Beer of the Week

The beer: Conway's Irish Ale

The brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, Ohio

Description (from the website): "Named for Patrick “Pa” Conway, our founders’ grandfather and a beloved traffic cop who’d agree this smooth, full-bodied Irish Ale is just the ticket."

Would I buy it again? Irish red ales are an underrated warm-weather beer, and this is a fine example. Easy to drink, has some pleasant maltiness, and a decent but not overwhelming amount of hoppiness. Plus, it's got a higher ABV that most Irish red ales I've had, which is nice. It's not spectacular, but it's a great drinking beer. I'd definitely buy this again.

Review: Tobacco Road Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at the back nine at Tobacco Road, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is 440 yards and plays downhill to a gently rolling fairway with a long waste bunker right and tall grass left. The hole plays left to right, but it's actually best to favor the left side on the drive. The green is angled from left to right, with the same waste bunker that runs down the entire right side curling around the back, and is also subtly sloped from front to back, favoring a running approach that flirts with the back bunker before coming back down. This is a very low-key sort of hole, and it's good that Tobacco Road throws a couple holes like this out there. It makes you appreciate the wild holes all the more. Speaking of ...

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

With all due respect to the fourth hole, the average golfer is only going to remember one of Tobacco Road's two fish-hook par 5s, and it's going to be the eleventh. The fairway here is incredibly wide, but if one wishes to go for the green on this 530-yard hole, you'll have to flirt with the cavernous waste bunker right. Do that, and you get yourself within 200 yards of the green. 

Ultimately, it's the second shot that you'll remember. The green is semiblind and perched up on a hill, and between you and it is nothing but sand. The pit is incredibly deep — at least 20 feet — which naturally puts you in quite a predicament if you should fall short. There's nothing quite like a 30-yard bunker shot to an invisible target 25 feet above you. I would know (and I'm still upset that I hit the best shot of the week to within 10 feet, then missed the birdie putt). Of course, for those not brave enough (or too smart) to go for the green in two, fairway curls around the left side, and you could easily secure par (or even birdie) by playing this hole the methodical way. The green is medium sized and pretty tame, so once you're aboard, things should be fine. 

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole, while not bad by any stretch of the imagination, is hardly Tobacco Road's most compelling offering. This 420-yard par 4 is initially extremely wide, it narrows drastically as the fairway bends left and is squeezed between two waste bunkers about 250 yards out from the tee. You can choose to lay back, leaving yourself a full mid iron second, or challenge the bunkers to give yourself a shorter approach. However, the green here is set in a small valley; shots that miss slightly to either side will bounce back in, and the green itself is pretty simple. It's a green that can be approached from a long way out, which means the reward for challenging the hazards on the tee shot is relatively minimal. It's just not the most exciting hole in the world, though it does have its place. I just wish it didn't come so soon after the tenth, another comparatively quiet hole.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is the final par 5 at Tobacco Road, and while nothing can quite match the enormous sand pit on the eleventh, this 575-yard hole is plenty wild. The tee shot is downhill to a wide fairway that swings hard right around a waste bunker. It's best to stick close to that bunker to set up the best second shot; stray too far left and go too far and you'll be forced to lay up very far back, thanks to the trees on the far side coming in toward the fairway about 200 yards from the green. 

After getting past that pinch point, where sand and trees reduce the fairway to about 10 yards wide, things widen out again. Since the green isn't hittable in two (we'll get there in a second), the second shot is all about setting up the optimal approach. If you've favored the right side on your tee shot, you're able to get quite close, though a large bunker right of the fairway (about 50 yards short of the green) will give you something to think about. If your tee shot was less than optimal, you'll be approaching the green with a full wedge in hand.

In terms of wildness, the thirteenth green in and of itself isn't anything special; rather, it's the location that makes it stand out. This small, shallow green is blind from the fairway, nestled down in a small dell that is apparently natural. The approach is guarded by deep bunkers, with the hillocks around covered in tall grass. The green is bisected by a ridge to add some additional interest, which obviously makes putts from one side of the green to the other tough. 

