Here are the details for Colwood Golf Center in Portland, Oregon.
| City | Portland |
| Address | 7313 NE Columbia Blvd |
| Phone | (503) 254-5515 |
| Type | Public, Par 3 |
| Holes | 9 |
| Practice Facilities | Driving range, putting green, short game practice course |
| Instruction/Lessons | Yes |
| Other | Simulator rental |
| Food | Restaurant (currently closed), snacks in pro shop |
| Pro Shop | Yes |
| Carts | Yes |
| Dress Code | Relaxed, soft spikes allowed |
| Website | https://www.colwoodgolf.com/ |
I don’t remember how I came across Colwood Golf Center. I think it was recommended to me by the golf coach I was working with at the time.
Once I checked it out, it became my second go-to golf course after Pine Crest in Vancouver. Pine Crest is a little closer to me than Colwood, which is in Portland.
Another reason Colwood Golf Center was my second favorite course is because, like a traditional golf course, pair you up with other golfers to make a foursome. They don’t do that at Pine Crest, where you can play by yourself.
Still, if you’re in the mood for a fun par 3 course, especially one with challenging greens, Colwood is worth checking out.
My Favorite Hole at Colwood Golf Course
Most of the holes at Colwood have some kind of challenge to them, but none so obvious as the third hole. This is the shortest hole on the course, regardless of the tees you play from, but don’t think this hole is going to let you off easy.
There is a pond that is in front of a lot of the green. Now, if you play from the white tees, you’ll have to worry about the pond if you push your shot to the right.
However, if you play from the blue tee, you’ll need to hit a shot over the pond to hit the green. This is a blind shot too. You can’t see the green due to the reeds that are 4-7 feet tall.
I tell you this from experience – it’s very easy to psych yourself out and mishit your shot into the pond. I’ve lost several balls into the ball, and have watched many others do the same.
That’s not the only challenge on this hole, either.
The green is long and somewhat skinny. Behind the green (opposite the pond) is a fence and a bunch of weeds. If you take more club to try to avoid the pond, it’s possible that you’ll hit it too long, clear the green, and end up in the weeds. Hit it too far and you’ll be out-of-bounds.
The only truly safe way to miss the green is to miss it long towards the fourth hole. There is plenty of grass back there, and plenty of green to work with if you need to chip or bump and run your shot.
Now, if you manage to hit the green in regulation, your work still isn’t done. This green has a couple undulations, including one large hump that you will need to account for when you roll your putt.
One other thing – this green is pretty long, so if you don’t get it near the cup on your tee shot, you could have a LONG putt with several breaks to deal with.
With everything going on with this hole, you could even make the case that this is the toughest hole at Colwood Golf Center.
About the Remaining 8 Holes at Colwood Golf Course
I was trying to think of whether there are any holes I enjoy playing, so much so that they’d be one of my favorites like #3. And there isn’t.
However, while I don’t have another favorite hole to play, I realized that every hole I considered had elements that made it unique or challenging.
(All of this is based on the back tees.)
1 / 163 yards
You have a busy road that runs parallel to the first and second hole. If you tend to hit power draws, pulls, or hooks (right handers), or power fades, pushes, or slices (left handers), then you run the risk of hitting your ball into the street. This adds an element of stress.
2 / 124 yards
Same as hole one. You also have the same wooded, brushy area on the back side of the green (as described on hole three above) that you can lose your ball in if you sail your shot over the green.
4 / 148 yards
There are lots of bushes and some trees that run along the right side, as well as some BIG trees that you can hit into or behind from the tee box. There’s also a small ditch or pond with lots of weeds that you can lose your ball in to the left. And then there’s the fenced off area with lots of brush that is also on holes two and three.
This also happens to have a LARGE green. It’s possible that you’ll have a LONG lag putt if you hit it on the opposite end of the pin.
5 / 107 yards
There is a pond to the right that you can lose your ball in. And there’s a bit of an uphill elevation difference between the green and surrounding area, so if you miss the green, you’ll need to add a little club to your next shot.
This green also happens to be one of the slowest on the course. I believe this is due to all the trees surrounding it to the right / top-right (from the tee box). This green doesn’t dry out as much as the other greens at Coldwood.
Finally, there’s minimal break on this green (especially compared to other holes), but it does have a pretty severe slope (the bottom of that slope is closest to the tee boxes). Between the slope and slower speed, you’ll need to make a significant adjustment if you need to lag putt.
