- Staff
- #1
Pinnacle is a private club that I belong to about 15 minutes from my house. It has a somewhat laid back atmosphere. The course is characterized by rolling hills, elevated greens, trees, lots of uneven lies, and somewhat difficult greens. They've done some pretty major renovations in the last two years, which included building three new holes. Played what will probably be my last normal conditions rounds of the year today. Greens get punched tomorrow and Fall is going to be taking hold soon I'm sure.
I have a love/hate thing with the course. It's been challenging enough to make me learn a little course management finally, but sometimes I just wish it was a little more friendly to my game. Regardless, it's usually in very good condition. The front was built first and features a pretty old-school set up with back to front sloping greens. You see a little more variety in the greens on the back nine.
Practice area is great. Service is ok. For the price, it's a pretty good deal as far as private clubs go. Still a bit more than I'd like to spend at this point in my life, so I'll be playing elsewhere next year. It's been fun while it lasted.
There are five sets of tees and each play to a par 72.
Red - 5,149
Gold - 5,485
White - 6,146
Blue - 6,470
Black - 6,870
Took a bunch of pictures today, so let's get started. Sorry, but the lighting wasn’t always great and I didn’t bring out the good camera. I'm going to give distances from the blue tees in descriptions.
Hole 1 - Par 5 - 585 Yards
Pretty forgiving fairway to start off with. This hole plays downhill quite a ways, so a good tee shot is rewarded. Regardless, it plays as a three shot hole for pretty much everybody. There is a fairway large bunker complex to catch the short-right tee shots and a stand of trees on the left. Green is fairly large and slopes back to front. Bunkers on both sides of the green.
Hole 2 - Par 3 - 157 Yards
This is a nice little par three that can give up a birdie or leave you trying to avoid double. Water is in play in front of the green, as well as for misses left. Misses right can force a lower shot due to trees. Medium size green that gently slopes back to front.
Hole 3 - Par 4 - 313 Yards
This one isn't long, but plays uphill the entire way and can be very challenging if you don't hit a good tee shot. A good tee shot will leave you 100 yards or less to a deep, but narrow green that slopes severely back to front. Being above the hole is a great way to set up a three putt.
Hole 4 - Par 4 - 352 Yards
This is a pretty straightforward par 4, but seems to cause me a lot trouble for some reason. You can tee it up with a hybrid/fairway wood to stay level with the green for a 150 yard approach, or a driver will leave you around 100 yards from well below the green. There's enough trouble to force a fairly straight tee shot. Green slopes very hard left back to right front. Front pins are very tough and it's not uncommon to putt the ball off the green.
Hole 5 - Par 4 - 291 Yards
I love this hole. Tee box is slightly elevated. Off the tee, you can try to drive the green or can hit an iron/hybrid to set up a short wedge to the green. Misses to the right off the tee will have a pretty large stand of trees to deal with, making a GIR mostly impossible. This is one of the the three hardest greens on the course, depending on the pin placement. It slopes very hard back to front, plus there is a ridge towards the front/center that funnels balls left or right, depending on which side you are on. Front pins are the hardest and it's not uncommon to see a ball from the fairway hit the green and roll back down to the fringe.
Not sure where the pin was today?
Hole 6 - Par 4 - 420 Yards
Long hole, but a good tee shot shortens it up quite a bit. The key is to get over the crest of the hill, about a carry of 220 yards, which will funnel the ball down and right to around the 150 mark. Misses left or right off the tee are in the trees or possibly a pair of water hazards. Pond to the right is in play, as are bunkers on both sides of the green. Green slopes back to front and there is a back tier that makes for a tough pin. This is a tough hole for me.
Hole 7 - Par 5 - 507 Yards
Not really a long hole yardage wise, but it plays uphill after the tee shot. Misses to the right off the tee mean a punch out almost every time. The last third of the fairway slopes hard from right to left, so the ball is almost always above your feet on the approach shot. Take an extra club on the approach and do everything you can to be on the right tier of this very deep, back to front sloping green. Being on the wrong tier brings a three putt into play.
Hole 8 - Par 3 - 199 Yards
The green is among the larger on the course, which is nice due to the length. This hole plays into the wind most of the time. There is a pond way right and I've seen balls find it. Misses short right usually get caught up in the grass bunkers. Missing left leaves you well below the green. Green slopes back right to front left, but isn't very difficult.
Hole 9 - Par 4 - 353 Yards
Another one that plays longer than it's listed yardage due to an uphill slope. Unless you bomb it, you are going to have an uphill, 150-175 yard approach to the toughest green on the property. The long hitters can get over the crest of the first hill, which makes the hole much easier. Tee balls into the hill generally roll back down a ways. Approach shot is normally blind for all but the long hitters. Missing right is not a good thing as the land drops off down a hill. Green moves hard from back left to front right. Everything moves to the right, whether it looks that way or not. Balls will roll off the green if you are above the hole and aren't careful.