Obviously, this hole has a lot going on. Every shot is interesting and you're always having to think. This should be a great hole. However, I do think that the thirteenth suffers from being a little too complicated, as well as not being incredibly cohesive. The green site in particular is so arresting and demanding of attention that it almost renders what comes before irrelevant. It doesn't matter what you do on the first couple shots, because the third shot still has to deal with that green, whether you're 50 or 150 yards out, and neither length offers much advantage over the other. The eleventh hole (somehow) is a lot simpler — everything revolves around the gigantic sand pit — which works heavily in its favor. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

It takes a lot for a hole at Tobacco Road to stand out in the player's mind, but the fourteenth hole deftly manages it. This 180-yard par 3 plays downhill over the course's only water hazard to a narrow green, angled from left to right, huddled close to the pond. Bunkers guard the green elsewhere, and I can tell you from experience that, while the left bunkers appear to be a safe bailout, the green (especially the front half) angles away from you. This makes it incredibly tough, if not downright impossible for non-professionals, to keep a bunker shot from rolling through the green into the water. That's what happened to me, and I literally hit the best bunker shot I possibly could. Not a fun experience. So, for those front hole locations at least, you're better off just being aggressive and going for the hole. Either you'll pull it off and make par or birdie, or you won't. It's just one of those sorts of holes, with the water making the options far more stark and binary. I only wish I'd had a better time with it.

The fourteenth hole. Back hole locations, thanks to the bunker right acting as a buffer, likely end up being far easier despite the hole being longer.

The fifteenth hole is a 365-yard par 4 that plays to a mostly blind fairway framed by trees on both sides. It's a little disconcerting, standing on the tee for the first time, as there is precious little guidance on the proper course of action. The fairway is initially wide open, though a long, narrow bunker does split it in two about 250 yards out. The hole is short, so a long iron to the wide portion of the fairway will still leave you with a wedge in hand. The second shot is where things get really interesting, as this green is shallow but enormously wide — at least 50 yards. It also meanders around, twisting and turning between various bunkers, and the strategy for your approach (and the tee shot) will vary greatly depending on where the hole is cut. Right-hand hole locations like the one you see below are actually quite easy; you're encouraged to favor the left side on the tee shot, and there's a corridor between bunkers to run up an approach (which is necessary, as the green here is sloped from front to back). Left-hand and even central hole locations, on the other hand, require an aerial approach and are best approached from the right side of the fairway, which is hidden away on the tee by small pines and a ridge.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

We've come to the sixteenth hole, which is one I'm going to struggle to treat without bias. The landing area on this 325-yard, uphill par 4 (it's not a long hole) is blind, with a jagged waste bunker carved into the top of a ridge acting as an intimidation factor more than an actual hazard. Driver isn't much of an option, as the direct line to the green is blocked by trees — also, the green is heavily elevated, meaning shots will roll back down the hill. Plus, the fairway's quite narrow once it turns about 225 yards out; it's not a practical aiming point for a driver. The only real play from the tee is a lay-up with a long iron or wood, leaving you with an full wedge uphill past wild bunkering to a two-tiered green. 

Now, it doesn't sound so bad, but this green is monstrously punishing. If you touch that tier in anyway, your ball will run down off the green entirely, and then proceed down the hill in front about 50 yards or so. And when that happens to you after an approach you thought was decent (if not spectacular), it's more than a little infuriating. An easy par or potential birdie was turned into an X on the scorecard (oh, and everyone else playing with me had kick-in birdies, which did not help my mood). Yeah, short game is the weakest part of my game, but I can get myself around. This hole gave me nothing. No options for creativity or workarounds, just abject misery and torture because I had the misfortune of coming up three feet short of the top tier. If that tier didn't make your golf ball run the ENTIRE way down the hill, it would be fine. But it does. Missing long isn't really an option either, as the green slopes away from you the entire way. I tried that, and I even tried purposely playing away from the hole to give myself more space. Didn't work. I'll freely admit that was an execution error, but the fact remains that the only way to potentially recover from an approach (or more) missed long is to purposely play away from the hole. And that's not very fun.

