Our venue this week features a wonderfully crafted masterpiece, a Bob Cupp designed course playing 6550 yards, which is the longest US Open test in women’s golf history. It is also the site of Tiger Wood’s triumph in 1996 over Steve Scott in the US Men’s Amateur. That victory was Tiger’s jump-start into his current domination as a professional. The Pumpkin Ridge "Witch Hollow" course was built in 1990 and is currently hosting the 5th USGA event the courses short history. The USGA plans to hold the US Senior Open on the adjoining "Ghost Creek" course in the near future.

The big scoop here this week regards the wave of fourteen teenage qualifiers competing in this stellar field of women golfers, eight of whom are younger than eighteen. Michelle Wie, the 13 year old, recently crowned US Public Links Women’s champion is the media darling, yet there is a bevy of unbelievable teenagers trying to prove who deserves the media attention. One of those is Morgan Pressel, who two years ago was the youngest competitor in the Open at age twelve in 2001 at Pine Needles. Morgan shot a one under par 70 today, and is tied for third after one day. Not too shabby for a fifteen year old. Other teenage amateurs playing well today were Aree Song (70), Irene Cho (71), Michelle Wie (73) Paula Creamer (75) Leigh Anne Hardin (75) and Liz Janangelo (75).

With three days of competition remaining, I am very pleased to be in the hunt at one over par. The Open is like the Belmont Stakes, a long grueling race that is never decided in the first half of the "race". You must position yourself within a "sniff" of the leaders, and minimize errors throughout the test. Our goal as a caddy in the Open is always to make par. Par is your friend in USGA events. The course is playing fast, dry and firm, requiring well-placed tee shots to hold the curling dogleg fairways and crisp, spinning approaches.

While visiting the northwest, I always have enjoyed an invigorating stay. One of the great weeks I look toward is the yearly venture to the Portland area for the Safeway Portland event in September. Oregon is rapidly becoming the new, vogue golf vacation mecca. I want to share some courses with you to visit in the great northwest, and encourage you to consider a trip to Oregon to tee it up. When planning your next golf vacation consider these ten courses that are accessible to play for the right price in Oregon, that feature beauty, natural rolling terrain, and all the golf you want. The low humidity, sun-splashed summer days in mid summer adds a good flavor to your game too.

Bandon Dunes/Pacific Dunes – Bandon, Oregon – designed by David McClay Kidd and Tom Doak. Bandon is known for logging, fishing, and cranberry harvests.

Pumpkin Ridge – Witch Hollow/Ghost Creek courses – designed by Bob Cupp – 30 miles west of Portland Oregon, hosting USGA events last 5 of 13 years.

Crosswater at Sunriver – North Course Woodlands/ designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and John Fought – Bend Oregon

Running Y Ranch – designed by Arnold Palmer – Klamath Falls, Oregon

New Pronghorn – designed by Jack Nicklaus (his first course design in Oregon) – Redmond, Oregon, also has a private Fazio course onsite with 20,000 acres of protected land. Lots start at $350,000, membership included with lot.

Aspen Lakes – designed by William Overdorf –Sisters, Oregon – Features a course set in a cowboy, Ponderosa like setting with volcanic red cinder bunkers, establishing a great contrast with blue skies.

Sand Pines – designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. – Florence, Oregon – opened 1993 as the number one ranked new public golf course.

Lost Tracks Golf Club – course designer unknown to author – south of Bend, Oregon – built on an old mining town site, and features a bridge built of a railroad car to the island green seventeenth hole.

Well, this caddy must eat home-cooked salmon hot off the grill and prepare for day two of the 58th US Women’s Open. Play with passion and always respect the game.

Worth Blackwelder (Lexington, KY), PGA Golf Professional, re-entered the career as a caddy after long-time friend Dottie Pepper asked him to caddy for her in the 2000 Solheim Cup in Scotland. He caddied full-time on the LPGA in the 1980s for greats such as Juli Inkster, Beth Daniel, Patti Sheehan, Laura Baugh, as well as countless other stars in their prime. From Inside the Ropes to Rising Stars, Worth gives a first-hand view of women in golf.

from Ladies Golf Journey - Jul/Aug 2003