This is a pretty fun and challenging course that plays in the land around a reservoir. I'm always out here for the natural aspects first and this course is definitely better than its' neighbor, Buhl, in that department. They made good use of the land that they had here. You play mostly through some dense Northwest PA pine forest. This plays to the course's advantage because they were able to create some tight lines with it. There is, also, the reservoir that is the heart of this park but you sadly never really get close. At one point, on the 15th Basket, you should stop and take a pause. There is a spectacular view of the water that was particularly nice on an October Saturday.

The course itself is well designed. You play a fair mixture of lengths, with ample Par 3 shots but also plenty of 4s and a few 5s sprinkled in there. The holes are of demanding length as well. There are few easy birdies here for the first time player. Most everything needs a really good drive. It's never unfair though. THe lines are tight. You're going to need to throw accurately and probably need to play a variety of backhand and forehand, but the lines are there and the greens are fair, too. The baskets are very often tucked into nooks and crannies, but never once did I feel like it was unfair for the sake of being unfair.

They do have a set of concrete tees and a sign on each hole.

I'll start with navigation. I play with UDisc so I can most often wing my way around a course. I've played over 75 and have done just fine, but got lost twice here, including just trying to find the start of the course. There are some navigations, but generally a tiny arrow somewhere. They desperately need more directional signage especially in some of the switchbacks, which this course seems very fond of because you cross back and forth several times. They only have one set of tee signs, as well, which are on the Blue tees and are pretty generic.

There is one set of concrete White tees, which look fairly new. I'm happy to have concrete anywhere, so that's a plus, but they aren't long enough and a few of them weren't laid well enough to be level, especially the grooving that they put in, which is often so rough you can't get a proper x step. Finding the Red Tees for my wife was a challenge. Some were marked well, some had wood block tees, but many of them were pretty much find a place that looked right and throw.

As far as the course itself, it was fun but it also wasn't anything spectacular. That isn't really a criticism, but I believe in reviewing fairly. Some courses stand out and some courses are closer to average. This is the latter. Nothing wrong with that. If this was my local, I'd play the hell out of it. But in the grand scheme of courses, it's mostly forgettable. That has a lot to do with lack of elevation, which means more every hole gives you a fairly level drive opportunity. The landscape is also very similar, so the holes all start feeling "same-y" after a bit.

There is a bathroom at the parking lot where the 1st Tee is located. There were benches along the way, as well as garbage cans. I would recommend driving down the park road and seeing the reservoir from the docks. Very pretty.

-3 natural tees on each hole
-nice Mach baskets
-tee signs on most holes (17 was missing)
-next tee arrows on each basket
-course map next to hole 1
-great terrain with lots of nice wooded holes, some tree lined meadows with trees dotted throughout the fairways, and a more open par 5 on hole 15
-there are some great natural fairways in the woods with fair lines and a number of different shapes
-subtle elevation in play on many holes and a really fun downhill ace run on hole 16
-restrooms next to the parking lot by hole 1
-great views of the Shenango River and the Mahaney Recreational Area

-there are a few natural tees that aren't entirely level and/or don't give much run-up space; concrete or flypads would be a huge improvement
-it looks like many holes that are under the canopy will remain wet for awhile after a rain
-the road is in play on 1, 14, & 18 but it's very manageable and there's not a lot of traffic on the road

The Pines is an excellent wooded course. There are tons of mature pine trees throughout the course and half the holes play through very tight fairways. Most of the remaining holes are grassy meadows with defined fairways dotted with more trees and low ceilings. Holes 14 and 15 are the two more open holes, with 15 being a 843' crush from the blues but also a good chance at eagle for the long thrower (it's a par 5).

I really like the flow of the course. The first 3 holes are a little more open before going into 8 straight very wooded holes. Holes 12-15 gradually get more open and longer before you get the awesome downhill ace run on hole 16. Hole 17 is a wooded anhyzer and 18 plays along the road with small valley in the middle of the narrow fairway. There is a nice variety of fairway shapes on the wooded holes, with left (4,6,8,10) and right (5,11,17) turning holes as well as long straight shots (7,9). I really liked hole 12 with a wide but tree-dotted fairway with a low ceiling on the first shot, then a right turning open shot over a small creek to an open green with tough rough if you go long. It's a cool, picturesque hole with a nice bridge over the creek.

