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Pinebrook DGC reviews
14
0
Great Potential; Potentially Great 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 16, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
+ 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
+ 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
Other Thoughts:
~ 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.
~ 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.
