Pine Valley
Pine Valley
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Course Type
Private -
GOLF Top 100 World Rank (2023-24)
1 -
Year
1918 -
Architects
George Crump / Harry S. Colt -
Par
70 -
Yardage
7,197
Course Overview
Analyzing a golf course need not be complicated. One simple but effective way to judge a design is by the quality of the course’s property, its hazards and greens. Pine Valley excels at all three, with many contending it has the most formidable hazards and sophisticated green complexes in golf. Throw in a wonderful routing that hopscotches from one island of turf to the next across the rolling, sandy landscape and you have a course that hasn’t budged from the No. 1 spot for decades. Though a cliché at this point, it is only so because it is true: Pick Pine Valley’s “worst” three holes and they are demonstrably better than the worst three holes of any other course on this list. Pine Valley’s only benchmark for sustained excellence from the 1st tee through to the 18th green is itself. (Photo: Jon Cavalier)
3 things to know
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Hole everyone talks about
No. 11, par-4, 390 yards: The land is perfect on this slight dogleg right; the builders didn’t have to move any ground. Even the elevated green, which slopes severely back to front and is bowl-shaped, was left untouched. -
Best non-golf amenity
Even if you don’t love bag tags, it’s hard not be impressed by the heft of the Pine Valley tags, which attendants apply with pliers. It’s a nice keepsake — for your bag or office. -
Insider tip
Arrive early to leave time for a warm-up round on the 10-hole short course, which opened in 1992 and was designed to emulate some of the approach shots on the main course.
