Course Tour

Take a tour of the Twin Pines Golf Course. Click on the images to view full size.

Hole 1 is a fairly standard length par 4 that can play quite a bit longer if you’re short off the tee. A drive of 260+ yards will get you to the top of the hill giving you a relatively easy shot to a very receptive green. However, since the hole faces West you will usually be playing into the prevailing winds, making a long drive more difficult to accomplish. Small stands of pines on the left and right of the fairway come into play for long hitters, so if you hit it long make sure it’s down the middle. If you lack control, it’s probably best to play a shorter drive to keep the pines stands out of play. The green slopes fairly sharply from back to front and slightly left to right. Check your distance on the sprinkler heads and note the pin position. You want to be below the hole for a good shot at birdie. Sideways and downhill putts can be brutal and if that’s what you’re facing, a 3-putt is a definite possibility. Par is an excellent score here.

Hole 2 is one of the easier holes especially if you’re long and accurate off the tee. The smart play is right down the fence line with a short drive of 220 – 240 yards. This will put you in the fairway with an uphill approach of 100 yards. Long hitters can cut the corner and put themselves in very good shape. To reach the green from the tee you will need to carry the far corner of the fence just right of the little white utility building in the out of bounds area. There are no obstacles to this shot, just a lot of distance to carry. Your drive will need to carry 280 yards to clear the fence. Be careful not to go too far left or you’ll end up out of bounds. A shot down the fence line leaves an easy approach of about 100 yards. Check the yardage marker and use an extra ½ club to accommodate the uphill shot. The green is two tiered and quite receptive to approach shots. If the pin is on the bottom tier, you can be more aggressive with your approach. A birdie here is not uncommon.

Hole 3 is a relatively short par 5 that is definitely reachable in 2 for long hitters. With prevailing winds from the West at your back it is possible to clear the top of the hill and be left with an approach shot inside of 200 yards. Be aware that out of bounds lines the entire left side of this hole. Like hole #1, there are small stands of pines on either side of the fairway which can come into play for longer hitters, so try to keep the ball down the middle on the tee shot.The green is quite large and relatively flat with a small bunker and pine tree protecting the front right. Play to the left-center on long approach shots to avoid trouble.

Hole 4 is fairly short for a par 4 but is one of the more difficult holes at Twin Pines. The best position for your tee shot is down the left side of the fairway to the top of the hill. With water at the bottom of the hill, long hitters can often end up with a penalty stroke off the tee if they’re not careful. A tee shot that lands on the down-slope will very likely shoot forward into the water. The ideal distance for your drive is 240 -250 yards leaving you with a 120 – 130 yard approach shot. The second shot requires accuracy. The water should not come into play on a well struck approach shot, however the green is fairly narrow and protected tightly on both sides by large spruce trees. Par is a good score on this hole.

Hole 5, at 540 yards this is the longest hole at Twin Pines. The hole gradually bends to the right as you approach the green. The ideal tee shot is just left of the tree at the top of the hill but be careful not to go much farther to the right than that. The most open approach to the green is to play down the left side of the fairway, however the hole plays much longer if you use this strategy. The green is reachable in 2 but will require a left to right curve on your second shot, which will most likely be more than 200 yards. The green is protected by a very large pine at the right corner with a small bunker behind it. The best strategy is to play your second shot to the corner down the middle of the fairway leaving you with a short pitch shot. This is the largest green at Twin Pines so the third shot should be easy to get on the putting surface. Birdie is a good possibility if you play this hole correctly.

Hole 6 is listed as the #8 handicap, but some Twin Pines members would argue that this is the most difficult hole on the course. Playing 175 yards from the back it requires pinpoint accuracy off the tee. With pines lining the tee box and fairway tightly on both sides, even slightly errant tee shots can get knocked down leaving you with a long pitch or chip for birdie. A small stand of very tall pines protects the left side on your approach to a smaller, convex green. Go too long and your ball may roll downhill to the service road. Par is an excellent score here.

Hole 7 is a #1 handicap hole at Twin pines is a 417 yard par 4. With tall Jack pines lining both sides of the hole an errant tee shot may leave you chipping back out to the fairway with a long approach still to come. The rough on the right side slopes down into the pines so any tee shot that is moving left to right can easily kick over to the other side of the trees. The best approach is to the left side of the fairway with a long drive of 260+ definitely improving your chances. The hole is deceptive in that it looks relatively flat but actually plays slightly uphill. Take an extra ½ club on your approach to avoid being short of the green and beware of the bunker on the front right corner. The best approach is left as the green is flat on this side. The right side slopes down toward the bunker and approaches that land over here do not often stay on the green. Par is an excellent score here.

Hole 8 is a fairly easy par 4 that doglegs slightly left to right. You do not need a long tee shot to put yourself in good position on this hole. Play down the left side for the best approach to the green. Be aware that the tee box points you toward the trees on the right and make sure you are aimed to the left. Stay left and a birdie becomes a definite possibility. Play your approach to the left or center of the green to avoid the bunker and trees protecting the right side. Any drive over 220 yards should leave you with an approach shot inside of 100 yards.

The namesake of Twin Pines, hole 9 leaves many golfers muttering to themselves. Not only is it a long par 3 at over 207 yards from the back tee, but the tee shot must avoid the gigantic white pine protecting the right side of the green. When the pin is right, you must go over, under or around the tree. The smart play is to stay left, but be careful not to go too far in that direction or you may have to contend with another large white pine on the left side. Go too long and you could end up in the bunker on the back side of the green. A low shot with lots of roll is a common strategy here. Par is an excellent score.

Last updated 12/6/2013