Pine Valley Golf Club
Encyclopedia
Pine Valley Golf Club is a golf course
in Pine Valley
, Camden County
, in southern New Jersey
. It was ranked the number one course in Golf Magazine
' s 100 Top Courses in the U.S. and the World in 2009.
Pine Valley was founded in 1913 by a group of amateur golfers from Philadelphia. They purchased 184 acres (0.7 km²) of rolling, sandy ground deep in the pinelands of southern New Jersey
, and gave George Arthur Crump
, who knew the area from hunting expeditions, the opportunity to design the course. This was Crump's first and only golf course design, and he set himself some idiosyncratic principles: no hole should be laid out parallel to the next; no more than two consecutive holes should play in the same direction; and players shouldn't be able to see any hole other than the one they were playing. He also felt that a round of golf on his course should require a player to use every club in the bag.
The site was challenging and the project became something of an obsession for Crump, who sold his hotel in Philadelphia and ploughed his money into the course. Marshlands had to be drained and 22,000 tree stumps had to be pulled out with special steam-winches and horse-drawn cables. This was all done at a time when many golf courses were still built with minimal earth moving, and the course was called "Crump's Folly" by some. The first eleven holes opened unofficially in 1914, but when Crump died in 1918 four holes - #12, #13, #14, #15 - were incomplete.
Pine Valley later spread to 623 acres (2.5 km²), of which 416 acres (1.7 km²) remain virgin woodland. Since Crump's death, alterations have been made by several other leading golf course designers. The club also has a ten hole short course designed by Tom Fazio and Ernest Ransome III. It is a private club, and non-members can only play if invited and accompanied by a member. Two members were once suspended for charging guests $10,000 a round.
. There are several places to stay for out of town people, such as the 6 cottages, the annex, the new lodge that was built in 2006, as well as some older homes used for lodging.
Pine Valley Golf Club is praised for the consistent level of challenge and conditioning on each hole, requiring thoughtful placement of the ball from tee to green, and more specifically correct placement on approach shots to the green due to significant swales and undulations. Among its many accolades, Pine Valley has arguably the best collection of par fives and par threes in the world. The course prides itself in being one of the toughest challenges in all of golf, with a slope
of 155 from the championship tees. Pine Valley's trademarks are the par three 5th hole, which requires a well-placed 220 yard slightly uphill drive over a lake into a small and sloped green, "Hell's half acre" (a barren wasteland on the par five 7th hole which is probably the largest non sea-side bunker in the world), "The devil's asshole" (an extremely deep bunker on the par three 10th hole), and the famous par four 18th, which incorporates many different elements of the golf course into a spectacular finishing hole.
The only time Pine Valley ever had mainstream exposure was a 1962 Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
match between Gene Littler
and Byron Nelson
. The club does allow the public in for one day in late September every year to watch the Crump Cup
, a nationally recognized tournament featuring elite Mid-Amateur players.
Pine Valley also played host to the Walker Cup
, an amateur competition between teams from the United States
and Great Britain
& Ireland
, in 1936 and 1985.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border:1px"
! Year !! Source !! Award
|-
| 2003 || Golf Magazine
|| Best Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2005 || Golfweek Magazine || Best (pre-1960) Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2005 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2006 || Golf Digest
Magazine || Best Golf Course
in New Jersey
|-
| 2006 || Golf Digest Magazine || Best Public and Private Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2006 || Golf Digest Magazine || Second Best (pre-1960) Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2007 || Golf Digest Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2007 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the World
|-
| 2009 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2009 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the World
|-
| 2011 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the United States
|-
| 2011 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
in the World
|-
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in Pine Valley
Pine Valley, New Jersey
Pine Valley is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 12, making it the second smallest municipality by population in New Jersey, with just seven more residents than the 5 residing in Tavistock, also in Camden...
, Camden County
Camden County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census the population of Camden County was 60.28% Non-Hispanic white, 18.45% Non-Hispanic black, 1.12% Hispanic blacks, 0.17% Non-Hispanic Native American, 0.15% Hispanic Native Americans, 5.07% Non-Hispanic Asian, and 0.14% non-Hispanics reporting some other race...
, in southern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was ranked the number one course in Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
History
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and gave George Arthur Crump
George Arthur Crump
George Arthur Crump, Jr. was a hotelier and golf course architect primarily known for designing and building Pine Valley Golf Club, which, at the time of its opening, was considered the most difficult golf course in the world....
, who knew the area from hunting expeditions, the opportunity to design the course. This was Crump's first and only golf course design, and he set himself some idiosyncratic principles: no hole should be laid out parallel to the next; no more than two consecutive holes should play in the same direction; and players shouldn't be able to see any hole other than the one they were playing. He also felt that a round of golf on his course should require a player to use every club in the bag.
The site was challenging and the project became something of an obsession for Crump, who sold his hotel in Philadelphia and ploughed his money into the course. Marshlands had to be drained and 22,000 tree stumps had to be pulled out with special steam-winches and horse-drawn cables. This was all done at a time when many golf courses were still built with minimal earth moving, and the course was called "Crump's Folly" by some. The first eleven holes opened unofficially in 1914, but when Crump died in 1918 four holes - #12, #13, #14, #15 - were incomplete.
