Pine Trees, Pints and Yeti Coolers

Buckle in, this is going to be interesting. Unfortunately, for the regular readers of this site and those currently reading this here article, you will not be getting the usual eloquent writing of Ed or the camera work of our dear Charles. Instead, you are going to have to strap into what will inevitably be a chopped up piece of prose that was sent back and forth, some 45 times, between Luis and Stuart. Either way – try to look past the typos and enjoy a look behind the gates at the Tree Farm.

To say we came in hot was a bit of an understatement. After a beyond raucous evening in Charlotte, involving a case of Miller Lite, two bottles of claret and a few unlucky ladies, Stuart and Luis crawled their way past the gate of the Tree Farm. We made our way down Tree Farms very own Magnolia Lane (this was actually a construction entrance due to the damage of Hurricane Helene) and the hangovers were subsiding as excitement kicked. As we wound our way through this temporary entrance, we caught a glimpse of 16 green and 17 through the windows of our rented truck. The anticipation was palpable as we rolled by the newly erected members’ cabins and toward the club house.

We pulled up to a flurry of activity. The traditional bag drop and attendant were replaced by a young man stoking a fire, another helping us unpack the truck and move our clubs onto a homemade pine tree bag rack. A caddy (obviously well versed in his DC golf) asked if we really had to come this far to play golf just because Chevy Chase was under renovation. The Pro Staff and a Starter were eagerly waiting at the door to show us the facilities and take care of us after our journey. The sense of open welcomeness was unmistakable and could only be described as one thing, Southern Hospitality.

Before I continue, I think it is important to reflect on the immense summer of golf the Eden boys enjoyed (specifically Luis & Stu). Visiting clubs like Rockaway, Piping Rock, Congressional, the R&A, Renaissance, National Golf Links of America, please see the appendix at the bottom. This felt like as much of a clubhouse or home to golfers as any of those, despite being only a tent. That is right I said a tent, well the kind people get married in, but nonetheless a tent. It was set up such that the furthest left side acted as a locker room for members and their guests, the centre was one of the most impressively stocked pro shops I may have ever seen. The right side boasted a healthily stocked canteen, prepared with the finest smoked Carolina barbecue. It had all the trimmings of a proper clubhouse and just as much spirit as the behemoths listed above. I know everyone on the trip felt beyond lucky to see Tree Farm at such an early stage and we are certain the membership at Tree Farm will fill their new clubhouse with the same energy.

After an unbelievable welcome, we settled into a fantastic catered lunch. Barbecue sandwiches, fried chicken, even banana pudding. The pro sat with us, told us stories and continued to bring four newcomers into the fold and the magic that is Tree Farm. Shortly after lunch the JD, the caddy master, made his way over to let us know that we could tee off whenever best suited. Immediately, we jostled our caddies, grabbed a fresh bag of balls from the Tree Farm Polaris and hit the range. With the first balls in the air, the hangover returned with a vengeance. Battling through the ‘seeing double’, the mild pangs of nausea and otherwise regrettable decisions, we managed to find a beer on the way first tee and got ourselves back in gear.

As you can see above the Tree Farm is littered with Yeti coolers. (Something we hope they never change), so you are never short of a water, beer, or Gatorade. Whoever put the coolers out that day probably also laid out the pins. We say that because the first beer cooler was immediately between the range and the first tee shot. A welcome 185yd tee shot over a raving to a short sided pin on a beast of a redan-esque par 3. The first is certainly a departure from the unspoken ancient Scottish tradition of designers implementing a ‘warm up hole’ (please reference the St Andrews New Course, Gullane no. 1, Muirfield, etc). Either way, the group got off to a strong start and got away from the first hole relatively unscathed, despite some dicey putting. One aside before this story continues, is that the operations team at Tree Farm is one of the best in the game. Warm welcomes, ice cold beer, top caddies, and freshly cut and rolled greens with new cups, firm lips and & painted edges. Given the immaculate conditions, you might be under the impression that our putts were dropping comfortably into the hole on the high side, with perfect pace and an intention. Believe us, and much to our dismay, it was anything but. 

