Course 140: Pine Meadows

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Pine Meadows is a nine-hole course tucked at the end of a quiet neighborhood road. Even for its secluded location without any public traffic passing by, the course is rather popular. That's likely for a few reasons.

First, it's a solid spot for beginner golfers. There isn't much trouble, but enough to offer small victories, particularly the par-3 ninth over water. There are only 7 bunkers on the course, too.

Second, it's rather short, at 2,661 yards from the tips (5,322 yards for 18 holes), which can possibly allow for quick trips around the course.

Third, the land is interesting, particularly after the first two holes. They play up and down hills and have some blind shots.

The main issue with Pine Meadows is the routing lends itself to slow play on busy days. The first two holes are reachable par 5s, and the third hole is a short par 4 that is driveable for some players. Add in the downhill, 195-yard par-3 fourth, and there are plenty of places for bottlenecks.

The standout holes were the fifth and ninth. The tee shot is tricky, and while multiple versions of this hole on a course would be a turn-off, having one of them is nice with the collection of straight holes at Pine Meadows. The green is tucked in a back corner and the safe play off the tee leaves a 150-yard shot into a narrow, deep green.

The ninth is a downhill par 3 over water. While finishing on a par 3 isn't ideal, on a short, nine-hole course, it's more palatable and a good way to finish matches.

The greens were also pretty good, although they were a bit beat up in relation to the quality of other greens this fall; they had good slopes, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 8th in particular. The 8th is wild, with a steep slope dividing two tiers.

Overall, Pine Meadows is a good spot to scratch the itch or introduce someone to the game.

Additional Thoughts:

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