I don't want to say this hole ruined the entire round for me, but it left a very, very sour taste in my mouth. Tobacco Road was difficult but fair for the first 15 holes. I even ended up in the 25-foot-deep bunker on 11, and I have no problem with that hole. That was my fault for ending up down there; I bit off way more than I could chew. Even if I hadn't gotten out in one shot, I still would have been okay with that hole. That hole punishes large mistakes in judgement and execution. This hole punishes tiny mistakes with equal mercilessness. A few feet shorter or longer, and I would have been fine. Plus, the fix is pretty easy; either make the tier a little smaller and less severe so that golf balls don't fully run off the front of the green, or give more space in front of the green so that golf balls can't run all the way down the hill. It's both of those elements combined that make this hole miserable.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a Strantz staple — the oddly routed par 3 with a ridiculously wide, shallow green (the eighteenth tee is actually closer to the sixteenth green than this tee, so once you play this hole, you have to come right back to where you just played to tee off again). In isolation, this hole is fun, as it's quite short (at 140 yards, the shortest on the course, though not by much), and the width of the green means you could end up with an extremely long putt. However, this is a trick Tobacco Road has employed before (the fifteenth and potentially the sixth, if the tee is to the left). That makes the seventeenth feel less special than you'd like for the penultimate hole. 

The seventeenth hole, with the green in its entirety. 

A more focused view of the seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole, happily, is the best finisher Strantz has managed, at least when it comes to the courses I've played. The tee shot on this 430-yard par 4 is blind, as there's a giant sand pit in front of you, bounded on the far side by a ridge covered in sand and high grass. But the fairway on the far side is wide open and devoid of hidden hazards, so it's easy to give yourself a reasonable approach. The green here, however, is quite challenging; it's mostly hidden by numerous bunkers carved into a pair of hills jutting up about 25 yards short. The green itself is propped up, falling off 5 feet or so to a chipping area, and the surface features several waves (not exactly tiers) rippling across. It requires a precise iron shot (particularly the front hole location that we saw), but because there's no water involved, this hole still feels doable.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

With Tobacco Road out of the way, I have now played and reviewed a majority of Mike Strantz's work. There is one more of his courses I could reasonably play, Stonehouse (of the remaining three, one is super-private and the other two are in California), which is pretty widely regarded as the weakest of Strantz's original designs. Monterey Peninisula - Shore is quite well known, but beyond its seaside location I don't think it's anything truly spectacular. The point here being, I think Tobacco Road is pretty safely Strantz's best work. It's his magnum opus, the course that — for better and for worse — embodies his design philosophy. Royal New Kent and True Blue both suffer from out-of-character closing stretches, Caledonia — while a great course — lacks the Strantz touch in some places, and Tot Hill Farm is just too wild to be anything other than a curiosity.

Tobacco Road is different. Strantz's strengths are omnipresent — Tobacco Road embraces wild drama with subtle playability in a way few could hope to match. Holes like the eleventh are obviously dramatic, heroic, and challenging, but there are also holes like the fifteenth, which reward regular golfers who have seen the hole time and time again, and know exactly where and how to play the hole. Local knowledge is important here; Tobacco Road is more than a pretty face. But at the same time, his weaknesses also come through — for the life of him, Mike Strantz could not route his par 3s properly. Three times we're presented with a par 3 jutting out into nowhere, with the tee on the next hole closer to the green we just played (the third, the sixth, and the seventeenth). Design concepts are rehashed within the round. And sometimes difficulty gives way to torture. 

