Persimmon Country Club

General Course Description

Persimmon Country Club is a very nice, private, 18-hole course to the east of Portland in the forested hills above Gresham. The course is well manicured with nice fairways and good greens. Persimmon Country Club has excellent views of Mt. Hood, as well as Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams,  and down the Gorge. Many traps (most green side), several wetlands, and many trees come into play. Elevation changes (mostly on the back nine) also provide challenges, particularly sharp drop-offs from undulating greens. Forward tees provide benefit of shorter distances and better angles. The course is hilly and there are distances between some holes; a cart is recommended.

Course History

The course opened in 1993. Originally the idea of Junki Yoshida who bought the land that was formerly a cabbage farm.  He ran into financial difficulties and sold the partially-developed property in 1992 to CGC, Inc. After the course opened, it suffered severe damage after extensive rains. The course was semi-private until 2006. In 2011, the course was purchased by the entity that was managing the course, American Golf Corp.  In 2018, the course was purchased by Persimmon Recreation, LLC. That same year the course hired Troon to manage the course. By the end of 2019, Troon was no longer managing the course, and the course was sold to its current owner, which is held by Chandler & Newville, Inc, an Oregon real estate developer.

Why It Is There

Mr. Yoshida wanted to build a high-quality golf course and housing development on the east side of Portland.  His dream was continued by Hiroshi Morihara and Kenichi Ito of CGC, Inc.  The facility provides an attractive option to people in East Multnomah County.

I Wish I Would Have Known Before I Played

Because of the number of blind shots and the variations on how the greens run (it’s not just back to front), it would be good to play the course at least twice to get a good feel for it.  The challenges start with the 1st hole, a short downhill par 4 that looks innocent enough, but observe the steepness of the fairway going into the green, the narrowness of the green, and the waste area immediately behind the green (so club down).

Did You Know

The course was initially going to be called “Crystal Springs Country Club.”

Good For Them

The course holds annual golf camps open to the public for juniors 6 to 17.  The course has been (and may be)  the home course for Clackamas and Barlow High Schools. Water from the course is collected in the ponds on the course and then used for irrigation. The course annually hosts the Kiwanis Doernbecher Children’s Cancer Program Golf Tournament.

Why Play This Course

A very attractive and interesting course that is well maintained and has a very friendly and accommodating staff. For the quality of the course and related facilities (including pool and tennis courts), membership may be one of the best deals in the metro area.

General

• • Type: 18-hole private course
  • Price: Private
  • Phone/webpage: (503)667-7500/www.persimmoncountryclub.com
  • Address: 500 SE Butler Road, Gresham, Oregon 97080
  • Owner: Persimmon Partners LLC
  • Designer: Gene “Bunny” Mason
  • Pros: Chanlee Trump, Derek Gonzales (PGA Associate)
  • Practice Facilities: On the other side of the course there is a driving range on grass and mats, putting green, and pitching and sand practice area; near the pro shop there is a putting green and a warm-up practice net
  • Pro Shop: Medium, with a good amount of clothing and some equipment
  • Food: Full-service restaurant and bar in the clubhouse (open to members and guests) that has a great view of the course
  • Bathrooms: Improved in clubhouse and on course
  • Yardage Markers: 150 posts; 200, 150, and 100 in-ground markers; yardage on sprinklers; lower flag on pin provides location information
  • Clothing: Proper golf attire
  • Walkable: Hilly with distances between some holes, cart recommended
  • Spikes: Soft only
  • Shoe Cleaning: Air hose, brushes, and wash
  • Rentals: All
  • Open all year