Elk Ridge Golf Course

About This Course: Links Style Golf High Above the Columbia River Gorge

Elk Ridge Golf Course in Carson is an 18 hole course at Carson Hot Springs, set on high ground above the Columbia River Gorge about an hour east of Portland. It is open to everyone: book a tee time online up to 30 days out, or just walk in.

The course plays to par 71 and 6,456 yards from the Black tees, with a 71.6 rating and a 138 slope. The course describes a links style layout of rolling hills and forest edges with an excellent view of the Gorge, and 40 carefully placed bunkers set the challenge.

Elk Ridge Golf Course Fast Facts

Course Overview

GolfAdvisor’s Brandon Tucker told the comeback story in 2013. The course opened in the 1980s as Carson Hot Springs Golf Course, was renovated in 2006 and shut soon after when bankruptcy and foreclosure hit. It sat vacant as a cow pasture until it reopened as Elk Ridge Golf Course at the end of 2011, and Tucker called it one of the area’s most picturesque golf courses.

Tucker noted that the course sits on a sloping mountainside of steep rock, which makes it one of the driest in the area, and that most holes run parallel to the slope, so the climbs and drops are gentle. The exceptions are the 9th and 18th, which both play sharply downhill toward the clubhouse. The greens are large and rolling. The card is front loaded: the front nine runs 3,379 yards with two par 5s, while the back plays 3,077 yards with one par 5 and two par 3s.

Hole by Hole Highlights

Yardages are from the Black tees and handicaps from the men’s row of the course’s scorecard.

• Hole 1, 357 yards, par 4: A straightaway opener that climbs the hill.
• Hole 2, 412 yards, par 4: The number 3 handicap, with a large green guarded by two bunkers.
• Hole 4, 504 yards, par 5: Plays gently downhill toward the Gorge, and at the number 17 handicap it is a real birdie chance.
• Hole 5, 428 yards, par 4: The longest par 4 on the course and the number 1 handicap.
• Hole 9, 534 yards, par 5: The longest hole, playing sharply downhill to finish beside the clubhouse.
• Hole 10, 483 yards, par 5: The only par 5 on the back nine. GolfAdvisor noted in 2013 that the 8th and 10th share a large double green.
• Hole 16, 180 yards, par 3: A downhill par 3 and the number 16 handicap.
• Hole 18, 388 yards, par 4: Heads straight downhill to close the round.

Amenities and Practice

The course map shows a practice range beside the 1st hole, and the pro shop takes tee times by phone. Carts must stay on the path at every par 3, near tee and green complexes and out of the tall native areas. Regulars can save with the course’s 2026 passes: the Players Card is $185, and punch cards run $550 for 10 rounds or $975 for 20.

Elk Ridge also hosts golf outings, from nonprofit fundraisers to company tournaments and trips with friends; call the pro shop to plan one.

Food and Drink

The course’s Restaurant link now points to Isadore’s Kitchen and Bar, which describes itself as steps from the historic Carson Hot Springs Resort and Elk Ridge. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The brunch menu runs from the Carson Valley Breakfast to blackened steelhead tacos and fish and chips battered in Backwoods Brewing lager; dinner adds pan roasted steelhead, lamb ragu and a New York strip. Coffee comes from Hood River Roasters, and a private dining room seats up to 45.

Plan Your Visit

Rates, Tee Times and Local Tips

The course’s fall rates: 18 holes are $57 Monday through Thursday and $67 Friday through Sunday, and 9 holes are $35 and $40. The online booking engine adds a cart fee of $20 for 18 holes or $15 for 9. Book through the Elk Ridge online tee sheet or call 509-427-0127. Tee times open 30 days ahead and are for 18 holes unless you say otherwise; singles can only join existing groups, so call the pro shop, and give 24 hours notice to cancel. The dress code asks for golf shirts and leaves tank tops, cutoffs and gym shorts for the gym. The resort says the course stays playable year round unless it snows.

Carson Hot Springs is the natural pairing: its historic hotel dates to 1901, and the cabins and bathhouse were added in 1923. Our Stevenson guide covers the next town west, and Explore the North Bank of the Columbia River Gorge maps the drive from Camas to White Salmon. For a second round, The Gorge 9 at Skamania Lodge is about 6 miles west.

How to Score Here

• Bank strokes early on the par 5s. The 4th is the number 17 handicap and plays downhill toward the Gorge.
• Respect the 5th. At 428 yards it is the hardest hole on the card, so bogey is fine.
• Plan for the drops on 9 and 18. Both fall sharply toward the clubhouse, so expect extra roll.
• Pick your tees honestly. The Black tees carry a 138 slope; Blue at 5,961 yards and a 129 slope suits most players.

Final Word

Big Gorge views, a dry and rocky site and a hot springs soak after the round make Elk Ridge one of the best golf days on the Washington side of the Gorge.