6 / 197 yards
This is the longest hole on the course. If you’re used to playing other par 3 golf courses like Pine Crest (Vancouver), Eagles Landing (Clackamas area), or Lakeview (Vancouver), this might be challenging enough.
If you happen to hit it short, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in a severe undulation in the “fairway” (fairway is likely the wrong word here since this is a par 3 – do they even have fairways?). If not, you might find yourself in one of the many trees that line both sides.
Once you do make it on the green, which is pretty large – which is nice for a landing area from the tee box, but not so much if you need to lag putt – you may have to deal with one of a few severe undulations and slopes this green has.
7 / 129 yards
The biggest challenge here is the tree to the right of the green. There also happens to be some kind of ditch or grassy crevice to the left that is NOT fun to hit from. I believe there might be a sand trap over here too, but it’s been a while so I don’t remember for sure.
8 / 135 yards
There are a couple of things that make the 8th hole at Colwood Golf Center challenging. The first is the bushes and fencing along the left side that you can lose your ball into. There are also a few trees on the right hand side near the green that you can hit your ball into or behind.
Then there’s the green, which has at least one level, if not two. Each level is separated by a severe slope or shelf.
These shelves are handy if you’re on the same level as the hole and are putting towards the shelf. You can add a little speed to your putt to ensure it doesn’t come up short and the shelf will keep you from going too far past the hole (depending on the exact placement).
However, if you have to putt up the shelf or you’re putting near the shelves or if you need to putt down a shelf, you’re going to have to make some significant adjustments to your putting speed or line to ensure your ball goes where you want it to (and nowhere you don’t).
9 / 135 yards
What makes this hole so challenging is the rocky, bushy pond-like area to the left (near the parking lot). I’ve lost balls here. You can also clear this area but still lose your ball in the landscaping.
A Couple Other Important Points About Playing at Colwood Golf Center
Those are the most challenging aspects of each hole at Colwood. But that’s all that’s challenging about those holes. There are a couple of other common themes.
- Most of the holes have undulations (hills, mounds, etc.). Most if not all holes will have at least one area where you will need to account for (severe) break.
- The “fairways” here are not as tight as they are at other par 3 courses in the Vancouver and Portland area. The grass is taller and thicker. And they probably should be since these are par 3 holes. The point is that you’ll be punished for missing the green on your tee shot.
As I write all this out, I realize just how challenging Colwood Golf Center is. So, this is a great spot for even more advanced golfers. It’s a great way to work on your par 3s and short game.
Amenities at Colwood Golf Center
Colwood Golf Course has more than just nine holes of golf. Even if you don’t want to play 9 or 18 holes, there are a couple of other reasons to check them out.
1. Driving range – The driving range here is somewhere between 250-300 yards. They have multiple targets and flags for you to aim at.
They say they offer grass stations in the summer, but I’ve only ever seen or used their hitting mats.
Some of these mats are covered, and others are not. The canopies they use are okay when it’s windy and raining out, but if the weather is severe enough I prefer to play somewhere else a bit more comfortable, like Camas Meadows.
2. Putting green – They have a decent size putting green. What I like most about this putting green is that you have plenty of room to work on small chip shots. You can also work on breaking and sloped putts.
3. Indoor simulator – Colwood Golf has an indoor golf simulator that you can rent per hour (for individuals). Unfortunately, I have found it challenging to book a time to use it, so I’ve not yet had a chance to check it out. But this seems like a great option to play a round indoors, get your yardages, or dial in your swing – if you can get in to use it.
4. Alderwood practice course – Across the street from the golf course is a practice course with several holes. There are six different greens you can practice on.
In the summer, this will cost you $10 per hour and you usually need to choose a hole you want to practice on (so that they can rent out the others). However, in the winter I was able to pay $10 or $20 and was able to practice on any hole I wanted, for as long as I wanted.
The greens are in decent shape, but the grass is definitely rough-like and the sand traps were “meh”. Also, if you’re only able to use one hole, you’ll end up being limited to working on distances inside of 100 yards. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though.
For the price, you could also argue that it makes more sense to play 9 or 18 (or more holes) and get your practice in that way. But if you want to practice a specific shot or distance over and over, there’s not a better way to do it than a practice course like this.
This is one of, if not the ONLY practice course in the Vancouver, Wa and Portland, Or area – that I know about, anyway.
Why Play at Colwood Golf Center
I enjoy playing at Colwood because it’s a slightly longer course than other par 3s in the area. It also has large greens and greens with severe undulations. Between all that and the other challenges each hole presents, both beginner and advanced golfers alike will be plenty challenged here.