The 2024 Portland Classic is ready to return to its home, the Columbia Edgewater Country Club. The tournament is set to take place from August 1 to 4, and fans couldn’t be more excited. But did you know that the Portland Classic’s venue is as special as the tournament itself?

The Columbia Edgewater Country Club is a course with a rich history dating back to 1924. It was founded as the Columbia Country Club and designed by famous architect A.V. Macan, who finished his masterpiece in 1925. It took a whole year to build the course we know today. It was the seventh 18-hole course in Portland, and to no one’s surprise, it quickly became known for the challenge it offered to the young golfers.

While the Columbia Edgewater Golf Club is one of Macan’s timeless works, he designed a total of 60 courses in his lifetime. Some of his other notable works are Inglewood Golf Club, Overlake Golf and Country Club, Seattle Golf Club, and Marine Drive Golf Club. The designer may not be with us anymore, but his work will carry his legacy for centuries to come.

The course’s history and design offer the new generation of golfers the same challenges and force them to sharpen their strategies. This makes it perfect for the Portland Classic, a top event on the LPGA Tour. That is the reason only a few golfers have managed to achieve the feat on this complex course.

Golfers who scripted incredible wins on this century-old course

The Portland Classic saw its inception in 1972, but the players had to wait two more years to showcase their skills on the exceptional golf course. The first Portland Classic to be played at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club was in 1974, where JoAnne Carner marked the victory with a score of 5 under par. Carner showed what an incredible golfer she is at the 1977 Portland Classic when she aced the tournament with a score of 17 under par, yet again. But that was just the beginning!

This set the stage for a new generation of talented female golfers, including Ayako Okamoto and Nancy Lopez, who won the tournament in 1986 and 1987. And because in 2002, Annika Sorenstam scored 15 under par and added her name to the list of champions, Hot on her heels were Hee-won Han and Pat Hurst, who followed suit, each securing their victories at the 2004 and 2006 tournaments with impressive scores of 9 under par and 10 under par, respectively. Amazing right?

This year’s defending champion, Chanattee Wannasaen, blew the golf fans away with her performance at the 2023 tournament. The brilliant score recorded a 26 under par—that’s right! The young golfer was on fire that day. With this year’s tournament just around the corner, do you think Wannasaen will be able to defend her title? Let us know in the comment section below!