Date Played: August 07, 2011
Front Nine Rating: 8.0 Stars
Back Nine Rating: 9.0 Stars
Approximate Weekend Price Range: $29.00 to $65.00
Where To Get Coupons: Texas Outside

Brief Description:

Nestled in the tall trees along the shoreline of Cedar Creek Lake is a fantastic golf course and golf community - Pinnacle Golf & Boat Club. This hidden gem and well kept secret is about 75 miles southeast of Dallas and it is a public course within a very nice gated community with beautiful waterfront and golf course homes. The Community is very friendly and active with tennis, a clubhouse, pool, marina, and lots of planned events. Golf memberships are available and are very reasonably priced.

Pinnacle Golf Course is a fun and challenging 18 holes of golf. The terrain is gently rolling and heavily treed and the course meanders through the community. To score well on this course, you need to have chat with your clubs, give them a little pep talk, a good cleaning, or whatever it takes to get them to hit the ball straight. Unless you can consistently hit your drives straight, you should consider leaving the driver at home and replace it with a tree trimmer or a chain saw.

All of the fairways are narrow and if you spray the ball you'll be spending some time getting to know the squirrels. Before you head out, you should go to your nearest forest and practice getting out from under the trees. But don't let that scare you away from playing this fantastic course. There is no out of bounds and it's actually pretty easy to find your ball and get back into the fairway - and in the heat of the summer the trees provide some great shade!

The front nine is going to get you warmed up for the back nine. On the front nine, there is water on three holes, six doglegs, 31 of the 43 bunkers, and some narrow but fun and interesting holes. Take #4 for example, this beautiful 503 yard par 5 dogleg right requires you to carry a pond in front of the tee boxes (no problem!) and head slightly uphill for a precise landing in the narrow fairway - avoiding the three bunkers (a problem!) strategically placed where your ball wants to land. If you're long you're in the trees, short and you can't cut the turn to the green. Your second shot needs to head straight down the narrow tree lined fairway for the approach to a steeply sloping small green protected by a couple traps in front. #7 is a beautiful par 3 with a 215 yard carry across a pond to a oblong sloping green with a couple large traps on either side.

The greens were in fantastic condition when we played. You'll find the greens are a little smaller than normal, some were elevated and turtle top, a couple had minor undulation, most were non traditional shapes and sizes which makes putting and approach shots interesting, and all of them had lots of slope.  For example, you'll find greens that are small ovals, shaped like a light bulb, and skinny oblong with a dog right.  They are about average speed, true, and relatively easy to read.  Practice putting before you head out.

The back nine of Pinnacle Golf Club is outstanding - fun, unique, memorable, and challenging. Club selection, course management, and strategic shot making are key if you want to score well on this nine. You're going to find a little bit of everything to keep you on your game - very intriguing greens with plenty of slope and unusual shapes, water on 7 of nine holes, berms/mounds, open to narrow fairways, sharp doglegs, and well protected greens.

The back nine has 3 holes that are particularly memorable - 13, #15, and #16 - and you'll want to come back and play again.  #13 looks pretty easy from the tee box - you can see the flag 421 yards straight up the fairly wide fairway and you'll catch a glimpse of what looks like a small pond. But when you're ready for your approach shot, it looks a little more intimidating - you need to carry a pond that crosses the fairway and heads down the left side and around the back of the green. And then you have to hit a small green that is protected by the pond three quarters of the way around and large bunker on the right front and side. Survive that one and you have an easy 175 yard par 3 followed by the #2 handicap fifteenth hole. #15 is really fun and challenging - a 406 yard par 4 with a landing zone with water if you're long or two fairway trees which hinder the approach shot if you land near them. Then you carry an interesting water formation a very well protected oblong green with both slope and undulation. And 15 is just a warm up for the 16th hole! What a fun nine!

The last time we played is was suffering like the vast majority of other Texas courses which had suffered through a tough winter with snow, ice, and freezing conditions only to be followed by a severe drought with no rain and hot humid days.  In fact, in August Dallas was about to set a new record of over 40 days of 100 degree temperatures!  As such the fairways and rough were in pretty bad condition on the front nine with lots of dry or bare spots.  The back however was in much better condition. 

The bunkers were in varying states from nice white sand to hard brown sand to being overrun with grass as they transition from sand to grass bunkers. 

Overall, Pinnacle Golf Club is an enjoyable, yet challenging 18 holes of golf that we really love playing. In fact, we liked the course and amenities so much that we decided to become a member! Come out and join us for a round of golf.

In May, 2011, the Challenge Golf Group purchased the Pinnacle Golf & Boat Club and immediately started making some needed improvements and has plans to continue with additional enhancements and improvements.  To date, an extensive landscaping project is underway at the Clubhouse and construction has begun on a new "19th Hole" bar and grill at the Clubhouse.  Also planned for 2011 are a new Member’s Fitness Center and a private beach area on the lake behind the pool and Clubhouse. 

They are also working on softening up the course (boo!) by removing some trees that pinch the fairway or block approach shots as well as converting 19 bunkers to grass bunkers. 

Golf and Social memberships are now available at very attractive rates and Pinnacle Golf and Boat Club members will have access to reciprocal play privileges at the other six Challenge courses in East Texas.  Check out the Challenge Group website and their portfolio of some excellent courses including Garden Valley, Eagles Bluff, and The Woods.  Better yet, check out the Azalea Golf Trail where you can play all 7 of these outstanding east Texas Golf Courses.  You can also read about our Playing The Azalea Trail article.