The second hole settles you into your round and starts to bring you into the rest of Doak’s fair but challenging design. The second relies on a deceptively daunting tee shot. What appears to be a prelude to Tree Farms signature risk-reward dogleg par 5 13th, is actually a fairly benign tee shot. You can even top your tee ball 160 years and still hit the green with a well struck four iron, not that I am speaking from experience. But this hole does set the tone for the remainder of the round. The course does not set out to eat you alive on shot one, the endearing cartoon logo ‘Tree Monster’ is not lurking behind every tee. Rather, the challenge Doak and Blair pose to the lucky few that loop Tree Farm is within the player.  Each hole has an interesting and unique green complex. Naturally, good shots are rewarded, and well struck irons can yield plentiful birdies. Greens like the 6th can funnel pulled tee shots towards the pin, and the 12th’s Bearitz style green can help out the lucky player. The 5th hole incorporates, ‘Rye Brows’ (see comparison shot between our photo and Ed’s from Rye) or as they are locally known ‘Kye Brows’ which present a humorous but real challenge to the short sided player that prefers a putter over a wedge. However, for the same ambitious putter: most shots falling short of the green can be played with the flat-stick from anywhere within 50 yards. Back to the point about the challenge being within the player. It is not to be said that the course is easy or simple to loop. Unique challenges like the ‘Rye Brows’ and the intimidating eye-lines are part of the experience at Tree Farm. But the challenge remains within the player. The course is as hard as you make it. Short tee balls leave long approaches into interesting and challenging greens. Poor positioning off the tee can cripple a man until the next tee shot. The smartest players need only to rely on their caddies for the requisite knowledge to score.

This is the part of the round that makes the memories and changes scores, your caddy. It cannot be stressed enough what a difference the man you meet 15 minutes before your tee time can have on your round and the larger experience. Not to digress, but this phenomenon is apparent to anyone who studied at the University of St Andrews or ever held a links tickets. At every cocktail party, and every time you are engaged in a conversation about Scotland (or the unwelcome confusion with Ireland) the caddy comes up. Usually it is with a bad accent, but always with a big smile. Either way, the caddies at Tree Farm were top notch. Scott and Nick sherpa’d us around the property faithfully never missing a beat and never letting a bad shot slow the day. Most importantly, they give you the colour needed to make the course work. They opened us up to new target lines and quickly handed the group a new ball on 15 when it was time for everyone to reload.

That last anecdote brings us to the finish at Tree Farm which was nothing short of spectacular. Fifteen is another Redan type green, with a dramatic topological scene that cannot be captured with one snap. A ridge runs from the right side of the hole, across the green, and down to a deep bunker (comparable to Hell Bunker). Luckily, the tight grass face feeds arrant balls away from the edge of the bunker and towards flat lies for a fair shot at an up and down (ask Luis). The green is a special spot on the course and makes for an optimal photo before taking on the three hole stretch home.

It is hard to quantify if the last few holes of a course are better or just easier to romanticise, especially as the sun is setting over the Carolina Pines, expectations have been far surpassed and an appreciation for golf and its magic is firmly in mind. Sixteen and seventeen are nothing short of amazing. The sixteenth plays over a hill and down towards a very special punch bowl green.  This is the same hole we saw through the dusty truck window as we drove in, what felt like a lifetime ago. Lipping out a few birdie putts left us salivating as we approached the tee on seventeen. A short gap wedge over the road to a tight pin felt like the perfect way to close out the round. A certain uneasy confidence over a short club and of course the ill placed hope for the ultimate hole in one. I can tell you safely that none of us hit a hole in one. None of us even scared it. But I think we all had butterflies over that tee shot.

The finishing hole is just amazing, reminiscent of 18 at North Berwick. It’s a drivable par 4 with a large backstop keeping the hardest hit balls from rolling into the future bar patio. Our group managed a few great tee shots, one even having a better look at the aforementioned hole in one. But it was undeniable – the group was grinning from ear to ear as we walked towards the end of our round. A few more shots were hit and jokes exchanged but by the time the 18th green was reached it was all over and we just enjoyed as we all watched Phill roll in a smooth two (four, if you count the mulligan).

Sure enough, the cooler man was wise enough to place the Yeti’s such that we could snag one more cold one as we walked back and added up the card. That walk in the South Carolina evening haze was a memory to behold.  It is hard to put a great golf experience into words, whether it is recounting a Muirfield lunch or a round at Grove XXIII, but I can say with confidence that a round at Tree Farm is safely within that circle. Tree Farm might be new. It certainly doesn’t have an ancient history associated with its Links (or at least, not yet). But it represents a trend in golf which cannot be ignored, the very fact that golf is returning to its roots. I don’t mean that the game is returning to Scotland - it is far more impressive than this. Golf is re-democratising itself, back to the people, for the love of the game itself. It’s returning to the vistas, the camaraderie, the elusive pure strike, the stories and adventures, and the endless pursuit that it so greatly demands. Tree Farm is leading this charge, and we couldn’t be happier about it

A special thanks to my father, Dale Powell, and friend of Eden, Phil Norton, for coming along and making this trip even more special than the golf could’ve done alone.

The Tree Farm Gallery: