Eleanor Rigdon "The prettiest course I've ever seen"

Written by Patsy Pitts
Historian - Eastmoreland Women’s Golf Club
With thanks to Carolyn Sanden and Rusty Beckel

Eleanor Rigdon admiring her trusty hickory shaft putter

Eleanor pictured in her club champion years.

Eleanor Little Rigdon was born February 10, 1923 in Little Falls Minnesota. She learned to play the game of golf at an early age. In 1940, she traveled with her family to Portland Oregon for a vacation. During her visit she played at Eastmoreland Golf Course. Eleanor, now 94 says, “It was the prettiest course I had ever seen. I decided then and there I wanted to play it for the rest of my life.” 2 years later she moved to Portland to work in the shipyards as a crane operator. In addition to the good jobs, she remembers Portland, and Oregon, as having more golf courses per capita than most states. This was the place for her. When thinking back to those years during the war she remembers that it was hard to get golf balls because rubber was scarce.

Eleanor, now 94 says, “It was the prettiest course I had ever seen. I decided then and there I wanted to play it for the rest of my life.”

After the war was over, Eleanor worked at the Vanport Extension Center. It was there she discovered she could take college courses. It took many years, but Eleanor earned her degree in education, and began her long career as a teacher of 2nd to 6th graders in the North Clackamas School District. Then, in the mid 1970’s, Eleanor received her Masters in math from PSU, and taught Junior High. All the while she played golf, and Eastmoreland was her home course. 
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     The Eastmoreland Women’s Golf Club was a vibrant women’s club with many talented players. Thursday was their play day, and because Eleanor was a working woman, she was only able to play with the club during her summer breaks. The Club Championship was held during the late summer, and in 1973 she was the Club Champion. The next year, the tournament was moved to September, which prevented her from participating in the event again. That did not stop Eleanor from excelling in tournament play through the 1980’s. She qualified for the US Women’s Public Links Championship an amazing 3 times during her golfing career. She also won many tournaments in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, including the Women’s Division of the popular City Tournament held at Eastmoreland. Many years after moving to Oregon, she traveled back to Little Falls Minnesota for a visit. Wanting to play the course where she began her golfing life, she called the pro shop to set up a tee time. A tournament was scheduled that day, so Eleanor decided to sign up. “I won! It felt like a full circle, as this was the same course where I won my first tournament as a 13 year old.” 
     

She qualified for the US Women’s Public Links Championship an amazing 3 times during her golfing career.

The Eastmoreland Women’s Golf Club was a vibrant women’s club with many talented players. Thursday was their play day, and because Eleanor was a working woman, she was only able to play with the club during her summer breaks. The Club Championship was held during the late summer, and in 1973 she was the Club Champion. The next year, the tournament was moved to September, which prevented her from participating in the event again. That did not stop Eleanor from excelling in tournament play through the 1980’s. She qualified for the US Women’s Public Links Championship an amazing 3 times during her golfing career. She also won many tournaments in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, including the Women’s Division of the popular City Tournament held at Eastmoreland. Many years after moving to Oregon, she traveled back to Little Falls Minnesota for a visit. Wanting to play the course where she began her golfing life, she called the pro shop to set up a tee time. A tournament was scheduled that day, so Eleanor decided to sign up. “I won! It felt like a full circle, as this was the same course where I won my first tournament as a 13 year old.” 
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Eleanor has many good memories of Eastmoreland. One in particular was her round during a qualifier for the City Tournament.  “I remember shooting a 33 on the front nine holes and was looking at potentially scoring in the 60s!!!  But, it was not to be as I three putted 5 holes on the back nine!”  Still, it was a respectable score of 41 on the back nine for a total of 74 which was good enough to qualify. Over the years playing at Eastmoreland Eleanor’s best score on the back nine was a 31 (5 under par 31) and her personal best for 18 holes was a 72 (2 under par).   Rounds like that, combined with her 5 holes-in-one, show that Eleanor was a very talented golfer!

 While she was still teaching, she started an informal Sunday group for those ladies who worked during the week. She also joined a group of men who went out early on Saturday mornings. It was a great bunch for her to play with. Many times a little Blackjack was played while waiting for the greens to clear on the par 3’s. She won her share of putting games with that group, and maybe a little money passed hands!

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Early on Eleanor began working at Eastmoreland, first as a short order cook, and next behind the counter at the pro shop. Finally finding her perfect position as a marshal, she continued working at the course for 30 years. On one particular morning, a member of a regular group wanted to know what she really did when she was marshalling. On number 10 he hopped in her cart to see. A few holes later she stopped, and half of the squirrels on the back 9 were trying to find the nuts she carried in her cart. “Well I found out what you really do Eleanor” was all he said. 

In 1985 she started a very successful women’s tournament named “The Vintage Classic” (for women of a certain age!) Those of us who remember it know it as Eleanor’s Tournament, and the 123 waltz format was known as Eleanor’s game. It was last played in 2005.

After retiring from teaching, Eleanor went to work part time at PSU in the math department, and stayed there until her early 80’s. Today Eleanor lives in a small apartment on the west side.She keeps busy with puzzles, reading, playing computer games, and friendly poker and cribbage games every month with a few of her old golfing buddies. Over the years she has had several surgeries, including knee replacement, and has conquered breast cancer. Even though she has difficulty hearing she is still sharp as a tack, with a good sense of humor.

​When thinking back over her years at Eastmoreland, she will say “I had my share of good years there.”