General Course Description
Sunset Grove is a flat, open, 9-hole public course between Banks and Forest Grove, only 24 miles west of downtown Portland. Surrounded by farms, it is a pastoral course with a very rural feel. Sunset Grove works its way inside a square, but it has beautiful old trees and is maintained. The course is family owned and has a great staff. The course is very walkable.
Course History
Opened in 1961. In 1989, Dave and Joan Horesky bought the course with another family and it has been family-run ever since (the Horesky’s daughter was tending both the pro shop and the snack bar when I played).
Why It Is There
Ellis Vandehay and William Sohler wanted to build a course in a strawberry field.
I Wish I Would Have Known Before I Played
Almost all the greens are mounded with the 7th green being two-tiered (higher on the right). Best to lay up in front of the lake on the 3rd hole, that you cannot see from the tee. Also, both the 8th and 9th holes are doglegs left, playing right of center will help.
Did You Know
When the course opened there was no irrigation system, so the owners and members hand watered the course (including the newly planted trees).
Good For Them
They use only organic fertilizers, and is the “home course” for the Special Education Department of Forest Grove.
Why Play This Course
Very relaxing (although play can be slow), pastoral course run by a very nice family. The course is very open and a good place to bring the family, especially for the price.
General
- Type: 9-hole public course
- Price: $$
- Phone/webpage: (503)357-6044/www.sunsetgrovegolf.com
- Address: 41615 NW Osterman Road, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116
- Owner: Sunset Grove Golf Club, Inc.
- Designer: Ellis Vandehey
- Pros: None
- Practice Facilities: Chipping area (by the highway) and practice green
- Pro Shop: Some balls and gloves
- Food: Snack bar with hot dogs, beer, and soda
- Bathrooms: In clubhouse, porta potty on course
- Yardage Markers: 150 and 100 in-ground markers
- Clothing: T-shirts and jeans are OK
- Walkable: Very
- Spikes: No restriction
- Shoe Cleaning: Air hose
- Rentals: All
- Open all year
| Yards | Par | Rating | Slope | |
| Blue | 3001 | 36 | 34.1/37.1 | 109/126 |
| Red | 2715 | 37 | 32.7/35.4 | 102/120 |
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Most memorable part of the golf course is that the greens were very pushed up with considerable tilt to them. There was essentially a small green surrounded by some kind of pushed up slope. The greenside slopes were short grass for the whole course which was the defense of the course. The length was short, especially since I played from the one up tees to play with the two guys tee time I crashed. It is a 9-hole course about 40 minutes away, but it was nice that it was only $18. If it was closer, I would be more inclined to play as the greens kinda made the course interesting, but I will say everything besides the greens are uneventful. It has been dry and hot, so the course was pretty firm, including the tee boxes, but I was plenty happy with the shape that the course was in.