Pinebrook is a really excellent up and down adventure in the forest hills. My discs thought they were lumberjack axes nearly the entire day here, bouncing manically off the trees in utter glee.

There were two tees and typically one basket per hole. The first several holes at the State Park level here in terms of distance and shape, a bit on the easy side too. And then comes number 8. This long treed bowl that starts a little elevated, descends for an extended fairway, ending either at a steep or utterly impossible steep basket -- there were two to pick from: bad or worse. Or in Pinebrook's vernacular, sheep or goats.

If cursing is an indicator of fun, I had plenty here. Never taking the Lord's name in vain, mind you. Just a lotta "heck darns" and "gosh darn its!" I felt like Ned Flanders.

And so the course continued, with a lot of wonderfully weird and twisty curves my noodle arm could vaguely define as left or right and just pile on some hope. Blind shots galore. Like I was solving equations of of an advanced calculus book to predict where it would end and here mom thought Disc Golf would only make me stupider. Nah, I'm throwing my Discmania Genius endorsed by Einstein. It's even signed by him, cost $$$ on ebay for that.

Halfway up one big fairway with the basket in a galaxy far far away. My shot followed the fairway, straight on and then far down the slope to the left. I hit the gap of trees and by some miracle it landed parked. I felt accomplished and proud of that one good, lucky shot during my +300 round. Not many courses can give you that sense of accomplishment in a sea of quadruple-bogey despair.

Tees and signs were fine. Illustrated but still laminated paper atm.

I probably won't drive up here often, but when I do, I know I'll gladly sharpen my discs next time.

My biggest problem was finding where to park. When you find the big DG sign, yup, just park on that grassy hill. Since it rained, I parked on the nearby gravel spots because it wasn't Sunday or Summer and no one was there. You should see a row of staggered benches walking in. Basket 18 is up straight ahead and #1 is to the right.

You're asked not to play Sundays until Noon.

There seems to be a 9 course within the 18, for faster kiddie rounds. Some holes have dual numbers.

No amenities on course that I have seen.

Woo, saw snow first time this season compared to SE PA. Fun state level+ course. Most definitely a destination.

Yetter is five minutes away and an easy second round just to assuage yourself with the mantra "Yes, I know how to throw a disc, no matter what the baskets at Pinebrook say."

+ Pinebrook starts with a great piece of property and plenty of room. It's heavily wooded and features lots of elevation changes. The design takes full advantage of the setting, and there's been plenty of work put in to clear fairways


+ Because it's based at a camp, the three layouts suit a wide variety of skills: alternate 9 hole layouts for "Recreational/Easy" and "Amateur", and a full 18 for "Experienced" that takes you back into the woods and offers up serious shot challenges and more strenuous hiking up and down hills


+ Poured concrete tees, new Dynamic baskets. Because the three layouts share baskets and tees, there's been an effort to clearly mark each of them with color-coded signs at the tees and atop baskets (if you've played or seen pictures of the flags at Maple Hill, you get the idea)


+ Although it's a wooded course, the layout takes advantage of natural clearings for some greens - so you don't feel like you're playing entirely in thick woods. The layout also features a slightly elevated basket, and incorporates an old stone wall to protect the approach to a green

~ There are some blind shots on the back nine, and for the first time player, the combination of throwing downhill AND blind AND around a dogleg (one hole with a mando) can be less than enjoyable. It takes extra patience to walk ahead on these holes, but I imagine the problem is solved by multiple plays


~ When I played in June of 2021, the signage and tees weren't finished. This made navigation a bit confusing in spots, especially where the different loops converge and cross one another. The tee signage didn't have maps, and there weren't many directional aids. Given the amount of care going into the course, I suspect this will be greatly improved, and I experienced a "work in progress." It took away from my enjoyment, but I given the amount of care being shown to building this course, I believe it will be remedied


~ Because of the way the three layouts use the same baskets and tees, there might be some traffic problems, especially as the "Experienced" course finishes with baskets that are used in the shorter layouts


~ Although the course has clear fairways and walking paths, a lot of the 18 is too steep to be considered cart-friendly


~ One advantage to the shared layout is how the course "eases you in" with the shorter starting holes. It reminded me of Creekside in Archdale NC, where the first six holes form a "beginners loop", and then you step off into the bigger holes. Pinebrook doesn't let you off easy though: hole #1 is only 150 - but it's wooded and an island hole. Wanna start with a bogey? And let's teach the kids about drop zones right from the start.


