Pine Lakes Golf Club – Ohio
Part of the Penn Ohio Golf Trail
Staying at Julias’s B&B couldn’t be better located when playing Pine Lakes golf course which is just a quick walk across the car park.
Not the most salubrious of club houses but the friendly welcome from members and staff alike gave us a warmth to our visit that no fancy clubhouse could buy.
Slightly wet underfoot, the rising sun soon burned off any residual ground dew and let the course wake up to be an inviting and beautiful course shown off with the late summer heat. Watching the ground staff whipping the greens was quite mesmerising as they prepared for the early bird golfers. The consistency of the greens was evident throughout, although they did roll faster than we were used to – or was it a rush of adrenaline as we soaked up the Ohio sunshine.
Hole 3, a downhill 100-153 yard SI7/9 reminded me of the movie ‘The Bridges of Madison County’, with its covered bridge over a small lake. Whilst not a long hole, accuracy was needed to reach the good sized back to front sloping green. A hole that has everything from a challenge to a unique view. Gladly this bridge comes into view whilst playing hole 10 and 17, so a punchy start a punchy middle and a punchy end.
Of course the down side to any water on the golf course is the visiting geese and the inevitable remnants they leave behind. Treading carefully is a game all in itself and adds a whole new meaning to strategically plotting your way around!
Being in the US, one isn’t tied to playing a particular tee position, in fact I tend to look at the overall distance before deciding, at Pine Lakes I opted to play some forward tees and some the next step back, which meant I played between 4822 and 5525 yards. The back tees measured 6612 yards with a couple of options between the forward and back tees.
There were some slight elevation changes on the course and some raised greens which all added to this lovely parkland course.
Hole 8 being SI 1 of 282/398 yards is a fairly straight hole with a little fairway turn right towards the green. With water on the inside of the turn and a two tier green to contend with, a good short game would be hugely beneficial.
Being slightly wet underfoot, the first cut was thick and required some commitment with your shot.
With the scrub snaking around the edges of the 10th fairway and the covered bridge coming back into view means I’d like to play this hole again – with the golfers immortal words of ‘if only I’d known!” to enable me to play it better next time!!
Other notable interests are hole 13, a par 4 280/385 yards, SI6/8 with its strong parkland feel, elevated tees to a banked up green, or the the 14th with its irregular shaped enticing green.
The course appearance changes slightly as you leave the trees behind in favour of a more open approach on the 16th, water in play all along the right hand side – and plenty of those geese! It almost seems our of character with the other more tree lined, established holes. But turn away towards 17 and you’re back into the thick of it again and of course back to the romantic bridge as you approach the green.
Such a lovely unassuming parkland course welcomes the visitors playing the Penn Ohio golf trail or those who just happen to
When looking for golf to play in Trumbull County, don’t forget to consider Pine Lakes
Sarah Forrest
Golf Guru Group
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