It is only natural for someone with his design philosophy — Mike Strantz is a natural evolution of what Pete Dye was doing 30 years prior. And when you're pushing every hole to the edge, sometimes you're bound to step over the line. Every Strantz hole is interesting and worth talking about, but not every hole is great. Sometimes, they're just bad. And what that means is that, while I think I've talked more about Tobacco Road than any other golf course, it decidedly is not one of my favorite golf courses. I respect it greatly, I appreciate what it does, and I'd happily play it again, but I didn't love it.

Beer of the Week

The beer: KBS Spicy Chocolate

The brewery: Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Description (from the website): "KBS Spicy Chocolate is a blend of sweet and spicy that come together like a sensory symphony. This batch of KBS is made with dried chilies and chocolate for a rich, mole-inspired punch of flavors. Expect dark chocolate and dried peppers with hints of smoke and a spicy finish that lingers just long enough to be cooled by your next sip. A unique and unexpected twist to our KBS."

Would I buy it again? This beer reminded me a bit of the chocolate orange porter I had a couple months ago. While obviously this beer was a lot richer and more decadent, the chilis in this beer serve a similar purpose as the oranges — it cuts a bit through that chocolate and gives the beer an extra dimension of flavor. It's not spicy, just spiced, and there is definitely a bit of smokiness. It's a really good beer, and I'd probably be happy to buy it again.

Review: Tobacco Road Golf Club (Part 1)

In a region as golf-rich as the North Carolina Sandhills, it takes a lot to stand out amongst the crowd. Tobacco Road, though, has managed to earn itself a place of simultaneous fame and infamy in a tough neighborhood. I'd even argue that only Pinehurst No. 2 itself is more immediately recognizable among the general golf populace, which is impressive considering Tobacco Road is anywhere between 70 and 90 years younger than the more established Donald Ross courses in the area. It's even rated higher than Mid Pines and Pine Needles.

So, what separates Tobacco Road from the other Mike Strantz courses I've played and reviewed? Why does it stand out so much in the eyes of the public? Well, for one thing, the location is ideal — golf course architects dream of working in the sort of sandy rolling hills like those Tobacco Road is routed through. But style without substance is meaningless, so let's find out if Tobacco Road's hype is really all it's cracked up to be.

The first hole leaves you with no doubt that this is going to be a round to remember. Two massive hills, built by Strantz, form a V which the fairway squeezes between before opening up out of view (mostly) on the far side. It's a little disconcerting when you're on the tee, but those hills aren't much more than 200 yards out and are easily cleared. It's actually a pretty easy tee shot to a wide fairway, though if you favor the left side you'll get a big kick off a downslope, adding some extra distance to your drive and bringing the green into reach with the second shot. 

The first hole. It looks way more difficult than it really is.

The fairway is pinched in yet again by clusters of bunkers about 100-150 yards out, which is easily dealt with if you've hit a solid tee shot. The green (finally) is tucked behind three small bunkers and is best approached from the left. While initially it seems to lack the signature Strantz flair, you will quickly discover that this green is sloped severely from front left to back right. Your golf ball will run out far more than you think it will, no matter where you're approaching from.

The first hole from atop the right mound.

The first green.

The second hole is a mid-length par 4 with another visually intimating drive. The tee is set down low, so all you can really see are brief flashes of fairway and a lot of sand. Again, the fairway is very generous, so there's not much reason to worry. Long drivers will want to be careful using driver, though, especially in conditions like we experienced, where the golf course was running very firm and fast (no Bermuda overseeding here). Not because of any hazard, but because you can get a driver very close (within 50 yards) to the green, and the resulting shot — a pitch up and over a deep greenside bunker from a tight fairway lie — is very difficult. The smart choice is a 3 wood, which will leave you with a full wedge into a punchbowl-like green ringed around the back by sand (along with the aforementioned pot bunker in front). 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green. This is a great place to end up on your drive. I hit my drive just left of that front bunker. That was not a great place to end up.

The second green.

The third hole is just over 150 yards but does play downhill, so I think it counts as a short par 3, one of three such holes at Tobacco Road. Squeezed into a sea of sand, the green here is long, narrow, and wildly undulating, and your experience will vary wildly depending on where the hole is cut. A middle hole location is easy; it's like a bowl, so slightly wayward shots will funnel back in close. Back and front hole locations, I imagine, are going to be much less forgiving, as those parts of the green aren't nearly so generous with their contouring.

