Golf Fore the Good

It came to my attention recently that our venerable golf committee at Dennis Pines Golf Course is seeking to name a little piece of our revered course, along the likes of the way Amen Corner conveys the spirit of eleven, twelve and thirteen at Augusta National. No sooner had we read the sign on the suggestion box than from my companion’s lips sprung the only words I can see fitting. “Carol’s Corner,” he said, and just like that, no matter what the final decision of the committee, those holes will forever be, to me, just that.

If you are unfamiliar with the history and the legacy that is Dennis Pines you might consider this submission a contrite version of Augusta’s moniker. If, however, you’ve spent anytime golfing in the area, I think you’ll agree the term is respectfully and unquestionably fitting, in memory of one of the Pines’ most devoted stewards. Carol Haberl was the face of Dennis Pines for decades and we miss her sorely.

A round of golf at the Pines can be a struggle. Life, in general, can serve us up some tough times as well. Sometimes you hit what looks to be a perfect shot and just take a bad bounce. That’s what happened to our dear Carol; she got a really bad kick. As only the best golfers can do, she did the best with what circumstances arose, with determination and spirit, until her round was done.

The first time I ever saw the three holes that comprise the golf real estate under discussion, I had played golf for a scant two years. As an invited guest getting a great day of golf on a comp round I had little to say about where and when we teed off at this infamous course about which I’d heard so much. However, when we were directed to the 10th tee and I gazed out from the tee box I couldn’t help but burst out with “what the hell am I supposed to do here?!”

Dennis Pines Golf Course is scary enough as a whole; scary enough to make good golfers sweat and even maybe cry (yes, really – I’ve seen ‘em cry). Starting a journey of eighteen holes at the Pines on the front is torturous enough; getting initiated on the back is downright cruel and unusual punishment.

The tenth hole at Denis Pines has barely a level lie on it, tee box to green; the left side of the fairway is lined with a thick stand of pines and scrub oak; straight ahead and to the right gapes water; the fairway itself bends right around the pond and slopes so dramatically downhill, left to right, that most anything hit to the far left can easily roll to the water on the right. Unless, of course, you hit it through that treacherous fairway and get hung up on the crap on the left - which beats being wet… sort of.

If you manage to navigate your way successfully to the green on ten, you’re only half way home. The green is one of the slyest and undulating on the course; there are few pin placements even a member takes for granted. I once played it out with a foursome with thirteen putts between us all. That’s right; three 3-putts and a 4-putt. It would have stung more if the foursome in front of us (a group of scratch and near scratch players) hadn’t hollered back from the 12th tee, “how’d you guys like that pin?” Obviously, they’d had their own putting issues before us, which in some perverse way made my foursome feel better.

Things don’t get much simpler on eleven, nearly a mirror image of ten. There’s a landing area, only it’s tiered, so you’d better hit it where you want, ‘cause it’ll kick right faster than you can say “good shot.” Here we find the pond on the right, and the tendency to go left and the possibility of hitting straight through the fairway. Other than that, it’s not long (just like ten) so what’s the big deal?

Did I mention that as you chip up or putt out on eleven, you can almost guarantee that there are numerous bets being laid in the bar overlooking the green? Reflections from the pond off the massive picture windows of the bar shield the bar rats from the golfers’ view, while the golfers themselves are observed like laboratory animals in a Pavlovian experiment. Who will dump their chip; who will three putt? Play the Pines often enough and you can almost hear the money hit the bar as you walk to the 11th green - as if a little more pressure is just what one needs at the moment.

Ten and eleven together are the perfect mini-loop, great for a playing a couple quick holes. Conveniently, eleven leads back to the clubhouse and delivers the perfect escape route if the Pines has done you in. Better though, that you head off to the twelfth tee and enjoy yet another challenging hole.

Twelve is a double dog leg left. The fairway funnels narrowly around the first bend; too far left and you’re careening off a boulder or the cart path; too far right and yup, you guessed it, it’s easy to hit through the fairway once again. Patience, my friend, that’s why the Pines is the Pines.

In all, it’s quite a layout. The view over the pond from the clubhouse reveals the tenth fairway, most of eleven and a peek of the twelfth tee box. It’s just a taste of the whole Pines experience but leads me back to the point of this post.

The golf committee plans to post a welcoming plaque to greet golfers as they approach the challenges of the back side of the golf course. For years Carol Haberl welcomed members, guests and tournament players to the Pines. Carol’s Corner would do so in perpetuity. It is Carol’s legacy.

No one persevered until the end with more grace and poise than Carol. Sadly, she no longer gazes out those huge glass windows and out upon the eleventh green. I can only hope that somewhere, somehow, she has another little window on our world. We still feel her spirit and her pride and dedication to Dennis Pines. To name a little piece of our course in her honor is the least we can do. Carol’s Corner; I think it has a nice ring to it.

VOTE for Carol’s Corner at Dennis Pines or Dennis Highlands before September 1st! Or email GFTG and we’ll physically submit your email into the box (no virtual votes allowed per the committee; paper votes only)