'Iconic' hole: 'A lot of people have hit The Rock'
The Rock By Tom Ward KVAL Sports and KVAL.com staffWELCHES, Ore. -- Try this golf hazard on for size:
Of the 27 beautiful holesat the Resort at the Mountain, the signature hole has to be The Rock, number one on the Foxglove course. The resort's anagement claims The Rock has been hit by golf balls -- and possibly golfers themselves -- over 4 million times.
Foxglove is one of three distinct 9-hole courses that make up 27 holes of golf tucked in the shadow of Mount Hood. If you head up Highway 26 from Portland to the Resort at the Mountain in Welches, the first thing you notice is how quiet it is out there. Surrounded by creeks and mountain views, the resort is the closest golf course to Mount Hood.
There are three distinct nines, each with its own flavor. The original nine, Pine Cone, was built in 1928 and is the fourth oldest course in the state.
Thistle was added in the mid-1960s and measures just 2,956 yards but makes up for distance with hazards on seven of nine holes.
Foxglove, built in 1981, measures 3,100 yards -- if you can get past The Rock.
"Eighteen-hole courses are busy. We're necessarily not," said Brice Fin "You're not looking at groups behind you constantly, or in front of you constantly," said Brice Finnman, the head pro. "We are busy, it just doesn't look it." Beyond golf, check out the finely manicured croquet court, just one of the activities that are fun for the entire family.
The remodeled lodge and rooms top off this great golf getaway that figures to make for a great weekend getaway.
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"Over the years, it's become iconic," said Frank Casarez with Resort at the Mountain. "It's right in the middle of the fairway, it's kind of intimidating, so a lot of people have hit the rock."
"That's one of the things that makes this course great, is that you feel like you're in the mountains, and you feel like you're really away," said Jeff Terhaar, a regular visitor to the resort, "but 50 minutes away you're back in Portland."
The result of three nines: You can get in a lot of golf without stepping on other duffers.
"You got the river runs through it, you got the mountains, it's pristine, greens are true," said Darin Castagno, a regular visitor to the resort. "Friends, cold beer -- a good day."
KVAL, 4575 Blanton Road,