$26 (cart included), played on Sunday, July 2008 at 10am
This comning weekend the Air Force Championship is being played on this course at Robins AFB. The Course is in the best shape it has ever been for this event. If you want to play this course when it is at its best, now is the time. Even the sand traps have new sand in them. The fairways and rough are in excellent shape. The greens are still a little slow, but I bet they are faster after the tournament begins. Even the practice green looks great. Too bad it can not be maintained in this condition all the time.
$21 (cart not included), played on Sunday, November 2008 at 10am
The course is in great condition for this time of the year. Its playing faster than normal which makes it great for my putting. However, for my golf buddy it proved to be very difficult. He couldnt drop a ball in the hole if he had been standing over it. The longest putt he made all day was 1 inch form the hole. Everything else was too fast for him. I geuss its his age or his girl friend that is getting to him. Too much of either is HARD to overcome. I suspect it was a little of both. Really though, he is normally one of golfs better putters, even if he has a slightly unorthodox putting style. But, one can not argue with what his consistently good results.
The greens are still green, but the number of leaves on the ground are starting to outnumber the blades of grass. Soon we will have to be playing our local late fall/earlt winter rule that says a ball covered by leaves is not lost, just temporarily misplaced. You can drop another ball in the area where you last saw your ball without a penalty stroke. Of course that rule applies only to 15 and above handicappers.
Do Not Recall (cart included), played on Friday, February 2008 at 2pm
Played yesterday for first time in two weeks. #4 hole has changed. All of the oak trees that lined the left side of this par-3 hole have been removed. Althogh it improves the beauty of the hole, it actually makes the hole more difficult. The trees acted as a barrier protecting your ball from crossing the road and going OB. If you did hook, the trees were positioned to knock your ball down and on this downward sloping 150 yard par-3, you could chip from a tree save on to the gree. Now if you hook one, you will be in deep trouble. You'll cross the road and land in the trees or worse in the deep drainage ditch that runs along side the hole in the hazard.
$36 (cart included), played on Sunday, June 2014 at 8am
It is hard to believe this course won the Best Golf course in the United States Air force 20 years ago. In my opinion it will not be around next year at this time. It will be closed. The one and a half million dollar green renovation of 5 years ago is completely gone. Only the sand now remains. Every 5 inches there are slivers of the Tiff Eagle grass but most of the time it is a weed. The greens are shaped like they use to be. But they have no grass. The surface is not even smooth. You hit a putt and I mean hit, it will bounce up in the air up to 1 or 2 inches high sometimes. Other times it will turn 60 to 90 degrees because it hits something. For those of us who use to love this place, it literally made me sick to my stomach to see it in this shape. If it was a horse I would have shot it.Good-by Pine Oaks. It has been nice knowing you.
$21 (cart not included), played on Thursday, October 2014 at 2pm
I cannot believe the changes to this course. It is miraculous. In June I thought it was going to have to be shut down. Who ever is responsible for the condition of the greens should be awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal. They are in better shape than they were when they were first put in 5 years ago. They have even been brought back to their original size. It was a pleasure to see. The new sod has grown in perfectly smooth. No bumps or ridges. They are a little slow right now because it is too soon to cut them real close. But by next year they could be some of the best in the area. Looking forward to playing them again.
$16 (cart not included), played on Thursday, October 2007 at 2pm
This is a great place to play. The greens are somewhat tricky in that the speed is not the same on all 18 greens. They are Tiff Eagle and generally run about an 8 on the stimp meter. On weekdays, the pace of play is great. On Saturdays, it is often slow. The par 3's are the toughest in the area, but the two drivable par 4's more than make up for them. Need a person with access to the base to be able to play. It is located on Robins Air force Base. Great ambiance when you have to sop putting becuase an aircraft is is either landing or taking off. Makes you feel very proud of your country.