Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth is one of Massachusetts top golf facilities, with two 18-hole, impressive championship courses as the centerpiece. The Jones Course – the first to open designed by Rees Jones, and the Nicklaus Course by Nicklaus Design, form a one-two punch that puts Pinehills on the map as one of the area’s top golf destinations. With service that rivals any private club, this property provides facilities that are hard to match. The Nicklaus course is an attractive layout that is reminiscent of the many top-notch courses along the grand strand of Myrtle Beach. However, the Myrtle Beach courses don’t have the elevation changes that come with the spectacular property this course is built on, and that’s what makes the Nicklaus course one of the best public golf courses in Massachusetts. Four sets of tee boxes allow golfers to choose from yardages and slopes measuring 7243/135, 6640/131, 6129/125 slope for men, and 5185 yards with a slope of 123.
The opening hole, that plays much narrower than it looks from the tee and is pictured here, presents a good example of the panoramic beauty surrounding this course. This mid length par four is straight and manageable - and affords an opportunity to get off to a good start. Fairway bunkers and a large lake to the left off the tee, await on number two. A 500 yard par 5, that is reachable in two for the long hitters, but, narrows considerably the closer you get to the green. This hole ends your warm-up and is a good confidence builder for the next stretch of holes that really give the course it's teeth.
Tall pines frame the 3rd green, which is a long par three that plays to a wide, but shallow, putting surface with mounding in the front, left and back that create a bowl shaped effect. Clear the front bunker, with a high soft shot, or bogey is a definite possibility. The fourth hole, pictured below, is a 426 yard, uphill, dogleg left, that requires a long, relatively straight tee shot, avoiding the fairway bunkers right and left. The second shot is much more uphill than it looks, and requires a carry over a ravine and deep-faced, greenside bunkers, that are just about impossible to get up and down from if you're short with your approach. Most golfers bail out right, and hope for the best.
There's plenty of room off the tee on the fifth, but the left side of the fairway avoids the pond that fronts the right half of the large green. Pin placements front right, on this green that slopes from back to front, can make this a much more difficult hole than it seems. The sixth is the number one handicap hole, and at 551 yards from the tips, plays as such. Long hitters will be able to carry the fairway bunkers on the left, if they decide to try to reach the green in two. The safe play is to the generous fairway on the right. Three accurate shots will allow the skilled player to reach in regulation, while the rest of the golfing world, will be chipping from around the green or trying to escape from the deep greenside bunkers. The seventh is a short par three, with an elevated green, that requires a high, soft shot to have any chance of holding the smallish green. The front nine finishes with two mid-length par fours. Both have generous landing areas for your tee shot, but require finesse and daring depending on the pin placement that day to score well.
The backside begins with a long par four that's uphill off the tee, to a wide fairway. Your second shot is downhill, but must be precise, as a bunker complex guards the right side of the green and the left side is no bargain either. Eleven is a ninety degree, dogleg left, par five that tempts everyone to cut the corner and go for the green in two. In fact, long hitters will go thru the fairway, if they don't cut the corner. Left center of the fairway is the place to be on twelve, a long par 4, whose approach is downhill to a large green that slopes from left to right and front to back. Thirteen is a long par three that plays over a ravine. Short right is the only place to miss on this hole, as a bunker complex in front of the green, and a steeply sloped hill behind, makes any other misplaced shot a sure bogey. On fourteen be aware there is very little room for error on the right. Lay up to no more than 120, or risk having a blind shot to a two tiered green that will be a three putt, if you're on the wrong tier. The par three fifteenth, pictured above left, plays over a deep ravine, with bail out room left. The shot is down hill, so it plays half a club less than the yardage, but short is not the place to be, so most will be long, and chipping from the side of a hill behind the green, to try and save par. Sixteen is a mid range par five, steeply downhill, dogleg left, with a wide fairway, tempting long hitters to cut the corner, by going over the fairway bunker complex and attempt to reach in two. The second shot plays down a hill to a large putting surface, fronted by deep-faced bunkers. Played as a 3-shot par five, good scores can be had. The rolling fairway on seventeen is split by a bunker complex down the middle. The green is fronted by two deep bunkers that must be avoided to have a chance at par. The closing hole, pictured to the right, is a challenging par four that doglegs slightly to the left with a water hazard from one hundred yards in and bunkers both left and right of the green. Par on eighteen is a good score.
