Portland Country Club (7.3)

Played 10/16/09

Layout

(8.0): PCC is about 1/3 tree-lined, demanding accuracy off the tee, and about 2/3 open, offering plenty of chances to bomb the driver. A good mix of par-4's, with several long iron second shots needed, as well as some second shot wedges. #'s 9 and 18 are fun, simlar finishing holes to each 9 - doglegs left with second shots to very elevated greens. The par-3's are very strong, among the best sets I've played - 3 mid-irons, and one short-iron to a classic Ross raised green. Hole #1 is particularly interesting, a drivable par-4 (290 yds) from an elevated tee that lies about two club lengths off the back of the clubhouse, and views of Casco Bay in the distance. I found no fault with any holes, though did find it curious that the design wasn't able to make more use of the oceanfront sections of the property. There is little elevation change away from the clubhouse, making PCC a very comfortable walk.

Condition

(8.5): Immacualte fairways, even at this late date in the season. The greens rolled fast and true, and the tee complexes are understated and level (uneven tee boxes are a big pet peeve of mine). The rough was low, but even. The one bunker I was in had soft, deep sand.

Aesthetics

(8.0): The clubhouse area (1 tee, 9 and 18 green) offer superb views of Cason Bay and the islands off of Portland. The city comes into view on the 8th fairway. I'm partial to the look of an open layout, and alomst half of the course is visible from the clubhouse, which dominates the scene from atop its perch.

Amenities

(8.0): PCC has many of those special touches that come with being a private facility. Buckets of balls waiting for you at the range. Spacious locker for changing into golf gear after lunch. Excellent menu in the bar (a solid haddock sandwich and clam chowder). Another underrated perk: playing with members who know each other and enjoy a friendly competition (we took the overall and the back, but lost the front and a press).

Place in Golf

(5.5): PCC is in my top 5 Maine courses, and it has hosted several State Ams. I believe it frequents the magazine-based top 5 in the state, as well. It is a true Donald Ross design, and is among Maine's premier private clubs.

Sentimental Value

(6.0): This is the second year of earning this invitation, and it is a nice way to ease into the winter. I played my best round of 2008 at PCC, so good memories will always great me here.

My Round

I was unable to mtach my 2008 round, but managed to eke out an 83, somewhat reversing a recent stretch of lousy play on courses with fast greens. For my money, this is really a third shot course, as the green complexes are classic Ross designs - lots of raised greens and very few flat spots. Outside of the par-3's, there is not much stress off the tee (I was only in trouble twice), and my difficulty hitting greens was self-inflicted. There is just no way to get around PCC, though, without good lag putting and delicate chipping.