.

8. Gearhart Golf Links

Location: Gearhart, OR · Access: Public (daily fee) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Opened: 1892 (restored 2013) · From downtown: about 80 miles

Gearhart calls itself the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi. A 2013 restoration led by John Strawn of Hills & Forrest brought back its links character, and fescue was seeded to firm up the turf. It plays 6,176 yards from the back.

At about 90 minutes from Portland, it works as a day trip or the golf half of a beach weekend. The club limits memberships to protect tee times for resort and daily-fee players.

Around the greens: Firm fescue rewards a low chip that lands short and releases, and coastal wind makes high pitches harder to judge.

9. OGA Golf Course

Location: Woodburn, OR · Access: Public (daily fee) · Designer: Bill Robinson (1993) · From downtown: about 30 miles

This is the home course of the Oregon Golf Association, designed by Bill Robinson and opened in 1993. It takes daily-fee play with online tee times and hosts tournaments through the year.

It sits south of the metro area off I-5, so it pairs well with a trip toward Salem or the Willamette Valley. Check its events calendar before booking a weekend round.

Around the greens: Use it to calibrate: note how far your chips release here and compare that with your home course.

10. Rose City Golf Course

Location: Portland, OR · Access: Municipal · Designer: George Otten (1923)

Rose City calls itself the second-oldest municipal course in the city and state. The land once held the Portland Country Club and the area's first airplane landing field. Its 1932 clubhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Expect a classic, tree-lined layout. The course says recent renovations have improved year-round playability.

Around the greens: Tree-lined holes can block a high pitch, so practice a low chip that runs under branches and onto the green.

Private clubs worth knowing

• Waverley Country Club (Clackamas County, just south of Portland): Founded in 1896; hosted the 1993 U.S. Junior Amateur won by Tiger Woods. Member invitation required.
• Portland Golf Club (Raleigh Hills): Hosted the 1947 Ryder Cup and Ben Hogan's 1946 PGA Championship win. Member invitation required.
• Columbia Edgewater Country Club (Portland): An A.V. Macan design that has hosted the LPGA's Portland Classic more than 30 times. Member invitation required.
• Pumpkin Ridge: Witch Hollow (North Plains): Hosted the 1996 U.S. Amateur and the 1997 and 2003 U.S. Women's Opens. Member invitation required.
• Oregon Golf Club (West Linn): Its championship course was designed by Peter Jacobsen. Member invitation required.

Tips for playing golf near Portland

• Plan around the rain. Many courses stay open year-round, but winter is wet. Courses that prioritize drainage, such as Langdon Farms, are safer bets from late fall through spring.
• Book weekend mornings early. Summer weekends fill fast at the top public courses; weekday afternoons are easier.
• Use the city courses. Portland Parks & Recreation runs several courses, including Heron Lakes, Eastmoreland and Rose City, with senior discounts from age 65.
• Warm up on purpose. Our 15-minute pre-round routine shows how to read a new course's chipping green.
• Adjust for conditions. Soft winter turf and firm summer greens roll differently; see chipping on wet, firm and sloped greens.
• Go statewide. For Bandon Dunes, Bend and beyond, see the best golf courses in Oregon.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best public golf course near Portland?

Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains is the strongest public course near Portland. Golf Digest ranks it No. 16 in Oregon for 2025-26, and it has hosted Nike Tour and LPGA events. The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club and Heron Lakes' Great Blue course are close behind.

What is the best municipal golf course in Portland?

Heron Lakes' Great Blue is the toughest city-run course, a 1992 Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that hosted the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links. For history, Eastmoreland opened in 1917 as Portland's first public course. Both are run by Portland Parks & Recreation, which offers senior discounts.

Can the public play Pumpkin Ridge?

Yes, on one of its two courses. Ghost Creek is open to public play and takes online tee times. Witch Hollow, host of the 1996 U.S. Amateur and two U.S. Women's Opens, belongs to the private club, so you need a membership or a member's invitation to play it.

When is the best time to play golf near Portland?

Summer is the driest and most reliable season, though many Portland-area courses stay open all year. Late spring and early fall bring easier tee times. In winter, choose courses known for drainage and expect softer turf, less roll and slower greens.

How do I handle unfamiliar green speeds on a new course?

Ask the pro shop for the day's stimpmeter reading, then hit a few chips on the practice green to see how far the ball releases. Faster greens need a landing spot closer to you; slower greens need one closer to the hole. Our green speed guide explains how to adjust.

Find your landing zone on every green

From restored fescue at Gearhart to small, undulating greens at Heron Lakes and soft winter turf on city courses, greens around Portland roll at very different speeds. Green speed changes where every chip should land, and it changes from course to course. ELZS (Essential Landing Zone Systems) turns three inputs, your distance to the hole, your club and the green speed, into the number of paces to land the ball so it rolls out to the hole. It was built by former teaching pro Chaz H. Smith and comes as an app for iOS and Android and as a waterproof pocket chartbook. Before your next round, ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, then look up your landing zone and chip with a plan.

Download ELZS for iPhone · Get ELZS on Android · Learn how landing zones work