Played this morning 5/16, and was disappointed to see they have aerated again and sanded the greens. Not sure when they did it but seemed like a few days or a week ago. I was surprised because they had already punched and sanded in late March (?), and there was no notification about the maintenance when I booked. No idea why they felt like they had to punch again but oh well. O... » More

Played this morning 5/16, and was disappointed to see they have aerated again and sanded the greens. Not sure when they did it but seemed like a few days or a week ago. I was surprised because they had already punched and sanded in late March (?), and there was no notification about the maintenance when I booked. No idea why they felt like they had to punch again but oh well. Overall I guess it was fine but putts were extremely inconsistent in terms of line. Other parts of the course were fine. The rough is long again which is a penalty but still annoying because I lost a ball that really should not have been lost, just buried under grass and impossible to find. I would wait a few weeks to play Chester.
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Had not played here in almost 2 years.
In that time, they have not made much improvement.
Except for the layout, this would be an average daily fee
course. Shots off tees need to take slopes into consideration.
An up and down course with average conditioning.
Sorry to say......a bit disappointing.
It might be another couple of years!

The pro shop elected to let me on at 5:00pm (hooray!) and insisted that I take a cart even though I wanted to walk (understanding that it's very hilly terrain). Cart didn't have GPS and had the speed governor turned up a fair bit. That said, I'm glad they reversed their previous decision and let me out in the premium twilight hours. Was able to make it around in 2.5 hours with ... » More

The pro shop elected to let me on at 5:00pm (hooray!) and insisted that I take a cart even though I wanted to walk (understanding that it's very hilly terrain). Cart didn't have GPS and had the speed governor turned up a fair bit. That said, I'm glad they reversed their previous decision and let me out in the premium twilight hours. Was able to make it around in 2.5 hours with no one in front or behind.

This remains a really tough track - accuracy off the tee is a must, and many landing areas are obscured by hills or fairway bunkers. Plays 6300 from the white tees, which was plenty of challenge for this average golfer. Rough tangles your club up if you don't come at it steep, which is fair. The greens were recently punched (seems like a couple weeks ago) but they rolled fairly true and still fast. Lots of multi-tiered greens with wicked undulations.

Pro shop charged $40 "for 9 holes, and we need the cart back by 7:45", I think the price is a little high - peak times the fee is $80. Tee boxes were mostly level with a few funky spots.

$14 for a large bucket that doesn't even fill to the brim, that's the worst deal here. Overall, really enjoyed the challenge, hadn't played here in years and you really have to remember to focus on every shot or you'll be hacking it out of the rough.
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After a couple month hiatus from Spanish Bay, I was back out yesterday with some good friends, including DeepSea14. Whereas the course is in great shape overall, I will say it is a notch below its usual fantastic condition. I may be a tough critic as I have a lot of samples to draw against. We tee’d off just before Noon in cool but not cold weather. I was in short sleeve... » More

After a couple month hiatus from Spanish Bay, I was back out yesterday with some good friends, including DeepSea14. Whereas the course is in great shape overall, I will say it is a notch below its usual fantastic condition. I may be a tough critic as I have a lot of samples to draw against. We tee’d off just before Noon in cool but not cold weather. I was in short sleeve for 17 1/2 holes so no complaints. We had a modest 1 club wind most of the day. For the afternoon, it was definitely acceptable.

Greens had recently been punched with tiny holes that were mainly filled in and hardly noticeable. In fact the ball rolled very true at an acceptable medium fast pace. Aside from the aesthetics of the greens they were in actually nice shape. I did notice that on Hole 12 there was a brown streak running across the green. It was in a perfect straight line so my guess is it followed the drainage pipe under the green and had something to do with that. My 7 rating for the greens is probably a bit harsh but oh well.

As for the fairways, I’m happy to say I got to actually experience all of the fairways this time! Again, overall the fairways were lush and a nice emerald green. I knocked the rating down to an 8 just because as I mentioned before, I’ve seen them in better shape. Tee boxes were excellent. No issues there. I was in two green side bunkers and they were fine. I was also in my share of fairway bunkers which I was quite upset about. It’s just wrong to punish a player for hitting it straight!! I propose a new rule. No fairway bunkers in the MIDDLE of the fairway!! Anyway, they were in excellent shape. We had a big gap in front of us so no issue with the POP.

I love this course with its scenic views and solid playing conditions. Course layout offers a great variety of holes with a handful of forced carries to really keep you on your toes. the greens are tricky to say the least, but other than that it’s a double thumbs up in my book.
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Got the rare chance to play here via a charity golf auction on 5/10/24 with my father in-law James and golfing friend Chris, alongside generous Waverly member Fred on a Chamber of Commerce day; 74 degrees, sunny with a slight cooling breeze. I had literally kayaked past the club on the Willamette River previously but only dreamed of playing this club that dates back to 1896! I ... » More

Got the rare chance to play here via a charity golf auction on 5/10/24 with my father in-law James and golfing friend Chris, alongside generous Waverly member Fred on a Chamber of Commerce day; 74 degrees, sunny with a slight cooling breeze. I had literally kayaked past the club on the Willamette River previously but only dreamed of playing this club that dates back to 1896! I was lucky enough to get that chance and was NOT disappointed in the slightest with any aspect of the day. Apologies for the lack of photos but was instructed not to really even take out my phone during the round, let alone take photos while playing.

Tee boxes: As was the norm today, everything was in near perfect/perfect condition. The grounds crew here was hard at work all morning up until the moment the single in front of us went out, during the round you could see workers manicuring the entire property too. No issues with the boxes (blue tees) this day; manicured, level and grass was perfectly cut and green.

Fairways: Driving in you get a glimpse of holes 2 then 1 before you arrive at the clubhouse, so before I even teed off, I knew what I was in for. Perfect carpets of finely cut bright green grass without a divot in sight. Lies were perfect all day. A visual wonder on a course the cares about conditions.

Rough: Penal! I wasn't expecting to find a rough equal to that of Torrey Pines, but they have it here. Must be the mix of sun/rain in Spring, along with evil greenskeepers because many of the elevated holes are flanked by rough that would grab your club like a firm handshake.

Sand: Was in my share of bunkers and even though the sand was closer to beach sand color/coarseness, they were well raked and manicured, had enough material to work your club and shape shots, and overall were in good shape. If you HAD to pick a flaw at Waverly, it would be the bunkers.

Greens: Conditions-wise, the highlight of the round! They reminded me of the greens at Saticoy CC or San Diego CC; undulated and tricky, speeds varied from fast to ice rink. Felt impossible to get a good read on them. Surfaces were immaculate.

ETC: This is a country club rich in tradition. Tiger Woods won here as an amateur. Waverly CC also hosted the 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open, so the place is challenging in every way as well. The staff here treated us well, the clubhouse is dripping with history and charm. The grounds are sitting right on the banks of the Willamette, so the views are wonderful. Pace of play was "go when you want to go" essentially so we had a casual 4.5 hour round filled with stops to hear Fred tell us about hiring Gil Hanse (pre-mega fame) to redo the course, stories about Portland big wigs making fools of themselves on the course, and other stories that I will remember forever. If you EVER get the chance to play here, you will not be sorry you dropped your plans to be here.
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