Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth is no stranger to me. I’m a range member and I play there at least a handful of times a year. But somehow, one of the two courses in the 36-hole set up had eluded me. I’d always let the starters pick, and the tough, beautiful and totally fulfilling Jones Course was always where I landed. And I mean: how can anything be better than that?
Holy lush fairways and scenery, golf friends: The Nicklaus Course is all I’d heard and more. Lush and target-friendly fairways, impeccably maintained greens that demand your focus, thick pine forest edges that give you a sense of privacy at a super busy place, and a hole-by-hole set-up that lets you use all your clubs but gives you so many chances for possible glory, it was love at first round for the Nicklaus and me.
Is it better than Jones? I’d call it a full-on tie, but a tie between two distinctly unique tracks. Call us a throuple, I’d say.
We teed off on a perfect weather Saturday. This summer’s heat had abated for a bit and a soft breeze blew across the spectacular landscape.
Arrival at Pinehills (www.pinehillsgolf.com/) – whichever course you choose – sets the tone right away. With its private club vibe (you can be a full member at Pine Hills, a range member or a public day player) everyone is treated with superior service. The upbeat staff loaded our swanky GPS-enabled golf cart (with a phone charging port; important nowadays for those of use who use Apps like Golfshot) and pointed us in the direction of the fun.
First stop: their outstanding practice facility. It’s as far from an afterthought built up on extra land as a facility can be; I’d argue it takes up prime real estate. No need to purchase a bucket of balls; staff keeps you loaded up on all you need on the range. Two practice putting greens and a chipping area round it out. I suggest arriving an hour early; you won’t want to skip using this area.
A filtrated water and ice machine sit at the ready so you can stay ahead on hydration, and the courseside clubhouse is always busy in the best way.
But that’s just your appetizer. Our name was called out on a speaker (no need to keep checking your watch), and we headed to Nicklaus (par 72, 7,243 from the tips).
The first hole sets the tone that will stay with us: Lush, mature pines create a thick border around the entire hole; giving you the feeling of solitude. Honestly, even on this busy summer Saturday, we barely see another person and the most constant sounds are those of nature. An osprey glides above us with ease; the ocean is close though we cannot see it.
We tee off and I blast it up the middle of the long and relatively wide fairway. Nicklaus isn’t easy, but it’s …. What would I call it? … encouraging. Those fairways give you the confidence to let it rip and for me on this day, it pays off well.
That first par 4 is the perfect warm-up hole. It’s followed by a course that changes your view and your plan for each hole. The second, a par 5, tosses in a mellow dogleg, a warm-up for some super intense doglegs you’ll take on later in your round. The third, a par 3, lets me know right off that Nicklaus doesn’t just boost your ego on its par 3s; it makes you think and work.
As you play, you’ll find some semi-elevated greens, bunkers that make you work but give you a fighting chance, and only a few water spots. To me, a happy-in-the-90’s golfer, it’s like the course is cheering me on, but not in an underestimating way. There are no gimmes on the Nicklaus, and I like that. The other three who make up my group tend to shoot in the low 80s and they were delighted as well.
At the turn there’s a little shop where we snagged really yummy bloody marys and I had a hot dog that rivaled Fenway (that’s no small compliment from me). And all the way along, that beauty and peace.
At one point I wondered if you might feel too alone out there when, from across another fairway, we heard “Oh F*&^!!!!” and a round of laughs.
“Oh, that’s just Jeff,” my fellow players told me. “You do hear that, particularly from him, sometimes!” Pinehills, and the Nicklaus, are posh looking but have the heart of the everyman golfer, it seems. I like that.
Post play we rolled back in and after the staff polished and stored our clubs until we were ready to go, we grabbed a drink and a bite on their lovely clubhouse/restaurant verandah. The practice range was still hopping, a wedding party was posing for photos and around a fire pit, golfers shared drinks and laughs. I didn’t hear any “F*&^s” but I bet Jeff was among them.
Pinehills isn’t cheap at this time of year, but I’d argue it’s worth every penny. And come fall, prices will drop. Get down there and meet Nicklaus. And if you hear a shout, that’s probably just Jeff.
At posh Pine Hills, we all are at our home course,
