From the moment the car turned and Gearhart sprang into view, I felt it – that familiar, exhilarating shiver reserved for discovering a true links gem. It wasn’t the kind of dramatic reveal you get at a cliff-top Goliath, but something more subtle, more soulful. A wink from an old friend across a crowded room. Squally weather, flagsticks bent like drunken sailors fighting a gale, and a grand old hotel presiding over a rumpled, sandy landscape. Just like that, before I’d even stepped onto the fescue, Gearhart had me completely under its spell, conjuring images of County Mayo rather than coastal Oregon.
For too long, the narrative of authentic links golf on the Oregon Coast has been dominated by the magnificent, sprawling empire to the south. And while Bandon Dunes, with its five 18-hole masterpieces, certainly reigns supreme in scale and ambition, it’s a mistaken belief that it holds the sole patent. Tucked away near Astoria, approximately six hours north, lies Gearhart Golf Links – a charming, unassuming patriarch with a history as rich as the clumpy fescue that defines its fairways. Gearhart doesn’t aspire to “regal” status, nor does it need to. Its very essence is rooted in something far more enduring: grassroots, unadorned links golf that feels as good on the soles of your feet as it does on your scorecard.
A Links Course That Doesn’t Roar, It Whispers
Let’s get one thing straight: Gearhart isn’t a behemoth designed to batter you into submission. This isn’t the bruising challenge of an Old Macdonald or the U.S. Open-caliber muscle of a Chambers Bay. No, Gearhart is a different breed entirely. Tipping out at a relatively benign 6,551 yards, it’s loaded with “short-and-sweet par-4s where your wedge game will work overtime.” The design ethos here isn’t about raw power; it’s a celebration of finesse, strategy, and the often-forgotten art of the ground game.
“You may well have the best round of the year at Gearhart,”
said golf legend Peter Jacobson, a man whose discerning eye for good golf is beyond repute. And he’s not wrong. Birdies are not just a possibility here; they’re often a reward for thoughtful course management and execution. But make no mistake, Gearhart, in its inherent sportiness, is no pushover. The course is built on a tight hundred-acre footprint, with fairways that cozy up to one another, reflecting an older, more intimate style of design. The greens are not the sprawling canvases found on some modern links, but rather smaller, more intricate putting surfaces that demand precision and a keen sense of touch. This scale, rather than being a limitation, is a defining characteristic, making it wonderfully walkable and “doable” for every stripe of golfer.
;)
Andrew Penner
The course offers another intriguing distinction: unlike many iconic links, the Pacific Ocean, though merely a block away, remains largely unseen. This lack of dramatic, panoramic ocean views is, quite frankly, part of its charm. It keeps the focus squarely on the golf, and as GM/Director of Golf Jason Bangild astutely notes:
“If we were right on the water, our green fee would probably be north of $250. But we’re right in that sweet spot at $100. ($150 in summer.) We’re the links course for everyone.”
This accessible pricing, combined with a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere (the Sand Bar, a halfway house nestled in the dunes near the 9th tee, is a social hub), truly makes Gearhart “the links course for everyone.”
From Parkland to Pure Links: A Transformation Story
Gearhart’s architectural journey is as compelling as its current iteration. As the oldest golf course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River, dating back to 1892, it has seen golf develop and evolve. Starting as a humble three-hole track for hotel guests, it expanded to nine holes in 1901 and then a full 18 by 1913. A significant chapter in its design history came in the early 1930s when Chandler Egan, a local amateur superstar and architect, reimagined the course. For decades, Gearhart played as a tree-lined parkland course, a stark contrast to its present-day character.
The true “gamechanger,” as described by Bangild, occurred in 2013. Facing aging, dying trees, the ownership, led by Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, made a bold and brilliant decision:
“Our ownership team decided the best plan forward was to remove the vast majority of the trees and re-establish Gearhart as a true, wide-open links. In other words, return Gearhart to its roots and give it back its true, natural character.”
This move was nothing short of a re-birth, a conscious effort to peel back layers of parkland influence and reveal the true links blueprint beneath. It was a philosophy Alister MacKenzie would have applauded – letting the land dictate the layout, embracing the natural undulations and sandy soils that define authentic links golf.
;)
Don Frank
Strategic Nuances and a Grand Finish
Today, Gearhart defends itself with the classic links arsenal: wild undulations, uneven lies, gnarly fescue rough, and, of course, the ever-present, wicked winds off the Pacific. “Even on a calm day, you don’t want to underestimate this place,” warns Bangild. The 18th, playing uphill and often into the teeth of the wind, is a testament to this, stretching a formidable 640 yards from the tips. It’s a beast, capable of humbling even the most powerful players, leading to the beloved “Feed the Pig” tradition where a birdie earns you the pot from the pro shop’s cast-iron piggy bank.
Beyond the epic closer, other holes demand strategic thinking. The 428-yard 12th, with its dip and rise to a small, bunker-guarded green, requires two strong, well-placed shots. But the hole that truly captures the quirky, fun spirit of Gearhart might be the 371-yard 14th. Funneled through a natural half-pipe, its small, raised, and notoriously difficult-to-hold green is a masterpiece of links-style defense, forcing delicate approaches and creative recovery shots. These are the kinds of holes that stay with you, not for their brute force, but for their clever design and the sheer joy of figuring them out.
;)
Andrew Penner
The Spirit of Ireland in the Pacific Northwest
Adding to its allure, the Gearhart Hotel, leased to McMenamins, champions an “Irish” atmosphere that is truly magnetic. The tiny, charming Pot Bunker Bar, complete with a roaring fireplace and the comforting aroma of Guinness, transports you. It’s no coincidence that Gearhart’s sister course is the spectacular Carne Golf Links in County Mayo, Ireland, with members of both courses enjoying playing privileges. This international twinning speaks volumes about the authentic links spirit Gearhart embodies. And for the traveling golfer, knowing that tee times are readily available, even for visitors (though membership currently has a waiting list), makes this Pacific Northwest gem an enticing destination.
Gearhart Golf Links is more than just a golf course; it’s an experience, a living homage to the game’s origins, wrapped in a uniquely Oregonian package. It reminds us that world-class links golf doesn’t always have to be about grandiosity and exorbitant prices. Sometimes, it’s about a return to roots, a humble embrace of the land, and the sheer joy of an honest, spirited round. And that, my friends, is worth celebrating.
