In Volume 2 of The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Tom Doak published that:

“The less well-known sister of Pine Needles has jumped into the limelight in the past two years after Kyle Franz’s fine renovation. Masa’s low grade shows how far the course has come, the conditioning and detailing of the bunkers must have been mediocre to distract from the wonderful green contours Donald Ross left here. Kyle’s new chipping areas and bunkering work give the course an old-fashioned feel that is strangely lacking on other courses in the area. The property’s elevation change provides variety, making a series of memorable holes including the drive and pitch 4^th with its narrow, angled green. Its strong three hole finish – with each dogleg rewarding a properly shaped tee ball – cemented Mid Pines as our second favorite in the area."

Mid Pines received a score of 7 out of 10 from Tom Doak, and scores of 7 out of 10 from Ran Morrissett and 4 out of 10 from Masa Nishijima.