Pine Needles L&C
Pinehurst, NC
T&L Golf, Nov 2004
Play Away: Pine Needles, Sharpened
From T&L Golf November 2004
by Mike Purkey
Restoring a master's work requires a delicate touch and a lack of ego—which is precisely why Pine Needles Lodge & Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, sought the accomplished but modest John Fought to steward the rebirth of its classic course. "The architect is Donald Ross," Fought told T+L GOLF. "My job is to get Pine Needles back to what Ross would have wanted."
The site of two U.S. Women's Opens, with a third scheduled for 2007, Pine Needles was already well regarded and long considered one of Ross's favorite courses to play—but work was needed. Green contours had eroded. The original bunkering had shifted, sometimes radically. The eponymous pines had encroached upon the fairways, altering landing areas. Technology had rendered many of Ross's hazards mere decorative items.
Fought spent hours studying Ross's original drawings and newspaper clippings from the course's 1928 opening, even consulting old aerial photographs. He then went to work moving fairway bunkers down-range, raising greens, restoring slopes and runoffs and adding pro tees to restore challenging carries— ultimately lengthening the course by 300 yards to eclipse 7,000 from the tips.
It was no stretch to call the "old" Pine Needles the second best course in the Pinehurst area. But the "new" Pine Needles is again the course that Ross himself couldn't wait to play.
GREENS FEES: $90-$190.
TEE TIMES: 800-747-7272 or visit www.pineneedles-midpines.com.
When To Go: T&L Golf says spring and fall are best. Locals recommend the blue-sky days of October as best of all.
Best Bar Nearby: The on-site Ryder Cup Lounge made Golf Digest's 2008 50 Best 19th Holes list. Named after the 1951 matches there, is just off the lobby of the resort's Carolina hotel; intimate bar and "great rocking chairs" on the attached veranda; "I'm waiting for Walter Hagen to wander in and order a drink."
Pinehurst's Ryder Cup Lounge is always 1 up
Golf Digest, By Ron Kaspriske
"At first glance, the Ryder Cup Lounge looks like nothing more than an alcove off the lobby of the Carolina, the Pinehurst Resort's historic hotel in Pinehurst, N.C. Yet every time you pass by its double doors, whether it's on your way to playing the No. 2 Course (No. 19 on Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses) or as you return from a chicken-and-ribs dinner at one of the region's quality barbecue joints, you can't help but want to stop in for a cocktail.
'Location, location, location; this is where most foursomes meet,' says golfer Kevin Minor of Chicago, who admitted it was "no coincidence" he was sitting at the bar. According to bartender Mike Bishop, many hotel guests spend more time in the lounge than in their room. The phrase "stumbling distance" comes to mind.
'They meet there before playing. They meet there when they get back. They meet there before dinner. And meet there again for a nightcap,' he says.
Location is one of several reasons the Ryder Cup Lounge was named one of Golf Digest's 50 Best 19th Holes.
The PGA of America, which controls the Ryder Cup, granted Pinehurst special permission to use the name when the lounge opened in 1986, and a Ryder Cup trophy used to be displayed in the room. The trophy has since been moved to the resort's clubhouse. Still, if you need to get fired up to play a match, it's worth a trip into the lounge to see the memorabilia from past Ryder Cups. The highlight is a wall dedicated to the 1951 matches that were played at Pinehurst. Look at the U.S. team photo, and you'll see an impressive group of golfers: Snead, Hogan, Burke, Demaret, Mangrum. It's no wonder the Americans won 9½-2½ that year.
Although that team didn't have the pleasure of celebrating victory in the lounge, the bar has had many famous customers, says Kevin Phenegar, director of dining. Arnold Palmer surprised patrons when he walked in with his future wife, Kit Gawthrop, in 2004. Architect Rees Jones visits a lot. And actor/director Ron Howard can sometimes be found reading scripts. The mahogany-wood bar is unspectacular -- it seats only five -- but the room, with its dark- wood trim and tables, is a great setting for groups that want to relive the day's round. The ultimate time to be there is at dusk, from mid-March to late fall, when a bagpiper serenades guests Thursday through Sunday. And the best spot to listen is on the porch (above right), adjacent to the lounge. THE HOUSE COCKTAIL What better than iced tea to capture the spirit of the South? The lounge's Carolina Peach Tea is made with a ¼ oz. of rum, vodka, gin, tequila and peach schnapps. Top off with peach nectar, sour mix and sweet tea. Garnish with a peach slice."