Pine Valley later spread to 623 acres (2.5 km²), of which 416 acres (1.7 km²) remain virgin woodland. Since Crump's death, alterations have been made by several other leading golf course designers. The club also has a ten hole short course designed by Tom Fazio and Ernest Ransome III. It is a private club, and non-members can only play if invited and accompanied by a member. Two members were once suspended for charging guests $10,000 a round.
The Clubhouse
Although it is rich in golf tradition, the clubhouse is plain, and simple. The clubhouse consists of the great room and the bar. There is also the pro shop,several dining rooms, the main dining room, the private board room, and the patio. There are numerous pictures of Crump, as well as much history and antique golf memorabilia. Upstairs are member's lockers and a small lounge named the John Arthur Brown room.Amenities
The club offers shuttle service to and from the airportPhiladelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
. There are several places to stay for out of town people, such as the 6 cottages, the annex, the new lodge that was built in 2006, as well as some older homes used for lodging.
The Course
Pine Valley Slope, Rating, and Yardage| Tee | Slope | Rating | Yardage | Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 155 | 75.6 | 7057 | 70 |
| Regular | 153 | 72.8 | 6532 | 70 |
Pine Valley Golf Club is praised for the consistent level of challenge and conditioning on each hole, requiring thoughtful placement of the ball from tee to green, and more specifically correct placement on approach shots to the green due to significant swales and undulations. Among its many accolades, Pine Valley has arguably the best collection of par fives and par threes in the world. The course prides itself in being one of the toughest challenges in all of golf, with a slope
Slope rating
The slope rating of a golf course is a measure of its difficulty for bogey golfers. The term comes from the fact that when playing on more difficult courses, players' scores will rise more quickly than their handicaps would predict. The "slope rating" of a course thus predicts that rise...
of 155 from the championship tees. Pine Valley's trademarks are the par three 5th hole, which requires a well-placed 220 yard slightly uphill drive over a lake into a small and sloped green, "Hell's half acre" (a barren wasteland on the par five 7th hole which is probably the largest non sea-side bunker in the world), "The devil's asshole" (an extremely deep bunker on the par three 10th hole), and the famous par four 18th, which incorporates many different elements of the golf course into a spectacular finishing hole.
- Yardage, slope and rating are accurate as of 2010 Scorecard.
Entrance
There are 2 entrances into Pine Valley. The most famous one is hidden on East Atlantic Ave behind the Clementon Lake Park. After passing the waterpark there is a road about 50 feet from the waterpark sign. Then, after making a left on that road (which is East Atlantic Ave) and following the road all the way to the dead end, there is a dirt parking lot and a rail road crossing on the right with the gate entrance. The other gate is mostly for people employed by the golf course hidden on East 3rd Avenue in Pine Hill.Membership
Pine Valley Golf Club is a highly exclusive club. Male-only membership is by invitation from the board of directors only. There are about 1,300 members spread throughout the world, and the list is a closely guarded secret. The only way a guest is allowed into the club is if they are invited by a member and accompanied by one. Women are permitted to play the course on Sunday afternoons.Tournaments at Pine Valley
Although it is regarded as one of the greatest courses in the world, Pine Valley has not played host to any major professional golf tournaments, mostly because there is not enough room on the course to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. The club has stated that they have no intentions to remove trees or change the layout of the course in order to host a major tournament.The only time Pine Valley ever had mainstream exposure was a 1962 Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Shell's Wonderful World of Golf was a televised series of golf matches began in the 1960s. The program was sponsored by Shell Oil. It was a part of the tradition of "challenge matches" between pairs of professional golfers, which were the earliest form of professional golf competition, but have now...
match between Gene Littler
Gene Littler
Gene Alec Littler is an American professional golfer. Known for a solid temperament and nicknamed "Gene the Machine" for his smooth rhythmical swing, he once said that, "Golf is not a game of great shots. It's a game of the best misses. The people who win make the smallest mistakes."-Early years...
and Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson
John Byron Nelson, Jr. was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.Nelson and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912...
. The club does allow the public in for one day in late September every year to watch the Crump Cup
Crump Cup
The Crump Cup is an invitational golf tournament for amateurs. The first tournament was held in 1922. It is named George Arthur Crump,and is played on the grounds of Pine Valley Golf Club, which Crump founded. The format for the four days is two rounds of stroke play, qualifying, followed by four...
, a nationally recognized tournament featuring elite Mid-Amateur players.
Pine Valley also played host to the Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
, an amateur competition between teams from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
& Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in 1936 and 1985.
Awards and Rankings
Pine Valley Awards and Rankings{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border:1px"
! Year !! Source !! Award
|-
| 2003 || Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
|| Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2005 || Golfweek Magazine || Best (pre-1960) Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2005 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2006 || Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
|-
| 2006 || Golf Digest Magazine || Best Public and Private Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2006 || Golf Digest Magazine || Second Best (pre-1960) Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2007 || Golf Digest Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2007 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the World
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
|-
| 2009 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2009 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the World
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
|-
| 2011 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
| 2011 || Golf Magazine || Best Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the World
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
|-
External links
- Golf Club Atlas - a well illustrated course guide
- Into Pine Valley -An account of the Crump Cup
- Aerial photos