The Pines is my kind of course so I really enjoyed my round here. With a wooded course, you know what you're getting into so the 3 tee levels allow you to choose your level of challenge and/or frustration. The tees are mostly serviceable but concrete or rubber flypads would really make this a top-level experience.

This is a must player for experienced players. It's a regional destination course for sure and makes a great contrast with the more open Buhl Park next door in Hermitage. I wish I had time to play Moraine on my trip so I could compare it but The Pines is still has to be one of the top courses in the area.


**Like this review? Hate it? Message me and let me know why! I want to make them better!**

The Pines @ Shanango Lake is a beautiful, epic course that plays through the tall pines and rolling hills of Western PA.

To get to the course itself, you have to drive across a bridge with a beautiful view of the river. That was a visual treat.

The first is about a mile past the bridge. You'll see a pavilion, restroom, and playground on the right side of the street. Park in that lot and the tee will be to the left of the pavilion.

The first three holes have a park atmosphere to it. They play mostly flat through scattered trees, past the playground and pavilion.

Then your experience really takes off. One of my favorite holes was #5. It plays downhill through the tall pines (surprise). The pin position is right behind a gentle stream, tucked slightly to the right.

Hole #12 is when the course begins to open up. I love the mix here. You have a good amount of holes that are heavily wooded, but holes 12-15 open up a little bit. 18 is pretty open as well.

#15 is 800'+ from the blues, and plays gradually uphill. There is a creek midway to the pin. The green has a phenomenal view of Shenaygo Lake.

#16 is another gem. It's named "The Black Hole" because you throw off a drop off into the pines. The sun hits the trees at an angle that makes it look like a black hole right below your feet.

Now that I've given the flow of the course, I'll go into why I gave The Pines a 4.5.

Tee signs are some of the best out there. Very descriptive.

There are a ton of holes here that would be the signature hole at most courses. My favorites were #3, #5, #11, #12, #15, and #16. If I had to pick one I'd pick #16.

Walking through all of the pines is really cool. It seems to rain pine needles in the fall time.

Three sets of tees make the course accessible to everyone. Red tees are ideal for players that aren't as experienced. The blue tees are very tough, and can challenge even the most seasoned veteran.

The biggest con one that will be fixed soon. The tees aren't concrete. I think there are plans to pour concrete tees soon.

Really needs a kiosk by the first tee. You can't really see the beginning of the course from the road.

That's really all I have. Once the tees are concrete, I'll put The Pines very close to Moraine on my list.

I'll put this very simply. You HAVE to come play The Pines! Easily a 5.0 once concrete is poured, so much fun. Great way to end my PA trip!

Holes clearly marked, lots of different throws needed to complete the course. Wooded holes every where, making for a challenging, yet fun course. And since everything is pine trees, finding errant throws is easiee than normal.

No tee pads yet, but the natural tees are maintained

Nice course in a quiet little park. This 18 hole course will test your skills @ shot placement & short game. Very well layed out tees to basket placement. There's a different feel to this course that's very pleasant. The paths between holes weave in & out of the woods with little signs that easily point you to the next hole. Three tee pads for all skill levels. This course is only 8 minutes from Buhl Park DGC.

Roots! This course has them everywhere! Most holes rollers are not an option. And if you use a cart your in for a bumpy ride. This course can get rather muddy if it's rained lately. This course has grass tee pads that can be a little slick. Lots of trees in just the right spots for challenging shots. The newly installed back 9 is a little on the rugged/rough side in some places. Some holes have VERY tight fairways!

This is a nice course where shot placement can be the difference between a good & bad day. I rather very much liked this course & its now a full 18 hole course. A lot of work went into putting the back 9 in and over time it can only get better. If this course had cement tee pads it would be a BIG improvement! Stop & play if your in the area.

Great skills course that makes you bring everything you got. Tunnel shots, wooded shots, open shots. Two sets of tees for challenges. Great use of landscape.