The third hole. This is the fun hole location.

The fourth hole is a 535-yard par 5 of the fish-hook variety, a template Strantz enthusiasts will be well acquainted with. The fairway, while wide, twists and turns through massive waste bunkers as they poke in and out toward the central line of play. Driver, while completely fine, is almost unnecessary, as the sharp dogleg comes not much after the 250-yard mark. A 3 wood is pretty much enough to reach the optimum position to go for the green in two. If you're there, the second isn't much more than 200 yards (and could even be a bit less). However, in between you and the green is a veritable ocean of sand. Come up short, or miss left, and it will be very tough to make birdie. You can, of course, lay up out to the right, and that is a completely fine way to play the hole; however, the green is sloped from right to left, so your third will be hitting a green that slopes away from you. It's easy to run the ball through the green entirely, especially if you're using less than a full wedge.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 335 yards, but the direct line to the green is significantly shorter — well under 300 yards. That makes it a very tempting target from the tee, even with the hole playing uphill. There's even fairway leading up to the green, urging you to bite off more than you can chew. If you can reach the green, that's great, but the penalty for falling short is severe. If you don't hit the fairway, you'll be left with a blind 50-yard bunker shot from way below the level of the green. If you clear the bunker but come up short of the green, you'll have a basically blind pitch shot to a shallow target with a massive false front; fail to get to the hole, and the ball will run back to your feet. The smart play is clearly to bail out right on the tee shot, leaving yourself a full wedge and a better angle of attack for your second shot. You probably won't make birdie that way, but you'll avoid the big number. And if I were to play this hole regularly (or again, for that matter), that's what I would do. But this is one of those cases where you know the aggressive play is the bad one, but since you're on vacation and you probably won't be back here again, you just have to go for the Hail Mary play. 

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is an interesting proposition, and something really made possible thanks to the expansive nature of the property and routing. This 150-yard par 3 has an incredibly wide teeing area — it's probably close to 100 yards wide and spans something like 60 degrees of the circle around the green. This means the hole can play very differently, depending on where your tee is placed. For our round, the tee was all the way right, which gave us a green angled roughly 45 degrees from right to left. A tee position left, on the other hand, would give you a green angled perpendicular to the line of play; you would see a very wide but shallow target. The green itself is well guarded by sand short, with a smaller bunker long, and features a fair amount of the typical Strantz wildness.

The sixth hole.

The seventh hole is 410 yards and plays downhill to a blind but massively wide fairway. Driver is okay to use for most, and the downward tilt of the fairway once you get over the plateau 200 yards out will give you plenty of roll, but longer hitters should probably stick to 3 wood. A wetland area separates the green from the rest of the fairway and starts about 75-100 yards out from the green. A long drive could easily run through the fairway entirely.

The green here is absolutely massive, but in classic Strantz fashion, it's absolutely insane. There's a huge false front and multiple tiers, and bunkers surround the green. And while you can theoretically hit your drive pretty much anywhere, your ability to really approach the flag on the second depends heavily on where it is and where you are. In particular, right hole locations are nearly impossible to access from the right side. Left hole locations are a bit more forgiving, though you don't want to end up short.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is 180 yards and plays slightly downhill to a large, boomerang-shaped greens with bunkering in front and large mounding behind. The green is roughly separated into three sections, with the difficulty of the hole varying wildly depending on where the flag is, similar to the third. Front hole locations are quite easy, with a large slope acting as a backboard. The back right hole location present for our round, not so much. That flag is pretty inaccessible, and the safe play out to the left results in a 50-foot putt up and over a ridge. Not the easiest thing to two putt.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is not tremendously long at 425 yards, but it plays uphill the whole way, particularly at the end. The drive here utilizes a lot of visual deception; the fairway looks quite narrow as it squeezes between a hillside left and bunkers right, but in reality there's a lot more room left than it looks. Using a 3 wood brings a lot more trouble into play than a driver would. Plus, you want to be as close to this green as possible — the second shot plays something like 40 feet uphill. The green here is very small and incredibly narrow (maybe 30 feet wide), though it is in a bowl of sorts, giving you some room for error. Just make sure you add an extra club or two on the approach, as you want no part of that ridiculously deep bunker short.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Brewtus

