New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-17
Pine Valley Links Real
Test for Best Golfers

as appealing as a look across some in
ferno of trouble. The tee is place high
In grove Of trees. Below there Is
water, and beyond the water range
of tossed up sand and stubble. Near
ing the green the ground rises to an
other higher level. and the green itself
is guarded by a succession Of decU
traps that must be carried TO insure
par. The length of this hole is 23l
yards. a full wooden shot But the
carry is deceptive. From the tee u IS
only $50 yards, but 10 the golfer play
ing the course for the first time II
looks to be a good 220. It seems ar
impossible for any but the longest hit
tiers, and yet a good average tee shot
will just carry you across. As q men
tai hazard IL presents terrifying as
pect beyond description.
To show the Drift into the opening
country, 10 was Just after leaving this
green that We came upon "a partridge
Matching out her early autumn covey,
and although the party stopped within
a few feet the brown streaked bob
white had no idea Of deserving her
future offspring. The next short hole
was the tenth, apparently nothing but
a simple mashie pitch. But here, too,
only a fine shot will bring success. For
the green is not only upon a plateau,
but it ia much smaller than the others
and is fairly notched and surrounded
with deep traps. A mashle shot wiz
do the trick, but only a msshie shot
that is hit in exactly the proper way.
Fine Long Holes.
The longer holes keep even pace with
the short ones. These are so arranged
that first of all the tee shot must be
properly placed. A wild smash some
where down the course leaves more 10
do upon the second than most golfers
are willing 90 face. At the long sew
enth, for example, there is no way in
the world to get home in three after
missing shot. a poor drive or a poor
second or poor third means four or
more to the green.
When you miss shot at Pine Valley
the stroke may be considered lost II
is not TO be gotten back with a longer
club or through some lucky break that
leaves a good lie for a recovery.
And yet there H. no great amount OF
rough. Trouble here, in the main,
means yawning traps q system which
eliminates lost time in looking for a
ball through heavy, matted grass. You
can find the ball, all right, but there
are times when you get no great thrill
in doing so, as you face the net shot
ahead out Of trouble
Only fourteen holes are now ready.
as the course is being built slowly 70
insure the best possible results at the
finish. The final hole is wonder of
a two-shotter-a drive down narrow
fairway, bordered l-1ster on either
side, and then spoon shot or n
brassie 20 a green placed just beyond
lagoon effect, with the water tapping
the green's edge.
No Light Assignment.
Pine Valley will be golf course in
the complete sense of the word. No
compromises have been made for shot
hitters or for those of various physical
limitations who can drive the ball only
so far. There are countless other
courses for these. but Pine Valley is
not for their playing. For there is no
let-up in the operation of beating par.
There are no soft, easy holes to bring
on breathing spell where one can
loaf on the job. 1t is night here from
the first tee 10 the last green, a battle
against nature in lbs more rugged
aspects, reinforced by all the resources
Of one of the greatest golf architects
Of the game. If you can beat par at
Pine Valley, you can beat Man and
Nature working together And the
chances are that you won't. The
chances are that you will be very well
pleased to get certain holes in par and
70 take what comes upon the others
where you miss a shot, for you know in
advance just what your mistake will
cost. And, knowing the penalty. there
is nothing much to be done about it
except 70 pay the price.
There are no parallel holes here. for
each fairway is separate proposition
And there are no copies Of other great
holes. These are all new unto them
selves-a departure from the general
order Of things. but a departure that
will make for finer golf for those who
play the course, and departure that
will either make for the greater
combativeness in ones soul or that will
drive one in rout to the softer pastures
and the fewer traps beyond Pine Val.
ley's secluded borders.