Pinehills - Nicklaus Course is indeed worthy of the many honors bestowed upon it. It is one of the most fun rounds and one of the most beautiful courses you can play in the Boston area. Golf at Pinehills Golf Club is an upscale experience all the way. If you are looking for unhurried conditions, top quality championship golf, and wonderful variety in two distinctive layouts, this is a great choice. The clubhouse and practice facilities are outstanding – as is the service. That is why BostonGolfReviews.com gives the Pinehills - Nicklaus Course our highest recommendation and an eagle rating.
The opening hole, that plays much narrower than it looks from the tee and is pictured here, presents a good example of the panoramic beauty surrounding this course. This mid length par four is straight and manageable - and affords an opportunity to get off to a good start. Fairway bunkers and a large lake to the left off the tee, await on number two. A 500 yard par 5, that is reachable in two for the long hitters, but, narrows considerably the closer you get to the green. This hole ends your warm-up and is a good confidence builder for the next stretch of holes that really give the course it's teeth.
Tall pines frame the 3rd green, which is a long par three that plays to a wide, but shallow, putting surface with mounding in the front, left and back that create a bowl shaped effect. Clear the front bunker, with a high soft shot, or bogey is a definite possibility. The fourth hole, pictured below, is a 426 yard, uphill, dogleg left, that requires a long, relatively straight tee shot, avoiding the fairway bunkers right and left. The second shot is much more uphill than it looks, and requires a carry over a ravine and deep-faced, greenside bunkers, that are just about impossible to get up and down from if you're short with your approach. Most golfers bail out right, and hope for the best.
There's plenty of room off the tee on the fifth, but the left side of the fairway avoids the pond that fronts the right half of the large green. Pin placements front right, on this green that slopes from back to front, can make this a much more difficult hole than it seems. The sixth is the number one handicap hole, and at 551 yards from the tips, plays as such. Long hitters will be able to carry the fairway bunkers on the left, if they decide to try to reach the green in two. The safe play is to the generous fairway on the right. Three accurate shots will allow the skilled player to reach in regulation, while the rest of the golfing world, will be chipping from around the green or trying to escape from the deep greenside bunkers. The seventh is a short par three, with an elevated green, that requires a high, soft shot to have any chance of holding the smallish green. The front nine finishes with two mid-length par fours. Both have generous landing areas for your tee shot, but require finesse and daring depending on the pin placement that day to score well.
The backside begins with a long par four that's uphill off the tee, to a wide fairway. Your second shot is downhill, but must be precise, as a bunker complex guards the right side of the green and the left side is no bargain either. Eleven is a ninety degree, dogleg left, par five that tempts everyone to cut the corner and go for the green in two. In fact, long hitters will go thru the fairway, if they don't cut the corner. Left center of the fairway is the place to be on twelve, a long par 4, whose approach is downhill to a large green that slopes from left to right and front to back. Thirteen is a long par three that plays over a ravine. Short right is the only place to miss on this hole, as a bunker complex in front of the green, and a steeply sloped hill behind, makes any other misplaced shot a sure bogey. On fourteen be aware there is very little room for error on the right. Lay up to no more than 120, or risk having a blind shot to a two tiered green that will be a three putt, if you're on the wrong tier. The par three fifteenth, pictured above left, plays over a deep ravine, with bail out room left. The shot is down hill, so it plays half a club less than the yardage, but short is not the place to be, so most will be long, and chipping from the side of a hill behind the green, to try and save par. Sixteen is a mid range par five, steeply downhill, dogleg left, with a wide fairway, tempting long hitters to cut the corner, by going over the fairway bunker complex and attempt to reach in two. The second shot plays down a hill to a large putting surface, fronted by deep-faced bunkers. Played as a 3-shot par five, good scores can be had. The rolling fairway on seventeen is split by a bunker complex down the middle. The green is fronted by two deep bunkers that must be avoided to have a chance at par. The closing hole, pictured to the right, is a challenging par four that doglegs slightly to the left with a water hazard from one hundred yards in and bunkers both left and right of the green. Par on eighteen is a good score.
Pinehills - Nicklaus Course is indeed worthy of the many honors bestowed upon it. It is one of the most fun rounds and one of the most beautiful courses you can play in the Boston area. Golf at Pinehills Golf Club is an upscale experience all the way. If you are looking for unhurried conditions, top quality championship golf, and wonderful variety in two distinctive layouts, this is a great choice. The clubhouse and practice facilities are outstanding – as is the service. That is why BostonGolfReviews.com gives the Pinehills - Nicklaus Course our highest recommendation and an eagle rating.
