• Tweet

• Tweet

Of all the questions I am asked about playing so many golf courses, more than 2,300 in America alone, the two most common one are:  “What is your favorite?”  The other is “Which is the best?”

The Home Hole at the incomparable Pine Valley Golf Club.

Here I will address the “Best” question.  There is precious little that I will argue about concerning golf courses; the subject is akin to whether or not you prefer “chocolate or vanilla”.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and there is neither a right nor a wrong answer.  That said, ask me about the best, the finest golf course in America, and I will debate long and vociferously that the Pine Valley Golf Club is the best – in a class by itself!  Located about twenty miles east of Philadelphia, my opinion extends from the moment you turn off the tired old main thoroughfare in Clementon, New Jersey by the old amusement park (if it is still there), pass the guard gate, and proceed into what is “another world”, one of unparalleled beauty, and golfing ecstasy though seldom triumph over the golf course.

Whether for service, course conditioning, food, memorability, accommodations, scenery, ambiance, or anything to do with the architecture of the course, Pine Valley defines “pure golf” at its best.

Pine Valley’s reputation was first made as the “World’s Hardest” or harshest test of golf.  With all of its unkempt sand, rugged bush, target golf and forced carries together with some really scary, speedy and undulating putting surfaces, that was indeed once the case.  Now with equipment changes, the challenge is no longer quite so fearsome.  The carries to the fairways are not really that severe.  Actually where there are fairways, they are typically generous in size and among the best manicured in the world.   That said, the course still retains its sting for the double-digit handicapper.  Every tee can be an intimidating beginning.

Where the course can challenge the really good players is on the putting surfaces.  When they are speeded up as they are for the annual Crump Cup or Club Championship, par is an elusive figure.  Even great players such as Jay Sigel have been known to five-putt.  Make a careless swing or bad decision and any hole can spell disaster.  Anyway, the thing about Pine Valley is that it has more truly outstanding golf holes than anywhere and couples this with exceptional flow and pacing.  While I could be tempted to go into detail about the holes, suffice it to say that the par-threes, par-fours, and the two par-fives all rank with their respective best sets in golf.  Particularly the par-threes are unique from each other and extremely memorable.   After playing the 13^th one of America’s great two-shotters, the elevated tee shot on the par-three 14 has it all, water, trees, and sand.  Follow that with the island tee shot on the long par-five 15^th, a spot that Lowell Thomas remarked was more beautiful than even Versailles, and you get the picture.

I have had the opportunity to play the course four times, liberally spaced apart.  The first time as a teenager, I began 4,9,3 and remarked on the fourth tee that it’s the only place where you can make a nine and enjoy it.  That second hole is and has remained a favorite.  Robert Trent Jones must have liked it as well as his second at Spyglass Hill is a close replica to it.  Another time, I was on my game shooting a 68 with a double-bogey on the little 8^th even though my second shot landed three feet from the flagstick.  A round in the low 80s was concluded by a 43-31, 74 to have scored in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and a 91, my first trip.

The first of the magnificent one-shotters, the downhill, par-3 fourth.

Yes, equipment is changing the challenge.  The All-American 13^th used to be a drive and a wood or long iron.  Now the strong players probably can’t hit adriver and yet still have a shortish iron into the green.  My grandfather and a few others such as ice hockey player Gary Dornhoffer, and touring pro, Gary Groh reportedly hit the 15^th hole in two.  I can only imagine that it happens more often now, but I’ll bet a lot of triple bogeys are made trying for it!

The PVGC clubhouse is rather spartan compared to today’s ostentatious facilities, but it is pure golf and nonetheless very comfortable.  The little golf shop is stuffed with more logo merchandise than anywhere I have been to and it moves out of there!  The food and particularly the snapper soup is renown as are the generous portions.  The service is just right with long time employees knowing just what to do and how to serve in every circumstance. A rather plain dormitory adjoins the clubhouse and makes for proper golfing excursions, almost adding to rather than detracting from the pure golf experience.  Make no doubt about it, this is a men’s club, but women are permitted to play at certain times.  That said, I could not envision the “average” skilled woman or man, for that matter, really enjoying a steady diet of the challenge.

An aerial view of Pine Valley.

Member and golf course architect, Tom Fazio, crafted a 10-hole practice area that really imitates the approach shots found on the course complete with similar elevations, bunkering, and all.  The areas are readily identifiable with those on the course. The scope of that alone is exceptional.  The membership is a pretty special group too.  Many have roots in the Philadelphia and New York areas, and include some pretty fair “sticks”.  That applies just as well to its national membership, which feature many golf and commerce accomplishments and connections.  All revere the traditions of the game.

The Club also seems to value a good tree management program.  In the manner of such other fine courses like Oakmont, National Golf Links, Winged Foot, and others, it has removed many of the trees that had grown in and had threatened to overwhelm the vistas, the challenge, and turf health of the course.

If there is a downside to the place, it is that it is a national membership and lacks the congeniality of a local club.  Members don’t just show up on a moment’s notice and easily fit in with a game.  Rather, playing there is an event scheduled well ahead of time, usually with three very fortunate guests.  It’s just the nature of the beast that the only negative of the place is a result of its own excellence and popularity.

If you are a member there, I would covet an invitation, better yet a membership, even if I can only visit once a year from my San Francisco area.  If you have the opportunity to play there, put all else aside and enjoy what every avid golfer should do at least once in their life – play Pine Valley – pure golf at its finest.

Fagan Grade: A+ – Risk Divorce, Death or Dismemberment to Play Pine Valley.  In so many areas, the facility, course, and presentation are the finest I have ever experienced.

As they say, "Only God Can Make a Three" at the par-three fifth!

For something totally unrelated, but amazing, click on www.bobfagan.124online.com.  If interested, sign up to get on my waiting list!