Meriwether National Golf Club

General Course Description

Meriwether National Golf Club is a public golf complex with extensive practice facilities and an executive course in addition to the 18-hole course. [There is a separate post for the executive course.] Located in the farmland of the Tualatin Valley to the southwest of Hillsboro (about 20 miles west of Portland), the 18-hole course at Meriwether National Golf Club is a scenic, rural course that is fairly open with many attractive oaks. After a calm/dull two opening holes, the course gets interesting with twists and turns, lots of trees, some water, and a few traps.  Almost all greens are slightly elevated. Pretty flat and an easy walk.

Course History

First 9 opened in 1961 and the second in 1962. When it opened, it was one of the longest courses in the Northwest. In 1962, it was sold to National Golf Clubs. In 1994, the course added an additional 9 holes (which subsequently closed in 2017, replaced with a foot golf course) and built a large and attractive clubhouse (which is still there and is still attractive). Course remodeled in 1994-96. The course flooded in both 1974 and 1996.

Why It Is There

It was built by a development company owned by Bill Saunders as part of a planned residential development (which was never done — you don’t see houses on the course).

I Wish I Would Have Known Before I Played

Hole 5 is a par 5 where you drive over a marsh as the hole turns sharply right. You may want to walk off the tee to the left to see where to hit your drive. If you can clear the trees there is a lot of room right, but if you go too straight you will hit it through the fairway. On the back side, where the trees make the fairways much narrower, it may be better to play a little straighter and shorter.

Did You Know

Robert Reginald “Rossie” Roseburg, a PGA pro who won the PGA Championship, the Vardon Trophy, and had a great carrier as a golf commentator, was the club’s first pro.

Good For Them

With such a good, overall golf complex, there is lots of teaching here. It is the home of a women’s golf school and holds multiple golf clinics for women of all levels during the summer. Holds 3-day junior camps throughout the summer. Is the home course for  Beaverton, Valley Catholic, and West View High Schools. It is also environmentally conscious with a limited use of chemicals and uses the on-course ponds as rain-runoff holding ponds, which is then used for irrigation. The course has annually hosted the Rally For The Cure Golf Tournament to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Why Play This Course

With several options for playing and practicing, the club is a great place to spend the day golfing (learning, honing, playing, or all of the foregoing). Course is very pastoral, and the club has a relaxing atmosphere. Overall, it is a good value.

General

• • Type: 18-hole public course
  • Price: $$
  • Phone/webpage: (503)648-4143/www.meriwethergolfclub.com
  • Address:  5200 SW Rood Bridge Road, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123
  • Owner: Meriwether Limited Partnership
  • Designer: Fred Federspiel, Dave Powers (remodel)
  • Pros: Tom Carey (Oregon State grad, PGA, Oregon PGA Champion, played on Senior Tour); Mark Keating (PGA)
  • Practice Facilities: Covered driving range on mats and some grass spots, practice chipping and sand area, two practice greens (18-hole putting green is now gone)
  • Pro Shop: Well stocked with clothing and equipment
  • Food: Full-service restaurant in the clubhouse (hours vary depending on the season)
  • Bathrooms: Improved in clubhouse and on course
  • Yardage Markers: 150 poles; 250, 200, and 100 in-ground markers; flags color-coded for position
  • Clothing: T-shirts and non-holed jeans are OK
  • Walkable: Flat, easy walk
  • Spikes: Soft
  • Shoe Cleaning: Brushes and air hose
  • Rentals: All
  • Open all year