Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Golf Course Buzz: Pinewood Country Club is located in Munds Park, a resort community about 20 miles south of Flagstaff; it’s one of several private, member-owned clubs that allows limited public play these days.
Designed by Lawrence Hughes, Pinewood opened in 1958 and underwent a makeover by Arthur “Jack” Snyder in 1965. It’s a traditional, parkland-style layout with lots of Ponderosa Pine trees accenting the holes and is situated in a Valley below the 12,633’ high San Francisco Mountains that dominate the scenery in northern Arizona.
The golf course closes around Nov. 1 and re-opens around Memorial Day; the country club remains open year-round. Pinewood Country Club offers three sets of men’s tees, which play at par 72, the longest of which set at 6,618 yards with a rating of 70.2 and slope of 124. Forward tees, which measure 5,499 and 5,059 yards, play at par 73.
The course has two lakes that bring water into play on four holes. A memorable 3-hole stretch starts at the signature hole, No. 12. It’s a 506-yard par-5, a dogleg right with a hazard running along the right side, trees pinching both sides of the fairways for the last 100 yards, and an earthen dam behind the green that holds back O’Dell Lake.
Next up is the short par-4 13th, a risk-reward temptress at a modest 368 yards. The slight dogleg right requires a tee shot through a chute of pine trees where a slight fade will set up an approach over a hazard to a green with a false front, guarded by a massive bunker on the right side.
Completing this nice three-hole stretch, the 14th is a 414-yard par-4 rated the No. 2 handicap hole on the course; making par here requires two long and accurate shots.
Practice facilities here are excellent, including a large driving range, chipping and putting greens and a bunker. The clubhouse, which also dates to the late ‘50s, is home to two dining/event rooms, a restaurant and bar, and has a patio for outdoor seating.
Pinewood Country Club offers a variety of memberships, and members receive preferred tee times plus a host of amenities that include tennis courts, heated swimming pool, fitness facilities and active centers for adults and kids.
Read the Arizona Golf Course Directory AZGA Golf Course Buzz for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory/.
It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.