'Every Hole At'

Our new drone footage captures the latest changes to Pine Valley, the top-ranked course in the world

February 02, 2024

Six years ago, Pine Valley Golf Club allowed Golf Digest’s video team to capture exclusive drone footage of its rugged, sand-capped beauty. We delivered a hole-by-hole video with narration masterly crafted by our Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde, offering a glimpse inside the gates of the ultra-private No. 1-ranked golf course in the world. Thanks to the video’s popularity, we launched an entire franchise, “Every Hole At,” which has grown into one of our proudest projects as we continue to dutifully feature the architecture of other prominent courses.

Since then, our cinematography has reached new heights thanks to videographer Carlos Amoedo and his stunning drone work—so we sent Carlos to Pine Valley to capture the most recent work at the Clementon, N.J. gem. Tom Fazio and his team, the consulting architects at Pine Valley since 1989, have continued to improve the course—removing dozens of trees to open up vistas (in particular behind the fifth and ninth greens) and exposing more sand (like the cacophony of sandy caverns left of the 12th) to keep mastering the challenge to golf’s most complete examination. The below video includes the most recent renovations, which include lengthening the fourth hole, the longest par 4 on the property, by 40 yards and the addition of a new championship tee on the 17th, which extended the hole by nearly 70 yards. It also includes the ageless storytelling of Tarde, a longtime member, whose updated narration includes the introduction of timeless Pine Valley tales, such as that of J. Wood Platt, who started a long-ago round in unbelievable fashion before retiring to the clubhouse bar and never returning to finish his round. It’s truly feels like you’re walking the Golden Age layout with Tarde.

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Dom Furore

Studying the design features of Pine Valley is usually reserved for those lucky enough to receive an invite to play as a guest. The club only opens its doors to the public once a year for the Crump Cup, played by elite amateur golfers in September, so other than that event, and the Walker Cup in 1985, this is the first extended look at Pine Valley (Pine Valley was also featured in the first-ever Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf in 1962, in case you have that tape lying around).

Pine Valley Golf Club
Private
Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley, NJ
5
267 Panelists
A genuine original, its unique character is forged from the sandy pine barrens of southwest Jersey. Founder George Crump had help from now-legendary architects H.S. Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, George C. Thomas Jr. and Walter Travis. Hugh Wilson (of Merion fame) and his brother Alan finished the job, and William Flynn and Perry Maxwell made revisions. Throughout the course, Pine Valley blends all three schools of golf design—penal, heroic and strategic—often times on a single hole. Recent tree removal at selected spots have revealed some gorgeous views of the sandy landscape upon which the course is routed, and bunker reconstruction by Tom Fazio has given the barrens a more intricate and ornate look.
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There is good reason why Pine Valley Golf Club has only been unseated as the No. 1 course in every ranking of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses four times since 1985 (2000, when Pebble Beach unseated it, and 2009, 2011 and 2015 when Augusta National was ranked No. 1). Many of the best Golden Age architects—H.S. Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, George C. Thomas Jr. and Walter Travis—joined founder George Crump in routing what is referred to as the most unique 18-hole collection in the world. Hugh Wilson, architect of Merion, and his brother, Alan, finished the job just a couple years later.

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Dom Furore

Our video team has now delivered another proud moment in our “Every Hole At” franchise. We hope you enjoy the updated video.

Watch the video below:

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