On our boys’ trip, our second stop was the Pinheiros Altos Golf Course, which features a total of 27 holes. We played the Pines and Corks courses, enjoying the variety they offered.
Before our round, we warmed up at the driving range, which was a nice touch as it featured grass tees. However, the range balls were quite old and worn out, which detracted from the experience. Despite this, it served its purpose for a good warm-up. Adjacent to the range, there are also chipping, pitching, and bunker greens, allowing players to fine-tune their short games before heading out. Plus, being on vacation, we treated ourselves to golf carts, which added an element of fun to the day!
The course design is appealing, featuring significant elevation changes, narrow tee shots, and some challenging sloped greens. Unfortunately, the overall condition of the course left much to be desired. While I can tolerate a course in less-than-perfect shape, poorly maintained greens can really affect the experience. Even if you execute a great pitch, the ball might bounce unpredictably, or a well-struck putt could be derailed by uneven surfaces. To make matters worse, it appeared they had recently spread fertilizer on the greens, leaving our balls and clubs covered in a black residue.
That said, there were some standout holes with beautiful water features, and one particularly memorable par-4 played as a monster due to the heavy rain and wind we encountered while attempting to navigate it. Our scores reflected the challenging conditions!
In summary, while Pinheiros Altos has the potential to be a nice course, I hope they can improve the condition of the greens in the future. It’s a course worth playing, but it definitely needs some attention to elevate the overall experience.
The last hole has quite tight tee-shot and you need to shape the ball!
