Since it opened in 1976, golfers from the Northwest and throughout the country have traveled to the little Santiam River Valley to Elkhorn to test their skills against its tight fairways, bordered by knee high grass and lakes and canyons just waiting to gobble up golfballs. There are stories to tell and this is where you will see them-- some are of true golf triumphs, others are tragedies...

For several years, George Boyer, owner of Fat City Cafe in Multnomah, a suberb of Portland, sponsored the 'Fat City Open' for all of his golf buddies and golfing patrons who were willing to fork over $20 for the annual pay ball game at Elkhorn. One of George's best friends, Alex Hoffert, the Tigard High School boys golf coach at the time and a six handicap, was usually a fixture for the annual event. It figured, as he usually won every year. But 1987 was really his year. Playing in the first foursome out with George so they could finish first and have lunch ready for the rest of the field, Alex scored birdie, eagle and ace on the first three holes to go five under par. He said he was in shock when he went to the fourth hole. Needless to say he won the tournament. He scored a 32 on the front nine and a 41 from the back tees on the back nine.

Alex said the course finally got even with him when he lost his ace ball after hitting it into the water on the 11th hole after forgetting to take it out of play after his ace.

The Bird Houses...

It figured that if Don Cutler ever allowed 150-yard markers to be placed on his Elkhorn Valley Golf Course, they would be spectacular. And they are.

Until 1990, golfers had to use their own judgement of how far to the pin when selecting a club. Cutler, builder and owner of the then nine hole course in 1976, was determined not to do things a patterned way just because others did. "I don't believe in yard markers because the average golfer doesn't know how far he hits each club anyway." he said.

But over the years, Cutler endured constant complaints from golfers about the lack of markers. He was almost in a fight a couple of times when the golfers were so irate.

Cutler's daughter, Elizabeth, heard the complaints, too. She came up with the idea for birdhouse markers, and her father went for it.

"I didn't give in because of the complaints, though," he said. "The complaints had nothing to do with it."