Salem Golf Club

It's increasingly rare to find a golf facility where as soon as you arrive, it's clear you're in a well-loved place. But all you have to do is walk around the clubhouse of Salem Golf Club to get . the sense that generations of golfers have adored it for nearly a century. The walls have all sorts of memorabilia and other items, from decades-old club trophies to yellowed newspaper clippings touting the competitive exploits of men's group members, or obituaries for members of the family that designed and have operated the course since inception.

At a place like Salem, the course - flattish but pleasant Pacific Northwest parkland; a bit narrow and short but with some fun shots and holes, though nothing particularly memorable - is actually secondary. It's good enough to have given the people who play it years of pleasure and memories. It's worth stopping by to feel the love.

Salem golf club is an older course but well kept. The view down the 18th will make you feel like you are at old school southern course, with the architecture of the club house.

Salem Golf club used to be one of my old favorites, started playing here 20 years ago in high school and usually go back at least once a year.

Unfortunately it has never been in worse shape than it is right now. It's mid September and the course should be firm and green, instead it's desert fairways or swampy near the greens. Irrigation is a joke there, obviously no one is checking anything.

The greens were plugged about a week before we played, that is okay, it happens twice a year. But the greens were still obviously diseased or burnt out in places. Poor efforts on the greens.

Maybe the most pathetic part of the round was each tee box. Hadn't been mowed in weeks, massive divots that don't get sanded or seeded ever. Hitting driver out of the rough basically.

I'm tired of the lack of effort, starting from ownership being too cheap to hire the right people.

I doubt I'll be playing here on my own dime unless something changes drastically.

PS this wasn't a one time deal. The last 3 years have been the same experience in August/Sept.

The course is a mature course with well established trees and is very well maintained. The weather was perfect and the course played well. There are several challenging holes with beautiful scenery on every hole.

For a course that "seems" straightforward, the beautiful setting with verdant green trees and water requires careful placement of shots or your game quickly goes astray. Fun!! The staff in the pro shop were terrific and helpful. Lunch in the old school club house bar was yummy.

Course in excellent condition, not extremely long, but mature trees line the fairways and require accuracy. Potential for low and high score for short and long hitters alike.

Nice course always enjoy Salem if pace not to slow. Beautiful big trees. Greens were in good shape

This is a wonderful golf course!! I will play here again!! Course is good shape and the green were good. Pace was a bit slow but on a narrow course like that it will happen.

Pace of play was slow. The course was in good shape. Overall it was great

Couldn't have been any better. course has a nice layout. weather was perfect. played it in feb. and was dry enough to drive the cart anywhere on the course. nice people.

Upon arrival, we were told that the ft. nine was closed. But since we hadn't been notifiedof this before hand, the course gave us a very reasonable reduced rate to play the back twice. Very decent of them. The course was in nice shape.

Course was a little dry in spots. Pace of play was a little slow.

Course was in good shape. We got off early and played 18 in just over 3 hours which totally changes the enjoyment of the game at Salem Golf Club. SGC play is so slow normally.

Love to play there when the pace is reasonable.

Let me just start by saying I have a soft spot for Salem Golf Club. I grew up playing here, I have a lot of great memories. But I am a little shocked at everything that went on with round yesterday.

The course: it has been hot and dry in this area for weeks now, so I understand the course drying out somewhat. But there were some big time dead spots all over the fairways, even on some of the greens. Then on the flip side many of the green fronts and shaded areas were sopping wet and muddy. Most holes if you hit 5 feet in front of the green you plugged and your ball spun back. The greens rolled okay but the cups and greens take a beating from poor etiquette players who play here. Back tee boxes were beat up pretty bad too, overall the course is in below average condition right now.

Pace of Play: We teed off at 9:30 yesterday and the round took 5:15. Mind you this is a 6300 yard course with hardly any walking from green to tee. It felt like 6 hours. The groups in front of us 2-3-4-5 groups out were not even trying to move along. They drank beer, heckled each other, took their sweet time and at one point we watched the group in front of us look for their ball for 15 minutes. Where were the marshals? None to be found. The management at SGC does not care about pace of play. It was brutal and made the round far less enjoyable.

Overall: I can't realistically play here again. It takes too much of the day and the course is not even worth $50 right now. It's a bit sad as I was nostalgic and excited about coming back to play. Play at your own risk, even 9am tee times don't guarantee any sort of pace of play.

I loves the course! Greens roled smooth fairways good condition some under repair. Didn't effect the course at all... Great staff. I did overpay for food at the turn :( 11 bucks for a soda and 3 chicken strips.... But overall I will continually return!

When I arrived they did not have the reserved tee time in their system. Our tee time was delayed by 25 min. because it was their women's day and we had to wait for 8 women to tee off. It was lucky I not only brought my confirmation, but also my receipt that proved I had paid in advance and nothing was owed to the course. Kind of a hassle.

Good value for the money. This was the first time I used GolfNow.com

With the forecast for 90's, we took a early time to beat the heat. The fairways and greens are excellent. We made the turn before saw our first other golfer. SGC is a very nice place with a wonderful restaurant although today we did not stop in as we had to return home for a later BBQ. The only flaw we noticed is the bunker care and maintenance ( or lack of). The greens were the fastest we have played since Springhill. We played as a twosome in 3 hrs. Could have been less but I was in the trees a lot.

this is the best well kept course i have played this year.

The course was in great condition. It is great to look at the old growth cedar trees as the have many shapes.
The play was slow as there was a fivesome four groups ahead of us so there was waiting on every tee instead of continuous play. I have played this course before and this was the first time there was a problem with play.
I will still play it again.