~ Even unfinished, Pinebrook is very good. When signage and tees are finished, this will be an excellent course



RECOMMENDED COMBINATIONS:

Yetter Park is close by, and as a very flat, mostly wooded older layout, it makes for a nice pairing with Pinebrook. Most of the other nearby courses are forgettable 9's - but it's not much farther to Moore Township or Hackett, or the redesigned Fields of Dreams near Hackettstown if you're headed East.

New course to okay

No tee signs, no next hole signs, spent more looking for baskets then it is worth. Wait until tee signs and next tee signs are up. The only people who know where the fuck to go are locals.

Could be great with work

18 hole challenging Par 62 wooded venue on a beautiful piece of property housing a bible retreat and day camp. Two practice baskets greet players, and nice Dynamic White Patriot baskets are featured at each hole. Newly poured cement tee pads, the byproduct of an April fundraising tournament, are of sufficient 10 ft. length and each pad is further reinforced by 5-6" of blue stone enclosed with nice logs around the perimeter of the pad. Each hole has a basic number marker with par designation and at least half the course has pads with shorter distances to appeal to families and recreational players. Navigation is pretty intuitive throughout the course. The design is fair and great thought went into the layout, which incorporates tremendous elevation throughout the course. Several neat holes including a short, Hole 1 island green in which a birdie or bogey is possible; a really fun, picturesque downhill Hole 3 shot; a great par 4 Hole 10 featuring not one but TWO separate downhill shots to a basket at the base of the mountain, and the course's signature 634 foot Hole 8, a brutal but memorable par 5 which features a slight downhill drive then a long, uphill steep climb to a basket anchored to the middle of a giant flat rock.

Tee signs with a map and hole distance would be a great upgrade and benefit to players. A couple of low-lying areas (holes 4 and 8 in particular) are a muddy mess after heavy rains. Numerous fairways very, very rocky which prevents run ups or good footing. Holes 17 and 18, though not bad, are a bit of a letdown given the strength of the rest of the course.

Still a relatively new venue, Pinebrook is nonetheless a wonderful play, and I am totally impressed with the job designer Steve Landes did. Even more impressive is the considerable work that has gone into this course- just a tremendous job. Don't be fooled by the 175 foot island hole which starts the course; Pinebrook lulls you into a false sense of security through the first four holes before the middle portion of the course really throws you into the fire, turning a manageable trek into a mountain hike. Holes 8-10 are outstanding, with hole 8 in particular as unique and challenging a hole as you'll find at any course anywhere.
Though most holes emphasize a backhand off the tee, others call for a forehand on the first or second shot- an intended play by the designer which will force players to use both.

As this course is on the property of a Bible Retreat, be respectful when visiting. It is closed Sunday mornings and at other select times during the year, so visiting the Pinebrook Facebook page and/or calling the main office is suggested before making the trip. Follow the signs for "disc golf" when entering the camp and park in the designated grassy area. A must play and highly recommended.

Course is new and very well maintained. Whole thing is wooded, so lots of shade. Long course is about a 4 mile walk. Don't have to pay to park (unlike its neighbor course Yetter). Easy to navigate. All new concrete tee boxes except for one or two holes. Quiet and peaceful.

Some really long holes can be a challenge for those who don't have big arms. Hole 8 of the long holes is a hike up the side of a really steep cliff. Tee boxes don't have maps on them which can be tricky since you can't see the baskets from most of them. I went two days after a big rain storm and it was definitely playable, but can see where it could get very wet and muddy. No restrooms or port-a-johns.

Course is on church property and I believe they don't allow play during sermon hours on Sunday, so check ahead. There's a day camp there during the summer that uses the course as part of their regular activities. We saw about 20 of them coming as we were leaving at 2:00pm on a Saturday. Feels a little like you're trespassing, but there are signs for the course and nobody gave us a hard time. Came across what may have been a makeshift tepee that a homeless person presumably slept in by one of the holes. Be respectful if you play here. It's so nice that this church opened their land up to make a nice disc golf course. Was a shame to see people had thrown their litter all around the course.