Pumpkin Ridge Ghost Creek Home of the 2003 U.S. Women's Open Cornelius, Oregon
7/22/03 Par 72 69.1 132
After spending the night in a Portland mall parking lot, we drove about an hour west of the cityto the infamous Pumpkin Ridge golf course. Signs all along the way reminded us that the coursewe were about to play hosted the US Women's Open just a few weeks ago.
We arrived in the parking lot, found a suitable RV parking spot, and were immediately met by thea cute girl that asked if she could take our clubs to the nearby range. Nicetouch.
Video camera, Divot's Sportswear shirts for the Director of Golf, and camera in hand, we enteredthe clubhouse and took a look around. It was, as you'd expect from an Open-worthy course, very nice. We were welcomed by another cute young woman named Kimmi behind the registration desk.She had a smile that just lit up the room -- she wasn't even a little shy of the camera.
After answing the normal questions about the tour, Tege, the Director of Golf, graciouslycomped the greens fees of our guests, Greg and Jon, the founding members of ieLogic. Gregand Jon have been extremely generous to our tour and to our supported charity, CRPF. We plannedon giving them a more competitive way to be generous -- a little golf match for some money.
We hit the range and right away Phil was just striping the ball. After our last outting, a charitygolf tournament in Vancouver, he'd "figured out" a little bit about his swing. He's finallyready to make a big breakthrough. 70's are right around the corner, just you wait.
Our guests arrived and we were absolutely elated to see their swings. The three year old kidstaking lessons outdrove Greg on several shots. Still, they were game, and we headed tothe first tee. It took about ten minutes to work out the bet: Phil and Rafe would play bestball against Greg and Jon, who would play a scramble (i.e. they both hit, choose the best, both hit from there, choose the best, etc. until they hole out.). We would also give them halfa stroke a hole. Now, this may seem a bit extreme, but, well, whiffs would count, so we weren'tall that worried.
#
Par
Yards
Phil
Rafe
Stroke
Bet
Comments
1
4
372
5
5
R+1/2
R+25
After a good ten minutes of wrangling the bet, we were off. The course starts with a straightforward par 4, just rip it down the middle for a wedge to the green. Or not. Both of us were on in regulation, Rafe about 10 feetthe flag. We both three-jacked to start the day off with a tilter of a bogey.
2
4
364
6
4
R+50
How to make a double bogey by Phil Gordon: Rip a 300 yard drive leaving 75 yards to the flag.Miss long and right, flub a chip, skull the next chip over the green, get on in 5 and table a "gimme" 10 footer for double when theputt becomes irrelevant because of the bet.
3
3
128
3
4
R+25
Phil hit a great shot here to about 4 feet. Blew the putt, of course, so settled for the firstpar of the day. Rafe hit three clubs too many and was 30 yards over the green but managed a good bogey save.
4
5
495
5
6
R+1/2
A.S.
5
3
193
3
4
P+25
6
4
341
4
5
P+50
Finally a fricking beverage cart! We were completelyparched, ready for a brew. Well, sports fans, the wait was completely worth it. Katie,by far the cutest rockstar of a beverage babe we've met on tour, was stunning.5'10, choker necklace, great attitude. We completely forgot about golf for therest of the hole and prayed she'd return forthwith. Phil was practically pantingby the time she left.
7
4
384
7
7
P+25
Sensing the cart girl inspired tilt, the boys would not let up onPhil... "Geez, she was almost as tall as your ex, Rafe says. This of course leads into an inevitabledialog about the horrors of marriage, etc. Phil approached the tee box with fire in the eyes intenton ripping one 350. As always happens when you swing really hard, this was not at all successful. Rafehad his fair share of problems on the hole as well and he won the money with a suckout 7.
8
5
497
5
5
R+1/2
A.S.
9
4
419
4
5
R+1/2
P+25
Out
36
3193
42
45
R+1/2
P+25
We made the turn in record time -- there would be no beer purchase unless it was from thatcute cart girl... Hey, we've got standards!
#
Par
Yards
Phil
Rafe
Stroke
Bet
Comments
10
5
453
6
7
R+1/2
P+50
11
3
145
3
2
P+25
Rafe "thinned" a 7 iron. It never left the flagstick. For the second time on tour, Phil believed there was a chance he'd be payingRafe the $500 bounty for a hole-in-one. There wasn't much room when we got to the green.Rafe missed the ace by about the width of Callista Flockhart's tummy. Nice birdie!
12
4
370
5
6
R+1/2
P+50
Ah, the return of Katie... Sensing a chance to impress,Phil whacked one over two huge trees and about 330 the fairway. That was when Katie informedus that she didn't play golf but, hey, that looked like a pretty good shot... We made anothertoken purchase and kept on rolling.
13
4
329
5
6
R+1/2
P+75
14
3
201
4
4
P+75
15
5
498
5
5
R+1/2
P+50
16
3
113
4
4
P+50
17
4
273
4
5
P+75
A short Par 4, the hole looked imminentlydrivable. That is if you are completely insane. There is a huge creek runningall down the right side of the green -- anything in that area would be wet.Still, we decided on a $200 side bet to be paid if any tee shot ended upsticking the green. Phil missed by about 3 yards, pin high in the greenside bunker. Rafe let one rip, but overcompensated for the stream and pulled it left. No blood.
18
4
381
4
5
R+1
P+75
Phil ripped another 300+ yard drive, right down the middle.The big lake, protecting the green and quite a menace (imagining this hole in the final roundof an Open championship will definitely get the adrenaline flowing.)
Out
36
2763
41
45
P+75
Tot
72
5956
83
90
P+75
We finished up the round, took the clubs to the RV and waited for Katie to comeand collect her Ultimate Sports Adventure signature baby-Tee. Katie, if youread this, please send a picture in the tee! We instantly inducted her intothe Top 25 Public Challenge hall of fame and got her help checking off thecourse on the RV decal.
Then we headed into the clubhouse for some food and some poker. ESPN was playingthe World Series of Poker, and there we were kicking it in the clubhouse and playingno limit holdem freezeouts. Phil and Greg split the first, Greg and Jon the second,and Rafe and Jon the third.
The food was excellent, and the prices quite fair... Especially with Greg and Jonpaying for it. We said our fairwells, made plans to see each other at the UltimateBet.com World PokerTour Championship in October, and hit the road. We had a 200 mile drive throughgorgeous Oregon wilderness -- right past Mt. Bachelor -- to the next golf destination,Sunriver Resort's Crosswater course.
Thanks again to the generous support of Pumpkin Ridge. We very much appreciate allthat you did to facilitate our visit.
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