Had a late morning round with my buddy Paul out at Mt. Hood. Don’t let the scorecard fool you, this par 69 offers some challenge and interest. Rolling hills and big drops make this course trickier than the numbers on the card might make you think. There are plenty of holes to rip driver, but you could also bring a five iron, eighth, wedge, and putter and enjoy the round, too. I think that’s a good sign for a course. The front 9 weaves through the Melrose neighborhood. The four hole is a big par 5 around some marshland and up one of the many hills. The 6th left Paul and I chatting about options off the tee once we reached the fairway. He hit driver and I hit 5-iron. There are also six par threes in all, three on each side. They were tough, all 180+ with some elevation change. The back 9, in my opinion, is the superior side. The 11th is cool, drivable par 4. However, it’s got a bit of Scotland in its genes with a dune to drive over, making the hole completely blind. The 12th offers a great view of the ocean looking over toward Revere Beach. The hole is solid, too. 11-15 was probably my favorite stretch of holes. Playing with Paul is always fun, he attacked and I played it safe (and he whooped me in our match). But this is a course that offers all sorts of options off the tee. Would be a super fun 2-person scramble venue. Wouldn’t have hated to see the greens be a bit faster, the course is kind of built to be fast and crispy. For 45 bucks to walk, the price is right and the golf was fun.
THE FACTS
Date: August 21
Tee TIme: 10:40am
Playing Partner: Paul, Dan, and John
Tees: Blue Tees (5600 yards)
Game: Match Play
Score: 79
Birdie Count: 1 (20 total)