Pinehills Jones & Nicklaus Plymouth, MA
Five Star Choices. Times Two
At Pinehills, it’s all about the golf. From the attended bag drop to the extensive practice facilities, Pinehills leaves no doubt about its purpose.
Two 18-hole designs await your pleasure: Jones and Nicklaus. The Rees Jones, as the website says, “is characterized by his signature style, challenging to play, enjoyable for both experts and novices alike, and respectful of the land, with built-in subtleties that offer a new playing experience every time.”
Of the two, the Jones course requires more precise tee shots and approaches, and rewards you with easier putts. From the first tee, you’re off to work, negotiating an uphill dogleg left to a well-guarded green. The ninth is an eye-opening par 5 that requires a carry over a hillside, a medium-length second shot, and an approach to a thin but wide green, fronted by a pond. The par 5 15th hole requires a carry over an abyss of brush to a rising fairway and a distant elevated green.
The Nicklaus 18, designed by Jack Nicklaus II, has a different character, with much of the same appeal. Also cut around and through the kettles (carved by glaciers), the Nicklaus design offers somewhat broader landing areas, but more challenging putts once you reach the green. Favorites include the daunting third hole, a long par 3 that requires a carry over a fronting trap, and the wonderful eighteenth, which requires a semi-blind tee shot that must find the fairway rather than the long-stretching pond which guards the green.
There is great variety, beauty, and challenge all around. The marvelous practice facilities and cart are included in your fee. Arrive early enough to take advantage. After your round, enjoy the inviting grill and lounge.
The two Pinehills golf courses are two of only fourteen five-star rated courses in the New England GolfGuide 2021 Edition. Come play once and you’ll return again and again.
