About halfway between Pine Needles and #2 Course is a somewhat shortish 9-holer I've never heard mentioned on GCA before. Recently there was a thread on here regarding its sister course next door called Knollwood - another 9 holer. Same owners. Knollwood is good for beginners and people that don't hit it too far, but Midland is a much more substantial and better designed course. It is not going to win any awards or be put on the tourists must see list - but it is (as I think the photos show) a pleasant little jaunt. I'm not recommending that anyone go out of their way to play it - but IMHO it is the best place to go if you don't want to spend a great deal of money - certainly a factor with this moody economy. Except for one slightly questionable turn on a 5 par I don't think you will find any significant design flaws. It is usually in good shape - especially the fairways which they don't overseed. Ellis Maples Whispering Woods is a good deal at $15 for 9 holes and $25 for 18 - but I and several others (including a local friend who is a member of Brookline) prefer this for the occasional afternoon walk. And that is the one distinctive aspect I will take my hat off for - although they have carts they actually encourage walking. You'll find trolleys lined up right off the first tee. That pretty much makes them singular in the area. With its modest shifts in elevation and pretty sensible routing it is a very walkable course for all.
So this is the tee on the 338 1st hole. A wider landing area that it appears.
The 1st green is a bit of a punchbowl. The greens are generally in pretty good shape but as with all courses, the heat can make that a challenge for the greenskeeper. I've never seen the fairways not in good shape.
The only suspect design element for me is the turn off the 3rd tee. See the tallest pine straight ahead? That is about 240 out and you have to turn your tee shot over the left bunker to be in the fairway - because if you it it straight you are in Mrs. Johnson's back yard. The 3rd is 463 yards.
The approach to the 3rd from about 210. As with most of the holes the yankee retirement homes are unobtrusive and you are left with the archetypal Pinehurst area golf view. Without a doubt the course is worth the $12 fee.
If you lay up on the 3rd, this is your view. Guess how much distance there is between those two bunkers? About 35 yards.
The tee shot on the 373 yard 4th is the scariest shot on the course - for me at least. This long narrow alley is one of the more demanding tee shots in the area actually. As I've said on here several times I love wide fairways but I like the occasional change of pace too. I think it is right and proper that your accuracy off the tee should be challenged from time to time - with a stronger penalty than usual. Just not too much threading of the needle - slows down play and as Ross said, can "lead to vexation and even profanity".
Boy do I love wide open fairways where you can have a proper go at the tee shot. No trepidation. The fairway opens wide to the right here. For an unheralded course it looks nice don't you think?
The chap with the trolley is the generations long member at Brookline I was referring to. Geoffery Cutler writes an always interesting monthly article in Pine Straw Magazine.
A drivable 4-par! Although it is 294 from the backs we play this hole from the 265 because it's fun to occasionally drop one on the green. A huge amount of room left and right also enhances the joy of the unworried tee shot. The green is well bunkered and smallish so it no push over. Many drop their flip wedges into the diabolical bunkers trying to get too cute with their approaches. If I was an arch I definitely be looking to have a pretty drivable 4-par on any course I designed. I'd put some wicked elements around the green though.
The 342 yard 7th is my personal favorite hole on the course. You know why? I can't tell you. I don't always think through or intellectualize what pleases me. Not smart, but who needs to be smart all the time? Enjoyment is its own reward - the visceral reaction. I'm not enamored with it or anything - and I'm not holding it up as a paragon. I just enjoy it. I love the exquisite courses discussed on here but mercifully do not require that level to enjoy a round.
At 203 yards this high point to high point 3-par requires a good longer iron. That is nice to have on a shorter course. Give that part of your game a workout - not just the short irons. The green is larger than most so it can properly receive an aerial long shot. Looking at it now, I suppose you could take out the bunkers on the right and perhaps shrink the left one a bit to provide more of a chance for the ground game. what do you think? Maybe put a bit more space between bunker left and the green for a bit of visual witchcraft? Don't know...just ruminating here. Amateur hour armchair architecture. That must be tiresome for a real arch to sit through.
The slightly uphill 367 yard closing hole. Again, if I'm outside on a day like you see in the photo it just makes my day. I never get tired of the pine trees and the blue skies. To each their own. Regarding the tee shot - there is a pond left of the trap which makes the feint of heart play more to the right - which gives them a longer shot into the green - a really long one if they are too cautious. There is a lot of room to the right - but the optimal angle is closer to the pond.
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Since you hooked it into the pond this is where you will drop for your final approach. The yardage marker/birdhouse is 150 from the green. That would be the clubhouse on the left.
So there you have it. Not a big deal but I thought you might enjoy a look at some of the other courses in the area. At $12 this public Tom Jackson track would be my recommendation for the economically minded.