The new Pines Course at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts, opens June 6 after a complete rethink of the previous course on the site. The famed architectural team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw changed everything about the old course, which measured more than 8,000 yards and was best known for being the longest course in the world for decades.
Not a single playing corridor or green site remains from the previous version of the course, which opened in 1954 with a design by Geoffrey Cornish with input from legendary player Francis Ouimet. That course was later modified by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
The new routing plays to a par of 71 and stretches just over 7,000 yards. Coore and Crenshaw were determined to use the natural terrain to create the most interesting holes with plenty of strategy and playability baked in, instead of focusing on length.
“Over the last 20 or so years, there’s been a significant change to the perception of what constitutes a ‘great’ golf course,” Jeff Kindred, chief operating officer for Escalante Golf (owner and operator of the club), said in a media release announcing the opening. “While the new Pines Course will still challenge players, it will do so without overly relying on sheer length. Instead, it will combine Bill and Ben’s classically inspired architecture with firm-and-fast course conditioning to create a playing experience that requires both creativity and skilled shotmaking.
“This throwback to option-oriented golf is embraced by today’s players and drove our decision to rethink the Pines and begin a new chapter in The International’s 125-year history.”
The International opened in 1901, and the private club is home to two courses. The club’s Oaks Course was designed by Tom Fazio and was recently renovated by Tripp Davis. Escalante Golf has invested more than $40 million in the club since acquiring it in 2021. More work is to come with a new clubhouse and member cottages.
To keep the Pines firm and bouncy, fescue grass was used on the tees, fairways and rough. Fescue is known for providing a fast playing surface across which a ball will roll and roll, forcing players to consider the effects of ground slopes as well as their carry distances.
The large greens of the new Pines are 007XL bent grass, which performs well in New England’s cool weather. Many of the greens are canted from front to back instead of the more traditional back-to-front, which further emphasizes ground-game options loved by Coore and Crenshaw.
With the emphasis no longer on length, Coore and Crenshaw focused on providing continuity and a sense of flow to the Pines. The new routing features a mix of long and short holes, and as is generally the case with the architectural team, there was no attempt to create a signature hole.
“We’ve failed, to be quite candid, if we have a signature hole,” Coore said in the media release. “To me, that basically is saying that you spent all your efforts on that one hole. You grounded the entire golf course around one hole. Instead, we believe that every hole could be a signature hole to someone, and we are proud to say we’ve accomplished this on the Pines.”
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