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Rating Index Rating
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4.3
459 Reviews (459)
5 Stars
139
4 Stars
220
3 Stars
72
2 Stars
21
1 Stars
7
Conditions
4.0
Value
4.2
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.3
Amenities
3.8
92.9%
Recommend this course
418 out of 459 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
14 Reviews (14)
5 Stars
7
4 Stars
6
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.4
Layout
4.9
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.7
92.9%
Recommend this course
13 out of 14 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
23 Reviews (23)
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
12
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.1
Value
4.4
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.4
Amenities
3.9
StaffFriendliness
4.6
95.7%
Recommend this course
22 out of 23 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
The Great Blue course delivers a cleverly designed layout with water features that reward strategic play, making it a favorite among Portland-area golfers. Well-maintained fairways, true-rolling greens, and efficient pace of play offer strong value at this accessible municipal track.

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Municipal
Style Links
Par 72
Length 6902 yards
Slope 139
Rating 74.0

Heron Lakes Golf Course was opened for public play in 1972. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and is located off of I-5 next to the Portland International Raceway. It was named after the Blue Herons that inhabit the many lakes and ponds around the course. There are two courses, the Great Blue and the Green Back.

The Great Blue has been rated for years as the most difficult golf course in the Portland Area. It is a links style course with water, tall rough, narrow fairways, and sand everywhere. Most fairways on the Great Blue narrow to small greens that roll and pitch in several directions.

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Course Details

Year Built 1992
Fairways Winter Rye Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Year round

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
GPS No
Pull-carts Yes
Caddies No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Shirts must be worn on the premises at all times.

Food & Beverage

Bar, Snacks

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Oregon (2023 #17)
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Reviews

4.3
459 Reviews (459)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 11
Watching the Game 7
Course Challenges Include:
Water Hazards 24
Bunkers 22
Undulating Greens 13
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 15
Locals 15
Walkers 13
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 22
Near the Airport 16
Worth the Drive 11

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great Blue: Challenging with almost pristine course conditions

Great Blue: This course is more challenging then Greenback, we had a great round with excellent rate of play and pristine tee boxes and fairways. However, the greens we in sub par form... Almost every green was very bumpy but playable without too much issue, except for #17 which looked to be very damaged and in unacceptable condition. Overall be course was fantastic and offered a real challenge to the average golfer, highly recommend.

If the greens were in better shape it would be an easy 5 stars

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 44
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

GreenBack course

Staff was very friendly, and the starter had us off right on time. The cart lady was also very friendly, but she was the only one working both courses so we only saw her on holes 8 and 18... I spent a lot of the day looking for water fountains. the bunkers weren't in great shape and were hard panned. Most of the greens were bumpy and not well taken care of. Some of the fairways had some dead patches or muddy spots. It can be a good course if it were better taken care of. The pace of play was a little on the slow side, but that should be expected for a Saturday.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Difficulty Extremely Easy
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Greens in rough shape, fairways perfect.

We were somewhat dissapointed with this being our first round here and the great things we had heard. The fairways and thw coursw in general were fantastic, fairways ran well and were a stiff challenge with how tight landing areas were. The greens however were the worst I've ever seen. I beleive the 17th was prettt much all dirt with some patches or really bad looking grass. Was super bumpy and you had no shot at getting a ball to go where you wanted it. There were 5 or 6 more greens that weren't as bad but had the similar patches of dirt and were extremely bumpy almost as if they are diseased. This course has the potential to be the best
In Portland if they can bring the greens back. The other 12 to 13 holes without this issue were fantastic.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 90
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played

Greenback

This is a nice course that is in great shape. The staff was somewhat friendly and we went off right on time which was good also

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Blue is fun and challenging

It is a great links style course. I am a hacker, but if you hit smart shots you can score. Lots of bunkers and waste areas make it very challenging.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

The course wa in great shape

I got a great deal through golf now. The course was in great shape an the green were rolling good. I highly recommend this golf course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Putting greens had many burned out spots. it affected many putts.

Putting greens had many burned out spots. it affected many putts.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

this course need to inprove.

the green is too bad too much hole much dead green.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great course at a very reasonable price.

The Greenback course at Heron Lakes offers wide fairways and big greens with enough sand and water to be challenging.
Course conditions were excellent and we played in just over four hours with two people walking and two riding. It is difficult to find a better value in the Portland area and I would recommend either the Green Back course or the Great Blue at Heron Lakes.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

I have been playing at Heron lakes for over 20 years and I have NEVER seen it in such poor condition! the greesn are terrible! I will not return!

Sad to say the course is in TERRIBLE condition! Do not play it!

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1001
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 1 Contributor
Verified Purchaser
California Advisor
Previously Played

Great Blue

Enjoyed an early A.M. round with tocho261 on a Golfnow prepaid deal for $19. We walked the blues (6491/71.9/137) in 4H, teeing off a little after 6 and finishing a little after 10. Challenging layout that is currently in good condition. Lots of red/yellow hazards that are lakes or marshland that you need to avoid, plus an above average amount of traps as well. There are zero homes that you can see from anywhere on this course, occasionally you will have railroad or racetrack noise, but this track and it's sister Greenbelt course (shorter & easier in my opinion) are pretty isolated considering they are less than 10 miles from downtown Portland along the Columbia River. The greens putted really nice, firm and medium fast. Definitely well above average for a city course and some of the nicest greens I have recently played on. Both the fairways and rough were nicely maintained, you generally had lush lies. There are several areas on different holes that are brown that they were soaking, trying to get green again, but overall, both were very good. The tees were decent, above average for a public course that gets alot of play. The only thing below average was the sand traps. They could use some new, additional sand and had not been raked/maintained in at least a couple of days. Only a few holes have water and there was no drink/food cart, luckily it was a cool, overcast morning. But this course is worth playing, especially for under $20.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played

Course Was in Horrible Condition

Greens had Burnt sections that looked as if they were over watered and then not watered for days causing whole portions of the green to die. Course was poorly watered throughout with Dead spots on Tee Boxes, Fairwways and Greens all throughout the course. Worst condition I ahve ever seen the Great Blue Course. Course Management needs to be addressed.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great layout, greens need some work

I have played this course many times over the years, good links style course and in the summer it plays like a links course with hard and fast fairways, lots of risk/reward opportunities. But disappointed with the greens, very bumpy

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This course is relatively short

The course sets up for a left to right player. I only broke out my driver on three holes. Fairway bunkers made for selective thinking. Greens were well manicured, but the fringe had heavy ridges on several holes. Blind holes toughened the course, but with experience the course would be easy to negotiate. Clubhouse individuals were not friendly.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Okay

Slow but kind of expected on a summer Saturday. Drink cart didnt come around on entire front 9, and when she did show up on the back her card machine was broken. She said shed be back but never came. Not good when play is slow and you aren't hitting very many good shots.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Too long

Had too wait almost every hole. thats not acceptable for a Thursday afternoon. Please suggest to marshall to tell people to pick up if they are slow.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Greens well maintained

Good price for course, but 45% of the round price for a cart!!

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Played Green Back

Very pretty course. Challenging, but not over the top. To be able to play a public course in four hours is awesome. Very friendly staff. Will definitely play again.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This course is beautiful and well maintained.

This course is beautiful and well maintained I would have given it a 4.5, but staff not real friendly and they do not increase the pace of play. The play was at a very anemic pace! But will return to play it again!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Course good shape, great value.

Played at 3:15 on Friday afternoon - so I got the twilight rate. Pace of play was great. Greens were in great shape. Sand traps had two different kinds of sand and could use some more sand. Staff was friendly. Needs a new clubhouse.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
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