Which would you rather?

– Play an amazing 18 on one of New England – and the nation’s – most respected and historic championship courses.

– Play 18 on a totally new Coore And Crenshaw designed championship course, the only fully new course constructed in New England in at least 10 years?

How about both? At The International (https://www.theinternational.com/), a club that’s been tucked into the lush woods of Bolton since 1901, you’ll find the historic Pine Course, updated in 2021, alongside the soon-to-debut completely reimagined Oaks Course.

Between the two, you may just find yourself in the perfect yin and yang golf setting; one that offers classic play reimagined with a 21st century slant.

The International, began its journey as a 9-hole, grew into a 36-hole private club via the Geoffrey Cornish designed (with the guidance of Massachusetts golf legends Francis Ouimett and Paul Harney) Pines Course. It stood for decades as the longest golf course in the world at 8,040 yards from the Tiger tee.

In 2001, The International grew to 36 holes when The Oaks debuted as Tom Fazio’s first New England course. Its rolling terrain and awe-inspiring views – along with plenty of challenge – made it a club of great repute.

But The International hit on rough times, bankrupt, memberless and in need of love. Until in 2021, when Escalante Golf of Fort Worth, Texas (https://www.escalantegolf.com/) stepped in and purchased it, with more than just a plan to get it back in shape.

From the retooling of the Oaks Course in 2021, a Tripp Davis vision that includes returfing, added tee box structures, recovering former sandy waste areas and spiffing up irrigation, drainage and cart paths, the addition of a practice area that may just be one of the best in the nation, and construction of a completely new clubhouse, it was clear from the start Escalante is in this for the long run.

But it was what they opted to do with The Pines that puts it all over the top. Led by Coore and Crenshaw, the entire course was broken down and a completely new course – now in its final stages of preparation and growth, was created in its place.

A pre-opening overview of the Pines and a picture-perfect round on The Oaks showed this golf writer just how even more special The International is about to become.

Coore and Crenshaw – in business together since 1985 – are a quality over quantity golf design group; one that looks for that special something that can make a course shine. The International, Coore (who cut his teeth in the field working construction for the legendary Pete Dye) said, had what they like in a potential course locale.

“The natural mounds and native pitch pines on the property were our inspiration,” he told the Herald. Coore and Crenshaw walked the course countless times, drawing inspiration from courses, holds and features they’d played, seen or created around the world.

The Pines is so recreated, there’s one hole (hole 5) that crosses over the terrain that was previously the number 4 green, number 5 tees, number 3 fairway, number 12 fairway and the number 13 tee. That’s change.

There’s another big change too: It will no longer be that super long course. Rather, The Pines will focus on what golfers of today love: a course that’s strategic, walkable and enjoyable to play for all skill levels.

The course has some unique touches, like the decision to not have tee boxes. Rather, the fairway starts out and each day, course staff can set up tee spots where the weather, season or player level that day demands it.

Bunkers play large in the set up: Not to ruin a hole; but rather to draw the eye and demand players use strategy and yes, at times courage.

Greens are made of hard-to-aquire 007XL Bentgrass seed and fairways are half creeping red, half chewings. The rough features Fescue, or as Coore calls it, “whispies.” But rather than let it grow in thick, it’s seeded in a way that keeps it lighter – easier to hit out of and (phew!) find your ball in.

Working with Coore, The International’s Director of Golf Paul Celano said, has been a joy for the ownership and staff.

“They are just unbelievable designers,” he said. “And they are down-home type people. They really work hard. And their creativity and knowledge? Bill Coore walked the course in the winter and just saw things others didn’t and saw corridors where no one had ever considered putting one.”

He also insisted on laying down the cart paths first, rather than working them around holes. That results in shady, woodsy, true middle Massachusetts flora that feels like a beautiful experience in itself, as well as a course not cut up by paths: Only one hole has a cart path cross it.  And the paths are shady; great for those heat dome days that come so often now.

Celano said the design team had a one-word motto for the play feel: Bounce; and one word for the course as a whole: natural.

Up next will be the building of cottages (in the same spirit at the Coore and Crenshaw designed Old Sandwich CC in Plymouth, and a membership push. Those interested can contact the club for more info and a preview.

Look for The Pines to open in the Spring of 2025. And while the club has long been a spot for champions (most recently the LIV tour in 2022) expect this new era to make it a bucket list golf spot for all levels.