Brewed by: Monocacy Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "From the shadows of a dark and opulent curtain spring the robust aromas of locally roasted coffee and hardy malt. Deep-seated hop bitterness rallies with these conspirators, delivering a well-balanced thrust of assertive flavor to a bland tyrant. Raise a glass in celebration of liberating taste. 'Et tu, Brewte?'”

Would I buy it again? Yeah, yeah, another beer from Frederick. I swear, this is the last one. There's a good reason I forgot I had Brewtus laying around — it's not very good. I mean, it is what it says: a strong coffee stout. In that regard, Brewtus is very successful. But as a beverage to enjoy? Well, it tastes like a black coffee in beer form. There is not a lot of relief from the bitterness here, and it's not even hoppy bitterness. This is a beer you have to wrestle with to get down, and while it has its place, a warm spring evening is not a great occasion for it. Even so, I probably wouldn't buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Eraserhood

Brewed by: Love City Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "Our signature hazy IPA is a love letter to our neighborhood, the Eraserhood. Off-beat and vibrant, this IPA is triple dry-hopped. Huge flavors of mango and pineapple with a smooth, round body. Moderate malt backbone and juicy finish."

Would I buy it again? Like the amber lager last week, Eraserhood represents a pretty typical offering in the genre of hazy IPAs. It's quite fruity in a pleasant way, which helps take the edge off the hops. I don't know about that malt backbone, but this is on the juicy side of IPAs rather than the bitter side. What really sells this beer, though, is the ABV: 7.2%, making it by far the strongest beer on Love City's menu. Not that I didn't appreciate it, because it is good for an IPA, but I do need a reason to buy IPAs (especially multiple times). Strength is a great way to ensure I do.

