Pine Lakes Country Club:
Palmer Challenges You on Every Hole
By Derek Duncan,
Senior Writer
PALM COAST, FL - The longest of
the four Palm Coast Resort courses is Pine Lakes Country Club, positioned
inland from the Intracoastal Waterway and about seven minutes from the
hotel. This is potentially the sternest test of golf as well, due particularly
to an omnipresent wind that cruises over the course largely unsheltered
by trees, and these eighteen holes, along with the front nine at Matanzas
Woods, are the 27 most open holes at the resort.
Not only does Pine Lakes boast
the longest yardage of the Resort courses, it also possesses the most
complete and expansive facilities, including banquet areas, men's and
women's locker rooms, and an outdoor pool.
The course was designed in 1980
by the team of Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, and if their intention was
to design a difficult, championship caliber layout, they found success.
Pine Lakes plays 7,074 yard from the back tees and seems at least that
long, if not longer, when the wind blows.
The course is substantially shorter,
and easier, from the men's tees, recoiling to a manageable 6,122 yards.
That's a whopping difference of 952 yards, the equivalent of playing
two less holes-two very long holes! This accounts for the nearly three-stroke
difference in rating, 73.5 down to 70.6.
Apparently Palmer wanted a design
that would challenge the most accomplished players yet still play fair
for club members, who have the luxury of moving up a set. Accomplishing
this level of challenge at Pine Lakes, while retaining the course's
simplicity and integrity, is an admirable achievement. Methods designed
to "toughen up" courses popularized by men such as Pete Dye
(handcrafting fairways, vast waste areas, massive excavation, "target
golf" philosophy, etc.) had not generally extended into the repertoires
of most architects by 1980.
That Pine Lakes is a tough golf
course without the aid of modern design tricks is a point worthy of
praise. The course fits naturally with the characteristics of the site
and makes the most out of what is there. It is a true designer's layout,
a testament to Palmer and Seay and their ability to maximize the potential
of the property without needing to alter it significantly (other than
adding the small lakes that dot the layout).
From start to finish this course is also the most open of the four
and the fairways are not as expansive as Florida golfers are generally
accustomed to. It is defended not by natural forest or any of the manufactured
obstacles that are commonly employed today, but instead by strategically
placed bunkers and numerous doglegs that weave through a series of lakes.
A trademark feature at Pine Lakes are the dogleg holes, both short
and long, with a bunker at the inside corner and water through the bend.
On a long hole such as the 440-yard dogleg right 13th, the drive must
be struck well enough to get past the bunker 240-yards out, but not
roll through the firm fairway and into the lake that borders the hole
on the left after the bend. With a shallow green fronted by a bunker
and playing into a prevailing wind, this is a very difficult, typical
hole at Pine Lakes.
Eleven of the holes are doglegs. Ideal tee shots need to be shaped
left or right accordingly, and accuracy is important. The rough is cropped
closely, but outside the fairway there are un-level lies, awkward angles
to the green, and just enough tree trouble to interfere with approach
shots. This reliance on doglegs is either maddening or genius, depending
on how the course is approached. At any rate is certainly an effective
defense.
Ultimately the course can be exhausting. Through the first three holes
Pine Lakes seems fairly benign, but after this prelude, things change.
The course opens up and the wind becomes a factor. The fourth is a strong
par four of 435 yards. Fairway bunkers bracket the rolling landing area
and a (usually) water-filled ravine catches anything errant on the extreme
left. This is the first of the doglegging holes, the first introduction
to the wind, and a precursor to the abundant water hazards - 11 of the
next 15 holes feature water.
It can become a grueling challenge. The golfer cannot let his or her
defenses down for even a moment because there always seems to be a hazard
or challenge present. But keeping the ball in play is not enough. The
mental side of the game is equally important. Pine Lakes requires patience
and focus, moreso than any of the other links on the Palm Coast Resort
docket.
Since there really are no let-up holes, it is possible to be worn
down by the seemingly abundant matrix of bunkers and lakes that Palmer
and Seay have included in their innovative routing. The best chance
to make birdie is at the 515 yard par five 17th where the corner of
the dogleg can be cut by big hitters, but other than that only series
of solid, well-played shots strung together and holed putts will suffice.
It takes an all-out effort to score here.
That said, the real beauty of the course is that it is not that difficult.
It is a challenge to shoot a good round, but it doesn't ask or force
the golfer to do anything he or she is not capable of. There are no
forced carries, no holes that are unfairly long or gimmicky, and there
are fair places to miss shots. It is important to keep the ball straight,
but Pine Lakes doesn't demand heroic shots. The greens are basically
large and putt at a fair speed. Golfers will enjoy the course for its
challenge and the opportunity to play a conventional, scenic, steady
round.
In late spring and early summer of 2000, this part of Florida was
severely lacking for rain. Pine Lakes seemed to take it the worst of
the four Resort courses. The track was dry and hard, making roll unpredictable.
This is not normally the case. Under normal conditions, the course can
be lush and verdant, and the greens pliable and accepting. Expect the
course to be this way rather than the latter.
Overall Pine Lakes has as much
to offer as the other three courses. The facilities are superior and
the course is the most challenging, especially from the championship
tees. It lacks the individually brilliant holes that Matanzas Woods
has and the verve of Cypress Knoll, but offers 18 solid, demanding holes
of true golf. Most golfers will want to play it more than once, to take
another shot at it when they feel that they've got something more to
prove.
Pine Lakes Country Club
400 Pine Lakes Pkwy
Palm Coast, FL 32164
Pro Shop: 904 445-0852 |
