It's hard to believe there could be a golf course as good as Whispering Pines is in Trinity, Texas, roughly 90 miles from Houston. Having lived in East Texas for a couple years, it was the place everyone talked about (wether you had played it before or were trying to find a way to play it) when golf courses and golf course architecture was brought up. This happened to be the first time I've played the course and it exceeded all of my expectations. When you pull up to the gate of the club you almost feel like you're at Augusta. The simplicity and drive through the pines really makes you feel like you're at a top 100 course in the country without even stepping foot on the course. The clubhouse itself is incredible, overlooking the tenth hole and with views of the eighteenth green. The practice facilities are also top notch and just make you want to get out on the course even more. As we headed to the first tee, we knew we were in for an incredible round of golf.
The history of Whispering Pines is another element of what makes this place so special. The club's founder, Corby Robertson, was an All-American linebacker at the University of Texas (and was captain of the team during their win at the 1968 Cotton Bowl) and has had huge success in the energy business. But in 1968, Robertson and teammate Chris Gilbert founded Camp Olympia. After Lake Livingston was created, Robertson purchased the 450 acre piece of next to Camp Olympia where Whispering Pines now sits. Robertson got golf course architect Chet Williams to design and build a golf course on this land where Robertson had already had somewhat of a layout. Robertson also created a charity organization in the Spirit Golf Association (SGA) that is involved in many charitable missions around the state and country. The SGA also funds the Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship that was established in 2001. The tournament is held every two years with 20 different countries being represented by their two best men and women players. In 2015, the United States won the team event by 1 shot over Mexico. The 2017 Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship will be held October 30th through November 4th. Whispering Pines is also a part of the Big 12 Championship's rotation of courses. First hosting the event in 2005 with Oklahoma State winning, the course has hosted the event 5 other times, most recently in 2016. The kind of events that Whispering Pines hosts only adds to its prestige as being the best course in the state (currently the #1 ranked course on the Dallas Morning News) and a top 100 course in the United States (currently ranked #55 on Golf Digest's rankings, its highest ranking yet).
*Yardages discussed will be from the One Pine Tees
Hole 1: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 409 yards; One Pine Tees: 357 yards
The first hole at Whispering Pines gives golfer's a look at what they'll get the rest of the round; a lot of heroic school of architecture and strategic placement. The first tee shot gives players a generous fairway to work with on this hard dog leg left. The further left a player takes it off the tee, the more risk they're taking on. Players have have three options (in general) off the tee. The safest option is to hit it in the fat part of the fairway on the right. The fairway is incredibly forgiving in this area and leaves players about 145 yards to the green. This gives players a decent angle to the left half of the green but to the right half players will have to have great distance control to hold the green. The second option is to hug the tree line on the left. This line starts to flirt with the giant waste bunker left of the fairway but rewards players with a short shot in (roughly 115 yards). The third option is not the recommended one, nor is it entirely feasible from a few tee boxes but, players can take 3 wood or driver left of the tall pine and go over the trees. Going too far left can leave you in the waste bunker but this can set up an easy wedge into the green. The green itself is two-tiered with the right side being the upper tier. A ridge comes into the green on the back left half of the green and can give players fits when they have to hit shots or putts over it. The green is well guarded by bunkers left and contours on the right. This hole gives players a great chance to get off to a good start and builds up even more excitement to see the rest of the course.
Hole 2: Par 5 - Spirit Tees: 576 yards; One Pine Tees: 529 yards
The second hole is one of the more visually intimidating holes on the course. The waste bunker running to the right of the tee box (175 yards long!) makes the player feel as though the fairway is half the size that it actually is. The ideal line off the tee is to take it as close to the left bunker as possible. This can set players up a little closer to go for the green in two, or if a player decides to not go for it they'll have a little bit better angle to lay up. Players staying more to the right will still have a chance to go for the green but the waste bunker stretching some 200 yards will have to be carried entirely to get home in two. The lay up shot will also force players to carry the waste bunker and can really bring the fairway bunker into play by trying to avoid the waste bunker. The green is one of the more interesting ones on the course as well. The front left side of the green is severely contoured and can easily take balls off the green down to a run off area. The right half of the green is still guarded by the waste bunker. Missing it in certain places to front pins, and even back pins, can leave players with very difficult shots. However, a well hit shot is typically rewarded with a makable putt without too much break. This hole is currently on our list for the Texas 54 as on of the suggested par 5s.
