Golf South Magazine

Tartan Pines Golf Club

By Ian Thompson

   It seems somewhat of a stretch to link Scotland and Enterprise, Alabama, but that's what Tartan Pines Golf Community has done.  The centerpiece of this development is the daily-fee Tartan Pines Golf Club designed By Glen Day - Alan Blalock Golf Design.  I'll let one of the developers, Steve Hagins, explain the Scottish connection.                  

    "Over 600 years ago, the game of golf as we know it took shape on the North Sea of Scotland near the town of Fife.  Those Scots loved the sport and competition, especially their game of golf.  Family and heritage also occupied a prominent place in their lives, so important that each family developed its own unique plaid fabric for kilts, caps and scarves, the Tartan, so that at every important occasion, no stranger could ever fail to know what families were represented.  A number of those hearty Scots came to America to tame the wilderness as hunters and trappers in the pine woods of the Southeast.  Even though they lived in buckskin, they brought out their Tartans for the annual "Rendevous" where the woodsmen gathered to trade for supplies, swap tall stories, and compete in woodsmen games.  In this spirit of rugged individualism, love of sport, community, heritage, Tartan Pines Golf Community was born." 

   Tartan Pines features a public 18-hole facility, lighted driving range, clubhouse, restaurant, meeting facilities and golf shop, with wooded lots for single-family and garden homes inside the Highway 84 Bypass in Enterprise.  

    Green fees are very reasonable - in the mid $30's.

    Tartan Pines is owned and has been developed by four local businessmen - Hagins, landowner, Billy Cotter, Ben Henderson, and Ken Pittman.  The overall property is 350 acres, with a total of 186 lots for sale, of which over 1/3 are already spoken for.  

    Director of golf Tommy Solomon is excited about his new opportunity.  "The reactin we get from most people is that they cannot believe something like this is being built in Enterprise."

    Enterprise is located in southeast Alabama, close to helicopter base Fort Rucker and about 30 minutes from Dothan.  Suffice to say, Tartan Pines is a step up from existing local courses.  

    Heading to the golf course.  Allow me a play on words from Dicken's "A Tale of Two Cities."  Tartan Pines is a tale of two nines, which are very different from one another.  My advice is to make your score on the far easier front nine and try to hang on for dear life on the very demanding back nine. 

    Part of the reason the front nine is challenging is the terrain is much flatter, as well as the fact that it is 300 yards shorter than the back nine - 3249 yards versus 3538 yards.  The total distance from the black tees adds up to 6787 yards, but the blue tees play to a much more playable 6055 yards.

    Dense pine trees line the first hole, but keep it within their generous confines and you should make on a par 5 without to much trouble.  Some very straightforward holes follow, many of which should offer good chances for birdie.  The course takes on more character as you reach the par 4 sixth, the lowest hole (No. 2 overall) on this side.  A right to left ball flight will considerably shorten this hole which moves downhill in this direction for your second shot.  you should'nt be left with too much club for your second shot as the hole drops down considerably to a large, flat green.  Three words of advice for your second shot: don't go long.

    The next hole is only 127 yards, but will strike fear into many a golfer.  Judging strictly by yardage, this downhill par 3 should be a breeze.  But that does'nt take into account the pond and the bunker fronting the small green and the dense undergrowth long left and right.  Either hit the two-tiered green or accept a double bogey.  

    Strike your tee shot on the par 5 ninth and be prepared for a beautiful view of the rest of the hole before you crest the hill.  Eminently reachable with two well struck shots, this is one of the last real birdie chances on the course.  You are looking down on the green and lake beyond, with the newly built clubhouse to your left.  This is a most scenic part of the course.

    Journey round the tip of the lake and you will face the reality of the back nine staring at you with the No. 1 handicap hole No. 10.  Some words of wisdom from me to you:  Don't play the back tees on this nine even if you did on the front if you want to enjoy this nine very much.  Simply put, some of the holes from the back tees are to hard to be played from these tees.  For example, the 10th is 467 yards and uphill all the way from the back tee.  It starts with a forced carry of 223 yards over wetlands, which plays 15-20 yards longer because it is uphill.  To Day and Blalock's credit you can run the ball into the green.

    The par 3 11th features the "Tiger's Paw" - a grouping of bunkers behind the large green which must have been placed there by an Auburn University fan.  Henderson must be particularly pleased with the motif of this hole as his son, Trey, is a member of the TIger's golf team.

    Next there comes a run of four devilishly difficult holes - none more so than the 476-yard par 4 12th.  The tee shot is uphill and once you reach the top of the hill you are faced with a second shot to an island green with no bailout.  You have two choices:  play the hole from the back tees as a par 5 and lay up your second shot short of the water or move up 90 yards to blue tees and accept the hole as a challenging par 4.  

    No. 13 comes back to the same lake that is behind No. 9 and is also in play on the finishing hole.  I wish I could be more precise in my description of the hole, but I'm not really sure the best way to play this par 5 that has trouble waiting at every turn.  You'll have to learn it as you play it.  

    Pinpoint precision and accuracy are essential on the next holes - both par fours.  No. 14 is a 90-degree doleg to the right, where you will be best served by a long iron tee shot that favors the left side of the landing area, after which you will face a mid to short iron over wetlands to a putting surface.

    The next hole is a tough par 4 as it requires two well struck and straight shots to reach the most undulating green on the course.  This green is atypical from most of the greens, which are relatively flat.  Trees on either side of the narrow fairway and wetlands that you must cross on your long, uphill second shot make this a hole on which making par will feel like a birdie.

    The 16th hole will feel like a bit of a breather, but only because the tee shot is not as confined.  You will still face an uphill approach shot over three greenside bunkers.  That sums up the challenge of the back nine - there are quite a few forced carries on tee and/or approach shots to deal with.

    No. 17 is the final par 3 and it features a beautifully designed tee that is banana-shaped and hugs the water over which you must play to the green.  Each of the four tees is found on this curved teeing surface which range from 173-111 yards.

    The final hole offers a chance for a very positive end to your round.  It is a short par 5 on which many players will be able to go for the green in two shots, but water is lurking for a shot that does not sail over the tall trees that guard the approach to the green.  Being able to hit the ball high on this hole is a definite asset.  The challenge is not over once you reach the green as it tilts substantially from back to front, making for some fast putts if the flag is in the front half.

    So ends Tartan Pines.  Enjoy the front nine, take on the challenge of the back nine and enjoy the Southern hospitality which is evident.  So you'll most likely lose the back nine challenge, but two out of three isn't too bad.