Jul 25

Written by:
7/25/2010 

Have you ever had a golf course that's just owned you? A course you lick your chops to play but end up walking away at then of the round licking your wounds? For me, the course has always been Oregon's oldest course, Gearhart Golf Links.

Ever since getting married, my wife and I have been vacationing with her family in Gearhart. It's a sleepy little coastal town that has the three things I love in a vacation destination: a beach, a coffee shop and a golf course. This particular course looks easy on paper, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Tiny greens are protected by numerous bunkers and a fair number of scrubby, coastal pines. It's a challenge no matter how you look at it.

The course has undergone a fair number of changes and improvements since the late 1800's, but it's remaind a true links golf course. Anyone who's played the track more than once knows that it's something special, and the residents who play there year-round know it's the kind of place you don't take for granted.

So the next time you're on the North Oregon coast, take the time to stop by Gearhart. Play a round of golf and visit the Sandtrap, a great McMenamins restaurant. Trust me, you'll be hooked just like I am and keep going back for more.