Hole 3: Par 3 - Spirit Tees: 210 yards; One Pine Tees: 194 yards
The third hole is fairly simple par 3 playing a few yards downhill. The green is guarded by three bunkers. Two bunkers in the front guard the green and another bunker that is not visible off the tee guards the back right part of the green. But the what really guards the green is the contouring. As you can see in the pictures a number of exterior ridges come into the green and put a premium on missing in the right spot. Most notably is the ridge in the back of the green. Being on the wrong side of this can give players a number of difficult options. Its very easy to short side yourself on this hole and be faced with a couple of tough options to save par. On a side note, another thing that makes this hole a little more intimidating is the bunker style. If a ball rolls into or even flies into the bunker it can get up against the patches of native grass and rough inside the bunker. For what seems like a harmless par 3, this hole definitely has some neat stuff going on.
Hole 4: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 470 yards; One Pine Tees: 443 yards
The fourth hole's tee shot is one of the most demanding on the course. Without fairway bunkers or water in play near the fairway, accuracy is still a huge premium. Trees line both sides of one of the tightest fairways on the course. There really isn't an ideal line off the tee. Anywhere in the fairway will give a player a reasonable shot into the green. However, the ideal miss is to the right. Missing it in the right trees is much more forgiving than left. The wide gapes between trees allow players to punch something up to the green if they can avoid the lone bunker that's 40 yards from the front of the green. The green built up and has no bunkers guarding it. The green's main defense is again the contouring. Players can easily get drawn in to go for a sucker pin (since there are no green side bunkers the more skilled player might feel more free to attack the flag) and leave themselves short sided off and hitting their next shot off of a tight lie. This is one of the most unique holes on the course with its lack of bunkering, but also the green complex itself. There are so many ways to come into this green: it's deep enough to hold a long iron, there's enough room to run something up, and players can work the ball any direction and still get it close.
Hole 5: Par 5 - Spirit Tees: 579 yards; One Pine Tees: 511 yards
From the Spirit Tees, big hitters can let the big dog eat on one of the widest fairways on the course. However, from the One Pine tees players can find trouble quickly. The fairway really begins to bottleneck about 250 yards off the tee. There's still a decent amount of room in the fairway but the miss has to be right to avoid the water. Players can get to this green in two but ideally you'd rather be in the 50 yard range right of the green. This gives you the best angle into the green and takes the bunkers short of the green out of play. Players who lay up even more, have a semi blind shot with bunkers in front and a drop off on the back of the green. The green itself is fairly simple where being around 20 feet away and in can give you a pretty straightforward putt. The main thing to keep in mind on this hole it the drop off behind the green that feeds to another bunker (if you're coming in hot). Some of the shots behind the green can get very tough: tight lies with very little green to work with. At this point in the round I personally started to feel like this course is very playable and gives you a lot of opportunities to make birdie. You can play your same ball all the way through pretty much but you can still be penalized by missing it in the wrong places. The way the tee boxes are positioned, players can get a good challenge from anywhere without feeling like they're at a US Open.
Hole 6: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 396 yards; One Pine Tees: 355 yards
The sixth hole is really interesting. The tee shot gives players a much different look than what they have seen already and will see later in the round. This hard dog leg right is guarded on the right side of the fairway by a swamp like area. Also, off the tee players come out of a chute amongst the trees and are unable to see how much the left side opens up. This hole however, has many options for players to consider. For players willing to take on a huge risk, a cut dow the right side can carry the swamp area and leave players with about 75 yards. The other options would be to take it at the fat part of the fairway and have anywhere from 125 yards to 145 yards to the green. But before you take out driver, going through the fairway can lead to a lot of trouble. For players playing too far away from the hazard they can find themselves having to carry it over a decent sized tree out of the rough. The green complex on the sixth hole was a personal favorite of mine. It's as though they combined a "knoll" template green and "short" template green to make this. This makes it to where if you miss the green you're going up hill from the rough or most likely a bunker. This makes placement off the tee and a short distance into the green a huge premium. The green itself is simple and for players with a wedge in their hand, it's very much a birdie hole.
