This course was mentioned in a previous thread, apparently after J. Whitten visited the site and wrote a brief Golf Digest (or GD.com) article about it. A couple of weeks ago, I played this Jay Moorish design some two hours southeast of Dallas with a colleague who touted it as his favorite Texas course. In my estimation, it is not the best course down here, but it is arguably in the top 20, if not the top 10.
As the name implies, the course is built on sand and through pines. The topography has a nice natural roll, with some significant elevation changes (e.g. downhill par 3, #6, 254 yards). There are some dune-like features, but not in a grand scale. The course has a rustic appearance, with nice contrasts between the native grasses, unmaintained, exposed sandy areas, and the pines framing all the holes.
Architecturally, Moorish provides an interesting, very walkable routing. It measures 7117 yards from the back (where we played from), par 72. Four sets of square tees on each hole are staggered making the angle to the target easier as one moves forward. The tee markers are small clay planters with a flowering plant (I thought it was a nice touch, not overdone at all).
The first four holes form a loop from and to the west side of the clubhouse. #3 is an unusual, slightly uphill par 3 built in a scraggly, sandy waste area. At only 160 yards, the pin is partially hidden, and it has a "false" left side (predominant wind is R/L).
#5 is a very reachable, downwind par 5, 501 yards, with a fairway split by a long, narrow grouping of pines. The left side is shorter, but the drive must clear an unkept sandy waste area (maybe 220 yards), and the terrain rolls left toward an unseen (OB) boundary. A large sand trap 40-50 yards to the right of the green looks like eye candy, but I believe that it was placed there to prevent the conservative player who chooses the right side of the split fairway to blast away on his second shot. The bunker forces him to choose a club that is long enough to reach an opening to the green past the trees down the middle, yet short enough to stay out of the sand.
# 6 is a great looking redanesque par 3, #254 yards, downwind/downhill. It has water far left (largely hidden from back tees), and the left half+ of the green is guarded by a large, deep bunker. The green surround has a pronounced R/L slope, but the two bunkers on the right are too close to the green to encourage a run-up off the bank.
Through the remainder of the course Moorish provides a wide array of holes, from short 344 yard par 4 (#15) to a 605 yard par 5 (#11). There are some forced carries for the adventurous, but typically, the shorter hitter also has an alternative safe route. The course does have two holes that I consider weak, the 348 yard par 3 #2, and the 512 yard par 5 #18.
Perhaps one of the strengths of the course are the considerable undulations and movement of the greens and the surrounds. The greens are typically large, with a "green -within-green" design. When fast, hitting it to the right spot is a must. Adding the often present Texas wind, they could get outright brutal. The bunkers throughout the course are interesting, though not highly artistic, and generally well placed. Sand quality is outstanding.
Conditioning is very good given that it is a new course. The fairways and rough have a good stand of bermuda 419, and the greens are Tiff Eagle. Conditions are generally firm and relatively fast, though the greens had been aerated and sanded the week before so they didn't provide the full effect.
From a construction standpoint, it was very evident that there was considerable attention paid to detail. While the owner/manager did not divulge the total project cost, the sprinkler system alone cost $1.5MM (in the typical east Texas simple but wise manner, it was explained to me that one builds a church for Sunday, not for the other days of the week; translation- a sprinkler system needs to have the capacity to handle the driest months and extended periods of drought). The clubhouse, maintenance buildings, parking, etc. are modest by most standards. However, I saw evidence of extensive underground drainage (sand drains very well, but it still needs some help in moving water) and an outstanding practice facility which lead me to conclude that the owner knew where to spend the money.
If someone is in the D/FW or north Houston areas, the drive to the course is well worth it. Green fees are $45 during the week, probably a little higher on the weekends. It includes cart, but walking is allowed (my group did, though we got some strange looks from other golfers). There were only 9 cars on the parking lot during the middle of the day (on a Weds.), so access is typically not a problem, and we played in 4 hours after letting a twosome through.
Pine Dunes phone number is (903)876-4336.