[smobro]

I have played Circle R in Texas. It is 2 Houk courses, one on a rocky desert shelf, and then the second in a beautiful glade. I would say that John has incredible imagination and the courses play to whatever difficulty you can muster. It would be amazing what he could do with the trees, elevation and natural water available in Oregon. unfortunately the pro shop and amenities are about as trailer as it gets, but the courses are a must play any time you are near Austin. After a long day of playing there you will want to go into Austin and party like a rock star. The best happy hours ever! Unfortunately I didn't get to the second part due to being on a business trip.
As far as Winthrop goes, find a pro on the planet who doesn't want a crack at that bad boy. I have a friend who played in the USDGC last year and could not say enough about how incredible the layout was. He said there was never a shot that didn't make him work for it.