How good is Pine Dunes?

[Tim_Weiman]

Living here in Houston is not exactly Mecca for golf architecture. So, I need to get on the road a bit and am wondering:

How good is Pine Dunes? Is it worth a special trip? If so, what makes it special?

[Tom_Doak]

Tim:

Pine Dunes is pretty good.  Worth the trip for variety's sake.

Wolf Point is better.  I'd be happy to put you in touch with Don Mahaffey if you want to see it.

[Sam Morrow]

Tim, on way hack from WP tonight will send you the details of the upcoming Pine Dunes trip.

[Steve Lang]

   Tim , What's best you've played in Houston area?

[Tim_Weiman]

Steve,

I have been living in Houston for about three years and really haven't play much golf at all, though I do like going down to Memorial to hit balls because it makes me feel like I actually am a Houston resident.

Live in the energy corridor area and when I do play it has usually been at Bear Creek, a golf factory if there ever was one. That said, I do walk on and usually meet pretty nice people.

Want to get back into playing and miss summer golf up north.

One more thing: that new golf driving range at I-10 and Rt 6 - Top Golf - is crazy and a real disappointment. Place makes me feel like either the bowling crowd or NASCAR crowd is taking over golf.

[Steve Lang]

  Tim,

You definitely need to road trip to Pine Dunes...  and to get out and about a bit dude, mainly play "Beer Creek" really?     

Not been to Champions or the Woodlands or Walden on Lake Conroe, Kingwood courses or Sugarland & Sweetwater?  or pubs beyond Memorial like River Ridge out there west of you?  Blackhorse South, High Meadow Ranch, Woodforest-Fish Creek, CypressWood Tradition, Timber Creek, Canongate's Woodlands, Lake Windcrest or Magnolia Creek courses? 

Plenty of good solid golf there that you can play and really enjoy... not mecca status, but is that really a requirement??

s

[Sam Morrow]

Tim,

You definitely need to road trip to Pine Dunes...  and to get out and about a bit dude, mainly play "Beer Creek" really?    

Not been to Champions or the Woodlands or Walden on Lake Conroe, Kingwood courses or Sugarland & Sweetwater?  or pubs beyond Memorial like River Ridge out there west of you?  Blackhorse South, High Meadow Ranch, Woodforest-Fish Creek, CypressWood Tradition, Timber Creek, Canongate's Woodlands, Lake Windcrest or Magnolia Creek courses?  

Plenty of good solid golf there that you can play and really enjoy... not mecca status, but is that really a requirement??

s

Steve,

 Are you wanting to scare Tim out of town? Some of those have all the interest and charm of a door knob.

[Steve Lang]

  Sam,

You know its just the ol' yin & yang of gca, and how can one say without much apparent experience beyond Bear CreeK or is it Once they've seen the meccas, how're ya gonna keep em down on the farm??  




Given you consistently plunk it straight down the middle, don't you get bored of every course.. mecca or not?  


See ya at PD

[Sam Morrow]

Sam,

You know its just the ol' yin & yang of gca, and how can one say without much apparent experience beyond Bear CreeK or is it Once they've seen the meccas, how're ya gonna keep em down on the farm??  




Given you consistently plunk it straight down the middle, don't you get bored of every course.. mecca or not?  


See ya at PD

In the 80's The Bear Creek Masters was highly ranked by Golf Digest and even hosted the NCAA Championships and US Am Pub Links.

[Tim_Weiman]

Steve,

My desire to see the world's best courses began almost fifty years ago, but, sorry, Houston was never a destination I had in mind.

Living here has only reinforced my view. Houston simply doesn't have any land. Friendly people, yes, but no land.

To be fair, Champions had a hole included in SI's 18 Best Golf Holes in America, so I should run over and see it, but I don't remember Dan Jenkins ever suggesting it was in the same league as other courses he selected.

Ok, I'll admit I am a golf architecture snob!

But, when it comes to playing I don't care that much, especially with my game in such poor shape.

As for Bear Creek, I'm actually a bit of a fan largely because of the Challenger course not the Masters course. The Challenger presents what golf often seems to lack: a course for people to learn without getting beat up.

The Masters interests me more from the maintenance and economics point of view rather than design. The place has an awful drainage and flooding problem that some years back led management to eliminate sand in the bunkers.

Not usually all that interested in drainage issues, but Bear Creek seems like it would be an interesting case study.

[Sam Morrow]

I love The Challenger, made my first hole in one there and had the junior course record but I'm sure its long gone.

[Steve Lang]

  Tim ,

You should make the effort to see Pine Dunes.. no question..  it has some nice but not dramatic topography with a course draped over it.. very low key atmosphere..  tight in places, wide open in others, shotmaking required but not mandatory, very good variety of holes through the piney woods...

please consider I'm 61 so you may or may not have a few years on me, but I always considered i'd end up in Houston (:<)) as a chem/enviro engineer though)...  

i will not go to the dark side on Houston golf, while I've only been here 22 years, there's been plenty of challenge and fun playing in the 50 mile radius from Memorial Park, "land" or not.    

not funny how some areas like Bear Creek Flood...  but that happens in flat land in designated flood control areas


for those not aware, subject bear Creek courses mentioned are in the Addicks Reservoir Area, on federal land designed to surge storm water and protect Buffalo Bayou and down stream Houston from flooding..

[Tim_Weiman]

Steve,

It's funny. During my oil industry career I visited Houston many times but never actually lived here. Now I could be here quite a while or at least until my daughter gets through school.

Do really like the people here and it isn't bad being in a pro oil industry environment, something I never expect.

Thanks for the comments on Pine Dunes.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Golf Channel course guru Matt Ginella added Pine Dunes to his list of Best Values today on Morning Drive.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

The more the merrier on June 15th gents......