Jim Gibbons, executive director of the Oregon Golf Association, travels around the country and plays a lot of golf. He knows the difference between good courses and bad. Rain or shine, Portland area courses rank among the top 15 percent in the country, he says.

'Our courses, on their average day, are better than others in their best condition,' Gibbons says.

The Portland area has nearly 50 courses open to the public. This includes some nationally recognized layouts such as Heron Lakes, Eastmoreland, Pumpkin Ridge's Ghost Creek, the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club, the OGA Member's Course and Langdon Farms.

A list of places to play: