Legends of Ghost Creek
Legends of Ghost Creek
The legends of Ghost Creek and Witch Hollow are as mysterious and elusive as the spectacular courses named after them by Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s founding owners – Gaylord Davis, Marvin French and Barney Hyde. Envisioning a serenely beautiful golf oasis reminiscent of hallowed stomping grounds such as Augusta National, these three private club pioneers overcame significant obstacles to build what are now considered two of the most outstanding golf layouts in the country…each a masterpiece in its own right, and each eliciting the chills and mystique of its namesake.
With the goal of creating not only a magnificent private club but also a superb locale for major golf championships, Davis and French set about soliciting support from local residents and businesses and collaborating on the master plan for this ambitious undertaking. With financial support from Japanese businessman and golf lover Shigeru Ito, groundbreaking on Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club began in 1992; and the rest, as they say, is history.
The result is an extraordinary property that has already achieved legendary status despite its youth. Nestled in remote, fertile farmland on 350 acres just 20 miles west of Portland, Witch Hollow and Ghost Creek were exquisitely designed by world-renowned golf course architect Bob Cupp in the “old style,” leaving the terrain completely natural. Framed by panoramic views of the Tualatin Hills and breathtaking vistas of the Coast and Cascade Ranges, both courses offer stunning beauty and a host of upscale amenities including their own expansive clubhouses.
Just one month after the pristine property opened in 1992, Pumpkin Ridge received the unprecedented honor of being named the host site for the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship. “We did Pumpkin Ridge for the game,” French said, “and the USGA epitomizes the game.” A slew of accolades and golf championships have followed. In its inaugural year, Golf Digest named Ghost Creek the “Best New Public Course in the U.S.” and Witch Hollow the “#2 Best New Private Course in the U.S.” The two courses continue to receive recognition thanks to superb design, immaculate conditioning and a variety of world-class amenities.
Four years later, in 1996, Tiger Woods brought notoriety to Witch Hollow when he won his unprecedented third consecutive U.S. Amateur Championship there in dramatic fashion with one of those comebacks for which he has become famous. Many golf observers consider the 36-hole final, between Tiger Woods and Steve Scott, to be the greatest match-play confrontation in the last half of the 20th century.
In 1997, Witch Hollow had the privilege of hosting the Women’s Open Championship, where record crowds of more than 110,000 packed the gallery as Alison Nicholas and the favored Nancy Lopez approached the final hole. Lopez was one shot behind and knew she needed a birdie to force a playoff, but she failed to get it when her 15-foot downhill putt slid past the hole. Nicholas sank a three-footer for par and the title. Perhaps the most memorable hole of that final round, however, was the 501-yard fourth where Nicholas sank a 56-yard wedge shot for an eagle. It was a day women’s golf will not soon forget.
Continuing its winning tradition, in 2000 Pumpkin Ridge once again made USGA history when it simultaneously hosted the Junior Amateur Championship and the U.S. Girl’s Junior Championship for the first time in 22 years. This time, 312 players from across the country traveled to Portland to test their skills on both Witch Hollow and Ghost Creek. After six days of exciting play, Matthew Rosenfeld took the 53rd Junior Amateur Championship on the 16th hole at Ghost Creek, and Lisa Ferrero captured the 52nd U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship title on the 17th at Ghost Creek.
For a new golf club to land many of the USGA’s biggest and most prestigious championships is extraordinary. It reflects a steadfast commitment from the club’s owners to uphold the rich heritage and traditions of the game of golf, and to strive for excellence in every aspect of the club’s operation. “I think,” French concluded, “all this happened because we love golf so much. Golf always came first.”
True to their names, Ghost Creek and Witch Hollow possess a mythic quality familiar only to those fortunate enough to play them. And, like their namesakes, they continue to amaze and intrigue all those brave enough to bring them their best game.
