Arizona Golf AZGA Buzz: Located in Pinetop, a town in the mountains of eastern Arizona, it might not be the most spectacular or prestigious private club in Arizona, but Pinetop Country Club is without question one of the state’s most delightful plays in the high country.
The property has rich history as a lumber producer that became a golf club in 1965 when eight men came together as partners, including Milt Coggins and Gray Madison, who designed the course.
They purchased 496 acres of land and opened a nine-hole course in ’65, but demand grew so quickly that they added a second nine a short two years later. The result is a layout that winds its way through pine forests with five sets of tees ranging from 5,487 to 6,514 yards. From the tips, the par-71 layout is rated at 68.7 with a slope of 119.
Those numbers suggest that there are plenty of birdie opportunities, but there also are plenty of trees and strategic hazards to turn tame-looking shots into difficult challenges. Members take great pride in maintaining and improving this course that has plenty of charm with its topography, wildlife and cool summer temperatures that make it a haven for residents of the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
Signs of its beginnings are visible around the course such as a water tank behind the fifth green and sixth tee box that was used to water cattle transported along the only access road through the area. To the keen eye, there also are remnants of the old railroad bed that used to transport lumber from the White Mountains.
Tall pines frame the first four holes on this course, which starts slowly but grabs your attention at No. 5, a 187-yard downhill par 3 that is backed by the Jackson Tank Reservoir. The reservoir, which acquires water from natural underground springs, is one of the area’s most prominent landmarks and once was the site of a large cattle operation.
The middle of the course presents its own sort of “Amen Corner” at holes 9 – 11, each sporting a water hazard materially in play. That, largely, was the work of Tucson architect Dave Dubinski, who oversaw a renovation project that expanded two lakes and added a cove at the 11th green.
The lake at No. 9, which also serves as a water hazard at 18, was enlarged and framed by a rustic, red-rock wall, adding aesthetics to the strategic value. Dubinski also upgraded the bunkering, which can clearly be seen at the 15th hole, a 175-yard par 3 with a green that is virtually surrounded by bunkers.
Pinetop Country Club finishes strong with a pair of par 4s at 411 and 430 yards that are ranked as the Nos. 4 and 2 handicap holes. Pinetop has active men’s and women’s clubs and a quaint chalet-style clubhouse, where lunch and dinner are served daily and breakfast on weekends. The private club has 400 members and offers several programs, including regular, clubhouse, intermediate and corporate memberships. Golf guests must be accompanied by members so get social and make a member a friend.