The Course
The course features 18 truly remarkable, memorable and playable holes. Players of all skill levels will find satisfaction in a round at Pine Forest. Depending on which of the five different sets of tees played, the course can either be the most difficult golf course in the Charleston area or it can literally be a “stroll in the park.”
Those that find driving the ball well to be a strength of their game, might want to consider the challenge of the blue or black tees. Although generously wide fairways await the golfer, water can come into play off the tee on at least eight holes and will test the mental courage of all golfers. Elevated greens can make a golfer think twice about club selection, which doesn’t happen often in the flat lands that lend the Lowcountry it’s trademark name. Speaking of greens, most are tiered which lends to a lot of creativity when playing the short game shots.
Although the course could boast having several different signature holes, the 12th, dubbed “Little Augusta” would be at the top of everyone’s list. The green complex is amazingly similar to the infamous par 3 twelfth hole at Augusta National. As a matter of fact, holes 11-13 is Pine Forest’s own version of “Amen Corner”. The 11th is a reachable par 5 and the 13th is a short par 3. The challenge on these holes is to successfully navigate the longest lake on the course, which fulfills the duty of Rae’s Creek in Augusta.
However, with wide rolling fairways that lower handicapped players will still find demanding and approach shots into elevated, undulating greens filled with challenging putts, it is little wonder that the entire golf course isn’t called “Little Augusta”! Higher handicappers can play from shorter tees and rely on superior course management skills to navigate their way through the course and find success. Make your tee time today and enjoy one of the best golf experiences in the Lowcountry.
Facts
- Golf Digest Magazine awarded the course four stars in its 2002 Places to Play edition and nicknamed it “The Hidden Gem of Charleston”.
- The four star ranking places Pine Forest in the top 5% of all non-private courses in the United States and making Pine Forest the highest rated non-resort course in the Charleston area.
The golf course is a Par 72 layout designed by Bob Spence, who is the lead designer for Davis Love III. - The course features five sets of tees ranging from the extremely challenging championship tees (6,905 yards with a course rating of 73.9 and a slope of 138) to a more manageable gold tees (5,782 yards with a course rating of 68.7 and a slope of 121). Meanwhile, the ladies tees measure 4,990 yards with a course rating of 70.8 and a slope of 115.
- The tees, fairways and rough are all 328 Bermuda and the greens are Tifdwarf with an average stimpmeter reading of 8.
The Club at Pine Forest’s History
The current golf course was built on the grounds of Pine Forest Inn’s Hunt Club. The Pine Forest Inn was one of the first resorts in the United States dating back to 1891. The Inn also had a golf course as early as 1891 making it one of the first seven courses in the country.
Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five. – John Updike
Golf is played by twenty million mature American men whose wives think they are out having fun. – Jim Bishop