Mr. B's Lounge (or the adjacent porch) @ The Pinecrest Inn is also a great spot for a beer after a round. The Inn was once part-owned by Donald Ross himself. The small, homey hotel features nightly singalongs around the piano, a throwback to a simpler time. Named one of Golf Magazine's 2003 "50 Coolest Places In Golf", and also made Golf Digest's 2008 50 Best 19th Holes list: "Mr. B's Lounge is "the watering hole for about 43 courses in the area"; decorated with photos and paintings of former owner Donald Ross; fireplace has a wooden slab with a bull's-eye hole: "Chip balls through the hole; loser buys the drinks."
The only Gentlemen's club we found in the area is Pure Gold in Southern Pines, across the street from Shoney's on US 1, $12 cover, $4.50 beers, strong talent, tame $20 couch dances, crowded weekends.
T&L Golf also likes:
DUGAN'S PUB
2 Market Sq, 910-295-3400, $
Other than resort and hotel bars & grills, Dugan's is all the Village offers in terms of nightlife. Walking distance from the "downtown" hotels and inns, Dugan's offers pub fare (including homemade potato chips) and a good beer selection (including a rarity in the South: Guinness on tap). Downstairs you'll find a 2nd bar area with live music and a pretty happening after-hours scene.
Where To Grub: The breakfast buffet at Pinehurst Resort's Carolina Room was also named to Golf Magazine's 2003 list of the "50 Coolest Places In Golf". Don't miss the homemade bisquits in red-eye gravy, as you're serenaded with live piano music.
The best wings in Pinehurst are at the Scottish-style Darling House Pub & Grill (40 Chinquapin Road). Recommended by native Buffalonians, and try the Beef On Wyck too.
For informal dining, T&L Golf likes:
THE SQUIRE'S PUB
1720 US Hwy 1 South, Southern Pines; 910-695-1161 $$
The Squire's Burger has been rated the best in town, and out on the course you might overhear locals setting wagers for the delicious fish-and-chip dinners. More than 40 beers available, with many ales imported from England. Closed Sun.
SEAGROVE DAIRY BREEZE
311 N Broad Street, Seagrove; 336-873-7612 $
When visiting the Seagrove pottery studios, stop by this mainstay on the side of Bus. 220 and get a vanilla shake and Burger with cole slaw and chili--it's almost worth the trip by itself.
We were on a budget and didn't eat out much. Some Pinehurst regulars we met liked The Barn or Shucker's Oysters. The parking lot at The Lob Steerwas full every night, and the menu atSagebrush Steakhouselooked appetizing.
For more formal and upscale dining, all of the hotels and resorts serve fine food and offer superb service. T&L Golf also recommends:
BEEFEATER'S
(American) 672 SW Broad Street, Southern Pines; 910-692-5550. $$$
The name says it all; for the past 15 years, this has been meat and potatoes at its finest. The place has the poorly lit, white-tablecloth feel of a proper steak house. Recommend the prime rib.
1895 ROOM
(American) The Holly Inn, Pinehurst; 910-295-6811. $$$
No matter where you stay, you should reserve a table at the 1895 Room, the exceptional restaurant operated in what was once the atrium-covered carriage entrance to the hotel. The food reflects the Pinehurst spirit as a mix of New England and North Carolinian cuisine. The menu changes seasonally, but look out for Jugtown oysters with andouille sausage, spinach, sambuca and fontina cheese as a starter and the roast tenderloin of veal with blue-crab hash and hollandaise sauce.
MAGNOLIA INN RESTAURANT
(American) 65 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst; 800-526-5562. $$$
Another of the finest restaurants in the area is located in an inn, but even if you're not staying at the Magnolia, you're always welcome here. Fantastic food and a cozy setting. Try the rack of lamb or Atlantic salmon.
Where To Stay: If you can afford the accomodations or a golf pacakge, the lodging at the Pinehurst Resort is top notch, and also required to land a tee time at any of the resort courses. The real heartbeat of the Pinehurst area is the Village Green, a small town reminiscent of New England charm. The town’s center is within walking distance to some of the finest old-world hotels, including the Pine Crest Inn mentioned above.
On our budget we stayed at the Hampton Inn (1675 US Hwy 1 S, 910-692-9266), and it's within stumbling distance to Pure Gold.