I have a love/hate thing with the course. It's been challenging enough to make me learn a little course management finally, but sometimes I just wish it was a little more friendly to my game. Regardless, it's usually in very good condition. The front was built first and features a pretty old-school set up with back to front sloping greens. You see a little more variety in the greens on the back nine.
Practice area is great. Service is ok. For the price, it's a pretty good deal as far as private clubs go. Still a bit more than I'd like to spend at this point in my life, so I'll be playing elsewhere next year. It's been fun while it lasted.
There are five sets of tees and each play to a par 72.
Red - 5,149
Gold - 5,485
White - 6,146
Blue - 6,470
Black - 6,870
Took a bunch of pictures today, so let's get started. Sorry, but the lighting wasn’t always great and I didn’t bring out the good camera. I'm going to give distances from the blue tees in descriptions.
Hole 1 - Par 5 - 585 Yards
Pretty forgiving fairway to start off with. This hole plays downhill quite a ways, so a good tee shot is rewarded. Regardless, it plays as a three shot hole for pretty much everybody. There is a fairway large bunker complex to catch the short-right tee shots and a stand of trees on the left. Green is fairly large and slopes back to front. Bunkers on both sides of the green.
Hole 2 - Par 3 - 157 Yards
This is a nice little par three that can give up a birdie or leave you trying to avoid double. Water is in play in front of the green, as well as for misses left. Misses right can force a lower shot due to trees. Medium size green that gently slopes back to front.
Hole 3 - Par 4 - 313 Yards
This one isn't long, but plays uphill the entire way and can be very challenging if you don't hit a good tee shot. A good tee shot will leave you 100 yards or less to a deep, but narrow green that slopes severely back to front. Being above the hole is a great way to set up a three putt.
Hole 4 - Par 4 - 352 Yards
This is a pretty straightforward par 4, but seems to cause me a lot trouble for some reason. You can tee it up with a hybrid/fairway wood to stay level with the green for a 150 yard approach, or a driver will leave you around 100 yards from well below the green. There's enough trouble to force a fairly straight tee shot. Green slopes very hard left back to right front. Front pins are very tough and it's not uncommon to putt the ball off the green.
Hole 5 - Par 4 - 291 Yards
I love this hole. Tee box is slightly elevated. Off the tee, you can try to drive the green or can hit an iron/hybrid to set up a short wedge to the green. Misses to the right off the tee will have a pretty large stand of trees to deal with, making a GIR mostly impossible. This is one of the the three hardest greens on the course, depending on the pin placement. It slopes very hard back to front, plus there is a ridge towards the front/center that funnels balls left or right, depending on which side you are on. Front pins are the hardest and it's not uncommon to see a ball from the fairway hit the green and roll back down to the fringe.
Not sure where the pin was today?
Hole 6 - Par 4 - 420 Yards
Long hole, but a good tee shot shortens it up quite a bit. The key is to get over the crest of the hill, about a carry of 220 yards, which will funnel the ball down and right to around the 150 mark. Misses left or right off the tee are in the trees or possibly a pair of water hazards. Pond to the right is in play, as are bunkers on both sides of the green. Green slopes back to front and there is a back tier that makes for a tough pin. This is a tough hole for me.
Hole 7 - Par 5 - 507 Yards
Not really a long hole yardage wise, but it plays uphill after the tee shot. Misses to the right off the tee mean a punch out almost every time. The last third of the fairway slopes hard from right to left, so the ball is almost always above your feet on the approach shot. Take an extra club on the approach and do everything you can to be on the right tier of this very deep, back to front sloping green. Being on the wrong tier brings a three putt into play.
Hole 8 - Par 3 - 199 Yards
The green is among the larger on the course, which is nice due to the length. This hole plays into the wind most of the time. There is a pond way right and I've seen balls find it. Misses short right usually get caught up in the grass bunkers. Missing left leaves you well below the green. Green slopes back right to front left, but isn't very difficult.
Hole 9 - Par 4 - 353 Yards
Another one that plays longer than it's listed yardage due to an uphill slope. Unless you bomb it, you are going to have an uphill, 150-175 yard approach to the toughest green on the property. The long hitters can get over the crest of the first hill, which makes the hole much easier. Tee balls into the hill generally roll back down a ways. Approach shot is normally blind for all but the long hitters. Missing right is not a good thing as the land drops off down a hill. Green moves hard from back left to front right. Everything moves to the right, whether it looks that way or not. Balls will roll off the green if you are above the hole and aren't careful.