Review: Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Pine Needles, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a 525-yard par 5 that sweeps hard left around a pair of massive bunkers (both the Pine Needles website and the GolfClubAtlas review call the bunkering out). There's a lot of fairway right to play safely to, as clearing the bunkers requires a hard-drawn driver to both clear the sand and handle the big dogleg, but doing this not only puts the green out of reach in two, it also brings a diagonal set of cross bunkers that cut off the green from the rest of the fairway about 50-100 yards out. You either need to brave those bunkers — it's easier to carry them on the right, but you'll have an extremely awkward pitch shot over a greenside bunker — or accept that you'll have over a hundred yards left on the third. The green itself is at least relatively flat, so if you do find it you'll have a decent shot at birdie.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 415 yards and plays slightly downhill to a fairway that's initially quite wide before a large bunker juts in from the right. You can lay up into the wide part of the fairway, but that will leave you with a partially blind mid iron approach. Not ideal. A driver into the narrower part of the fairway beyond that fairway bunker is riskier, but you'll have a relatively flat stance and full view of the hole. The green here is unusually open, having no bunkers around it; there's just short grass and topography, namely mounds left and a dropoff right. It's a nice change of pace, and rest assured, getting up and down is no easier here than anywhere else on the course.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is 460 yards from all the way back and features a familiar tee shot: the fairway heads up and over a ridge, meaning you need to hit driver to clear it and obtain a view of the green. This task is much easier when you're using the next set of tees up (the non-championship tees), which makes the hole a modest 350 yards. You'll also want to favor the right side on the drive; this sets a better angle into the green, which is sloped and angled from right to left and protected by two bunkers left.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is, if anything, even more photogenic than the third, with sandy waste spread out in front and left of the green, along with two more formal bunkers right. The tee shot is downhill to a long, undulating green that, while not technically elevated, is ringed by a small, subtle swale, lending it that No. 2 dome-like structure. Anything a bit offline will roll off, though the elevation change is so small that those misses aren't overly punished. You can still make par, you just probably won't make birdie.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 455 yards and plays steadily uphill the whole way. The fairway bends right about 250 yards around a pair of bunkers; since the hole plays uphill, those bunkers can't really be cleared. Also, a bunker protects the front-right portion of the green, meaning you have a better angle if you play out left and accept the longer approach. Honestly, the benefit for using driver is surprisingly minimal. The green is pretty large and does accept running approaches, particularly from the left. Still, this is decidedly not one of Pine Needles' better holes.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 530 yards and plays dead straight to a fairway tilted from right to left that's peppered with staggered bunkers on both sides. No matter how long you hit your driver, there's always going to be a bunker in play and angles to consider. It's a similar matter with the second shot. The green is open in front though slightly perched up; it's also fairly undulating. It's not a complicated hole, but the bunkers are well placed to give you something to think about at all times.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 180 yards and basically dead flat. In the absence of obvious topography, sand and subtler elevation changes take its place. There's sand everywhere, most notably in front of the tee, serving as an intimidation factor. There's also flanking bunkers on both sides of the green, which is also undulating, with little valleys and knobs strewn about. Still, this is easily the weakest of the par 3s here.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 460 yards and bends significantly left around 250 yards out in a similar manner to the fourteenth. You can of course hit 3 wood, but that will leave a very long second shot. Challenging the big bunker in the corner of the dogleg is challenging and requires a big draw with the driver, but it does make the approach much easier. The green is quite large and undulating, with a single bunker front left. The green is perched up as well, so it will shrug off slightly wayward shots.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is 420 yards and was actually the opener in the course's original configuration. It plays downhill the whole way as it bends left around sandy waste and a large bunker. You can play safely out to the right, avoiding trouble, or you can hit an aggressive drive down the left side to get yourself within wedge distance on the second shot. That's a similar setup to the previous hole, but it's much more fun here. The green is on the smaller side and mostly surrounded by fairway, though there are two bunkers left. Much like Mid Pines, this is not an overbearing hole and gives you hope of making birdie; it's the sort of hole that makes you want to keep playing.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Pine Needles is proof of something we as consumer golfers would be wise to consider: Courses that host significant professional golf tournaments are not necessarily the best golf courses. Now, that's not to take anything away from Pine Needles, as it's an extremely good golf course. But in comparison with Mid Pines, it's just a step behind. The greens here are a major weak point; they're fine, but at this level fine just isn't enough. Also, with the exception of the last hole itself, Pine Needles has a pretty weak conclusion. Basically, once you've passed 13, you've seen the best of Pine Needles. Even 18 is quite similar to 12 at Mid Pines — the tee shot is almost identical, but Mid Pines has the superior green. I also don't think Pine Needles has any holes I think were truly great, whereas I can definitively point to two at Mid Pines (4 and 15).

I will say this: the lodge at Pine Needles has some really interesting memorabilia and such mounted all over the interior. Things like old photographs from Pinehurst, records of all the competitors in major competitions here, and so on. It's a museum of sorts dedicated to women's golf, which should not be surprising, as Pine Needles was once owned by Peggy Kirk Bell, a pioneer of women's golf in the 1940s and 50s and a founding member of the LPGA. After the round, it's definitely worth taking a look around. Also, they have pool and table tennis in a little nook that my brothers and I definitely commandeered for over an hour. That was fun too.

In terms of value, Pine Needles is slightly more expensive than Mid Pines (we're talking $115-$125 in the winter up to a max of $305 in the spring and fall), and the course is not quite as good. If playing quality is all you care about and you only had time to play two of the three non-Pinehurst Donald Ross courses, Pine Needles is the one to skip. But there's enough in the way of intangibles to make me equally glad I played Pine Needles as Mid Pines. It really is a fun round.