I particularly like the five underrated courses list at the end of the article.
Commuter between North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
It's a good article. The Pine Lakes video will show you how PL looks
now with housing starting on a few holes.
The underrated are top mid level choices.
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The Pine Lakes video just reinforces how awful the bunker renovation was. I still can't believe they thought that was a good idea -- the course is significantly worse both visually and from a golf perspective with those new bunkers.
Love me some Bojangles. They've been rumored to be coming to NJ, but nothing yet.
The Pine Lakes video just reinforces how awful the bunker renovation was. I still can't believe they thought that was a good idea -- the course is significantly worse both visually and from a golf perspective with those new bunkers.
I'm still a fan of the course, but I agree with you. The renovated bunkers knock it down several notches for me. It was probably in my Top 5 before the renovation, now it's in my Top 15.
Nice to see MB in Links. Not crazy about how the writer framed the article. If you're going to make assumptions about a place, at least get your info right. Tidewater is not in Sunset Beach. It's Tim Cate, not Tom Cate.
Thanks for posting this article. I have not play Pine Lakes since 3 years at least. I will play PL at the end of April. I am excited to see the new bunkers.
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
@polekat914 Yeah, that classic routing is still there (for the most part).
I think the original version would have been in my top 10 for sure, but the new holes they built already knocked the course down a bit for me -- they're not bad holes, but they just don't fit the rest of the course at all. It feels like you've accidentally wandered onto a separate course. The bunker misfire has knocked it down even further.
I'm not sure where I'd rank it now, but the location means I'm not likely to play it again anytime soon. I have to drive 45+ minutes to get to it from my place, and if I'm going to drive all the way down there, there are other courses I'd choose (or just keep on going to Murrells/Pawleys for Caledonia, The Reserve, etc.)
The new housing along PL holes 5-9, either on the hole or visible,
might lower popularity/rating with MB aficionados like us.
Younger generations may no longer care about the classic
old style bunkers. The new bunkers look modern.
Some of the old bunkers were so deep, some didn't have the
swing speed to get out, without risking a skull.
PL is about 35-40th in MB for me.
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Indeed, the "old" Pine Lakes remains a vivid and welcome memory. I loved the place and all it's character. The cauldron, chef, Mimosas, traditional architecture, etc., it was such a memory builder. The Granddaddy appellation was so appropriate. The new routing, the bunker renovations, the housing, and a few design tweaks have changed this OG quite a bit.
Retired Insurance Broker
@uncgolf Sorry to hear that. I haven't played there in years. Sometimes I wonder what in the world the architect is thinking when they put their stamp on a classic course. Kind of like an, "I'm from the IRS and I'm here to help you" position. The Donald Ross Society was formed after the butchering of classic designs by modern architects!
Commuter between North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