Back 9 coming next year to round out a full 18 but for now it's only a great 9. A few hole locations could be confusing for someone new to the course but just follow the orange directional signs.

Well marked, new baskets, easy to navigate, no bad holes, nice park/woods, friendly people, cleared fairways.

Relatively short, natural tees, no special holes. No nearby amenities (that I could detect - only played once). Several similar holes at the end - mostly threw a mid-range to stay in the fairway. No challenges unless you want to try to throw a straight 500-footer.

I don't have anything to add to BigAl724's description of the course features. The course is a perfectly fine, very average 9-hole course. I realize it's new and there will probably be more work done on it but I have to rate what I played. If it were my local course, it would be great for the weekly club outing. It was fine to play once but it is not a destination course. If 9 more holes were added, I would probably come back and try them. Looks like intelligent design - just nothing special.

Beautiful Landscape and area to play disc golf. This course takes you through the scenic Mahaney Recreation Area at Shenango Lake...Through mature pine forests...Decent elevation change, but not enough to make you feel like a billy goat by the end of the round! I feel as though the course offers a little bit of something for everyone of all skill levels, it has the open holes for beginners and long throwers and the tight technical holes for the more skilled chuckers too! My 7 month pregnant wife & I take our 2 year old son to introduce him to the game and spend time outdoors and we all have a blast! Big thanks for the designer for all of the hard work, creativity, and challenging layouts!

theres only 9 holes! In all seriousness, once there are a full set of 18 holes, this will be the premier course in the area!

Theres a playground and restroom nearby, as well as a big lake and hiking trails, pavilions for whatever you would want or need to do! Make a day or a weekend out of it!

9 in the Pines is a newly added course located in the Mahaney Recreational Area north of Hermitage. Look for a pink flyer directing you to the course, with hole 1 starting right by the parking lot. The course plays in a beautiful setting with a few open holes but mostly sculpted out among mature pine trees. For 9 holes, it offers a great mix of hole types and shots, starting with hole 1's fun downhill shot to a blind basket. This is a nice way to open the course and warm up for the rest of the round. Hole 2 is a tight tunnel shot and 3 gives you a final chance to really open up. Holes 4-9 then take you through the pines, offering a wide variety of shots.

I was impressed with how much clearing has been done to design the holes in the woods. This isn't the case of the course taking advantage of preexisting paths; a tremendous amount of clearing has been done to develop these holes and offer multiple lines and shots. Hole 7 is a really beautiful hole and - while it is still tight and technical - is a great change in scenery from playing right within the pine trees. This helps course flow and variety. Hole 9 presents you with a long par 4 through a tight tunnel. 5 was my favorite, a fun sharp, downhill left to right shot to a blind basket. The biggest elevation change on the course.

Two tee positions do a good job of offering different difficulty levels in changing distances and looks on many occasions. Baskets are in great shape with huge rims.

Lots of navigational aids point you in the right direction from hole to hole. This really helps since there are often multiple paths in view.

Most of the problems exist because this course is very new, but I still feel the designers have already done a great job up to this point. Most of these aspects should improve over time:

Tees are natural but have been cleared and leveled. Tee signs are nice but they are small and temporary.

The rough isn't terrible but there are lots of weeds, sticks, and other undergrowth in the woods. Should only get better as more people play here.

There are many paths within the woods. Since the course is newer, I think people have yet to discover the additions that the course brings to the park. The area wasn't too crowded, but I ran into some trouble with people walking through fairways.

Again, not huge cons, simply the makings of a new course.

There are slight elevation changes on some holes, but the land is mostly flat.

9 in the Pines offers a well-balanced 9 holes and is a nice addition to the area. It offers a good technical challenge without being too demanding. Nothing really wowed me here, but it is a solid course that plays in a beautiful setting. I am sure that the course will only improve over time - especially if another 9 is added - so I see my rating going up in the future. A pretty quick round, so well worth a stop if in the area.

Awesome new course 100% playable from Long and short. Excited to see this course only get better. Excited to see pads and another nine in the future. Very technical course and only gonna make you better.

Only con is its been open less than a month.

Thanks for all of your hard work Trevor