The Bogey Golfer © Course Guides
Atascocita Golf Club - Overview
The Atascocita Country Club was founded in 1956 as a swanky private club. Many reconfigurations later, it is a privately owned course open to the public.
It has three nines, which in turn means it has three configurations of 18 hole courses: The Pinehurst/Point, the Point/Shores, and the Shores/Pinehurst (which is the one I played).
They have to reseed their greens between summer and winter (different types of grass). The day I played, the Pinehurst greens were on their last legs, and were little more than dirt. On the other hand, they were extremely fast and true, which I like, so no harm, no foul.
It was also pretty hot, being in the low 90s, and I basically had the course to myself (the ranger and the guy behind the desk both thanked me profusely for coming out to play!).
It's a very spread-out course, with long distances between holes, so carts are included in the green fees (which are quite reasonable, by the way).
While it no longer has the swank that it no doubt originally started out with, it's still a lovely course, and well worth your time.
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Atascocita Golf Club Detail (Shores/Pinehurst)
This writeup is from the White tees, which with a course rating of 70.8 and a slope of 130, is all the challenge I need.
There were no outrageous forced carries, and while there are usually trees on both sides of the fairway, I didn't have any OB difficulties. There are some water hazards, so pay attention to the scorecard and the signposts at the teeboxes. There are no yardages marked on sprinklers. Many (but not all) holes have stakes in the middle of the fairway at 150 yards. Many (but not all) cart paths have a blue stripe at 200 and a white stripe at 150.
So a GPS or a rangefinder is handy to have.
Shores
The first hole is a straightaway par 4. It's only 373 yards, with a short carry over a scenic pond. The green is a penninsula, being surrounded on three sides by water, not all of which is visible on your approach. Take plenty of club, and if you're going to miss, miss to the right side.
#2 is a 144 yard par 3, although it played longer the day I played. The pond on the left encroaches in toward the middle, so again, if you're going to miss, miss right. Take an extra club, just to be safe.
#3 is a 406 yard par 4, the start of a consistent trend of longish par 4s. It's pretty much straightaway, with a slightly uphill tee shot, and a slightly downhill approach. The pond by the green is out of play, since it sits behind the green, not in front.
#4 is quite scenic, with a pond in front of the tee box. It's 373 yards, a little bit uphill, and mostly straightaway. There's no trouble to speak of here, save the trees on either side... (also a recurring theme).
The fifth hole is only 378 yards, but it feels much longer because a) you can't see the green from the tee box since the hole doglegs left, and b) there's a pond in the fairway that you have to clear on your approach. The pond is far enough away that it's safe to hit driver, but if you don't hit it pretty good, you might have to lay up before the pond on your second shot.
#6 is 368 yards, slightly uphill and dogging slightly right. What you see is what you get, a good drive will set you up for success!
The seventh hole is 358 yards, and doglegs left around a dead tree. It looks wide open, but remember that it's not long enough to swing out of your shoes. Just hit it straight, and this hole can be had.
#8 is a 189 yard par 3. Nothing fancy, just brute strength. Hit it straight.
#9 is a charming hole, playing 367 yards. There's a pond fronting the green, so you need a quality approach shot.
Pinehurst
I had a little bit of confusion finding the second nine, since you cross the street, and then have to pass by the Point's first teebox to get to the Pinehurst's first teebox (it's just past the water station).
Once arrived on the first tee, you find a 367 yard par 4, straightaway. "Straight" is the operative word here, since the trees look like they pinch the fairway a bit...
Pinehurst #2 is a relatively short hole, playing 339 yards. However, it doglegs left quite a bit, so you're trying to decide whether to lay up in case you run out of fairway. This is mostly a head game, and you should just take your normal swing and it it straight. (I tried to hit a hook and overcooked it, winding up in jail in the trees on the left...)
#3 has less drama. It's 358 yards, straightaway. Go for it.
#4 is 168 yard par 3. No muss, no fuss. Hit it straight and move on.
The fifth hole is a tasty little par 5. At 490 yards, it's not that long, but it makes up for it in visual appeal, with a tee shot over a pond to a narrow-ish fairway. Keep the ball headed up the middle, and you'll be fine.
#6 is wide open and straighaway. Grip it and rip it!
The seventh hole is a dogleg left, playing 396 yards. Have a healthy respect for the corner, and stay away from it. This is handicapped as the second hardest hole on Pinehurst, so bogey is not a bad score if you feel like you need to back off a bit.
#8 is a gorgeous par 3, over a pond. It's also long, at 178 yards. Bail out right if you don't think you can carry the green.
#9 is a straightawya par 4, playing 375 yards. There's a drainage ditch at the bottom of the hill on the left side that you need to be wary of.
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