Hole 7: Par 4 - Sprit Tees: 453 yards: One Pine Tees: 432 yards
The seventh is the number one handicap hole on the course. Off the tee, players ideally want to hug the left bunker. This makes the hole a few yards shorter but also gives players a better angle into one of the most severe greens on the course. Players that go right off the tee will have a little more club into the green and a much tougher angle on the approach. The green complex is what makes this hole so difficult. With a little bit of a Lions Mouth look with the front bunker and multiple ridges and tiers, this green gives players all the can handle.For players hitting their approach in from the right, the ridges are at a diagonal making accuracy that much more of a premium to get it close. The ridge creating the back tier gives players a lot of options coming into the green and on pitches around the green. Being on the wrong side of the ridge as well as the others on the green can give players fairly difficult two putts or pitches.
Hole 8: Par 3 - Spirit Tees: 194 yards; One Pine Tees: 175 yards
The eight hole is one of many fascinating par threes at Whispering Pines. The green itself is nearly identical and similar to that of the 16th at Augusta National but players come into it from a different angle (plays as though you're playing the 16th at Augusta from the complete opposite side). The pin placement on this hole is going to determine a lot on how players choose to play this hole. The front pin is arguably the easiest and players can bring it down off the slope just like the 16th at Augusta National. A pin on the left is going to call for one of the most accurate shot of the day to get it close. A miss short of the green can find a small pot bunker and a miss anywhere to the right can roll dow the slope leaving players with a very difficult two putt. Also, missing left on this hole can give players a touchy shot for not wanting their ball to roll all the way down the slope. A back pin will really test a players long game. Missing short to a back pin gives players a really difficult putt to judge up the slope and this section of the green is well guarded with a couple bunkers. The swale in the front of the green can cause havoc for players and other than the swale the green is fairly simple. The green complex on the eight hole is so much fun and adds to the great set of par threes on the golf course.
Hole 9: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 429 yards; One Pine Tees: 413 yards
The ninth hole gives players a great chance to get one back before they head to the back nine. Off the tee players can either go over the right bunker or just to the left in hopes of catching the slope and adding about 15 yards to their tee shot. The long and narrow green doesn't favor any ball flight and makes it very easy to short side yourself. In terms of having a good angle into the green, both sides of the fairway are pretty generous. A slight bend in the green lets both sides of the fairway have some room going into the green. The green itself is fairly simple and has a small swale in the middle of the green giving it a biarritz-esque feel. The front nine gives players only a slight hint of what's to come and the incredible golf and architecture still to come.
Hole 10: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 427 yards; One Pine Tees: 398 yards
The back side starts out with an interesting mid length par four. Standing on the tee, players feel like the hole is wide open and that they can rip driver. The width of the hole is very misleading. The ideal line into the green is from the left side of the fairway. The way the green is positioned, its very difficult to hold the green from the right with the green only being about 15 yards deep (right half of green) and running away from players (left half of green). So off the tee players want to get as close as they can to the left fairway bunker. This opens up the green and can set up an early birdie opportunity to start the inward nine. The green is guarded by 2 bunkers on the right side of the green. One of them is a small bunker that can give players some really interesting lies and is very penal. The most trouble players will fin on this hole is the side on which they miss. For a back left pin, missing right forces players to negotiate the ridge running through the center of the green. This hole does a great job of being challenging but also playable with a great green complex.
Hole 11: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 416 yards; One Pine Tees: 391 yards
The eleventh hole is built around one of the boldest, if not THE boldest, green complexes on the course. The tee shot is pretty straightforward. Ideally, you want to keep the ball to the left. The right bunkers give you almost no shot of hitting the green. The left fairway bunker pinches in the fairway some 12 yards about 250 yards from the One Pine tees. There is a lot of reward for being as long as you can be on this hole. Staying short of the left bunker gives you a lot more width and a reasonable distance in, but the severity of the green complex can make it a very challenging shot. The pin placement on this hole can have a lot to do with what to do off the tee. The green has two false fronts on both sides of the green. The left pin placement is by far the easiest location. The punchbowl like surface makes it much easier to get close and can yield many birdies. The right pin placement is entirely different. The ridge running through the center of the green drops of severely to the lower left half. So already, when your playing to this pin you deal with this (you can let something roll up to the slope and back down or carry the slope. The surrounding part of this half of the green drops off from the surface. So attacking this flag and missing the green will leave you with a pitch shot with not much green to work with and you'll land pitch shots on down slopes. This green complex can make this hole really fun but can also be very penal. The effect pin placement has on this hole shows just how good this green complex is and how much it makes golfers think.
Hole 12: Par 5 - Spirit Tees: 551 yards; One Pine Tees: 521 yards
The twelfth hole is the last hole players get to play before the get to the stretch on the river. Off the tee players have a ton of width to work with in the fairway. For big hitters this is definitely a hole where you can get home in two. So to do this, you have to keep it in the right half of the fairway. Trees all along the left can black you from being able to go for the green and bring the bunkers and native grass in play on the right. So again, players see a bit of heroic architecture and the more you chew off the bunkers, the better shot you have at the green. For players laying up, a bunker flaked on the right pinches into the fairway. Avoiding this bunker is key to set yourself up for birdie on one of the most accessible par fives on the course. The green is really only guarded in the front and gives players a much easier opportunity to get up and down than the previous hole. Walking off this green, players can just barely see Caney Creek that they'll be playing next to for the rest of the round. Take a deep breath and get ready for some of the most spectacular holes on the course.
Hole 13: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 463 yards; One Pine Tees: 425 yards
The final six holes at Whispering Pines are some of the finest in the entire country. The thirteenth hole plays plenty long given its yardage and it is typically played into the wind. Off the tee, players are really looking to just hit the fairway. With water and a waste bunker left (players typically can't reach this bunker off the tee), the miss has to be right to avoid penalty shots and sand. However, missing it right can also lead to some trouble. Trees on the right can block a clear shot to the green, forcing players to hit a cut up to the green or punch something back in the fairway. This can bring the waste bunker into play and its up to luck on wether or not you'll have a good lie. Players will usually have mid or long iron into the green. Coming in from the right side gives players plenty of room to run something up and avoid trouble left. The green is guarded by the river on the left with two bunkers (one in front of the green and the other behind). The green complex follows some of the things we discussed in "The Art of The Greens" and allows good shots to be rewarded given the distance into the green. Being able to run shots up, not being surrounded by hazards, and relatively calm contours allow for great playability while still giving players a challenge. Also on this hole, players can see the three pine trees that make the Whispering Pines logo just to the left of the green.
Hole 14: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 392 yards; One Pine Tees: 384 yards
The ambiance of the fourteenth tee shot is quite remarkable. The naturalness of the golf course makes itself very present on this tee. When I first got to the box all I could compare this too is the 5th hole, the Cape hole template, at The Mid Ocean Club. The risk-reward created with the angle of the fairway and the way the hole seems to wrap around the water makes this version of a Cape hole so beautiful. On top of that, two tall pines guard the inside of the fairway. The pine on the right is dubbed the George Bush Pine Tree and named after the 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush. So off the tee, players have a number of options to choose from, all depending on the risks they want to take on. Keeping it close to the George Bush Pine Tree is by far the safest line but does add a decent amount of length to the approach into on of the most undulated greens on the course. To put in a better perspective (assuming you hit it in the center of the fairway) hitting it just left of the George Bush Pine Tree compared to hitting it just right of the other pine tree will add some 40 yards. The green on this hole is incredibly undulated. Having a short approach into the green is a huge premium in order to get it in the correct section of the green. The green is guarded by a bunker behind the green on the left which players are unable to see from the fairway as well as water just barely coming to the left edge of the green. Perhaps one of the best parts of this hole is walking off the green and just barely being able to see the next hole. The excitement starts to pick up and the cameras get ready.
When looking at the scorecard for the final few holes it's impossible not to notice the unique back to back par threes on 15 and 16. The two holes are reminiscent to that of the 15th and 16th at Cypress Point. The 15th is a great mid-length par three and the 16th is a much longer par three. Walking up to the tee box on the 15th, players know they're in for a real treat.
Hole 15: Par 3 - Spirit Tees: 178 yards; One Pine Tees: 158 yards
The natural island green on the fifteenth hole is one of the prettiest holes in the state. It also has a lot of cool architecture in play. Tee boxes go about 110 degrees around this green and regardless of where you play from, its going to be a fun shot. This is the most penal hole on the golf course and has some similarities with the short template. This gives players an incredible test of iron play and is also made more difficult by the swirling wind amongst the pines. The green is the smallest on the course and for players hitting the green from the Spirit Tees they know they hit a fantastic shot. The green is very simple and gives players a great chance to make birdie if they hit the green.
Hole 16: Par 3 - Spirit Tees: 228 yards; One Pine Tees: 199 yards
The sixteenth hole is the longest par three on the course and plays every yard of it. The narrow tee shot plays all over water and judging the wind is very difficult amongst the pines. The green is guarded by water in the front but also a bunker to the left. A back right pin on this hole is very uncomfortable for players especially from the Spirit tees where its very difficult just to see the flag. The green is big and very receptive to the longer clubs players come in with. The contours on this green are very mild and just hitting this green can give players a good look at birdie. Missing long, typically just because of not wanting to be short at all, can get players in some trouble. The green will run away from players beyond the green and coming out of the thick rough can really test a players ability to hit a close range shot that lands really soft. Also on this hole is a really awesome bridge that just adds to this golf course's prestige.
Hole 17: Par 5 - Spirit Tees: 603 yards; One Pine Tees: 559 yards
The seventeenth hole once again gives players some heroic architecture to play with. The hole runs along Caney Creek and has bunker guarding the inside of the fairway. Players going more to the left off the tee are taking on a risk with the bunkers but will be rewarded with a much shorter shot. This green is very difficult to reach in two and offers very is not very forgiving to wayward shot. The ideal lay up would be around 100-120 yards out. This gives players plenty of room to hit their second shots, avoid the three bunkers about 45 yards out, and also enough space to go over some trees if you're behind them. The approach shot is one of the prettiest on the course. A huge premium is put on distance control as the green is heavily contoured. The green is also guarded by two bunkers. This hole gives players a great chance to make birdie before coming up to the long eighteenth.
Hole 18: Par 4 - Spirit Tees: 499 yards; One Pine Tees: 464 yards
The final hole at Whispering Pines is one of the toughest closing holes in the state, if not the country. The tee shot requires players to go over water with a waste bunker to the left. The angle at which players come into the fairway makes it appear that you can pick up a few yards by staying close to the bunker but in actuality does not. A tee shot in the fairway here is very good and will leave you with a long club into one of the toughest greens on the course. The approach is over water and anything coming up short of the green will roll back into the water (It's very easy to have a Tin Cup moment on this hole. Even a shot that gets on the front portion of the green can roll off). The green is also guarded by three bunkers. The green itself will hold shot coming in with long clubs, especially those working left to right. The contours are also very mild and give players a great chance to end their round with a one putt. Whispering Pines provides players an extremely fun round of golf. For the higher handicappers, the course is very playable and gives you several ways to play around hazards. For the scratch player, the golf course gives them a great challenge of almost every aspect of their game and keeps them much involved and thinking about every shot from the tee shot on one to the final putt on eighteen. Along with the golf course, Whispering Pines also has a short course called The Needler that we'll have a course profile on soon.
