Pinehurst GR (#1-#8 Courses)
Pinehurst, NC
Pinehurst #2 after a 2011 Crenshaw & Coore restoration
#2: 1907, Donald Ross
Gold 7189, 75.3, 135, 71
Blue 6741, 72.8, 131, 71
White 6309, 70.8, 77.4, 127, 137, 71
'01 Fees: $295, access limited to guests of Pinehurst Resort, Pine Crest, & Magnolia
T&L Golf Review, #2: There's a reason Ross considered this course his masterpiece: It is as true a test of golfing skill as you'll find on earth. The flat fairways are relatively wide open, boosting confidence, but the smallest mistake will leave you under the pines, in a trap or with an impossible chip to a marble-fast green. Bunkers & waste areas are in all the right places, and the crowned/false-fronted greens are like giant dented baseballs. Take a caddie for the full effect, and play from the whites to have more fun. #2 can be frustrating, but as with many great courses, part of the joy of playing it is the connection to tournament shots forever burned into our minds, such as Payne Stewart's final putt on the 18th.
Golf Digest named Ross' #2 course the #32 Toughest Course in America in 2007: "One of four survivors on our list from America's top-10 "Most Testing" courses in Golf Digest October 1969 (the others are Oakmont, Pine Valley and Medinah). It's the toughest course where you won't come close to losing a ball. Or keeping one on those roller-coaster greens, which deftly repel bad shots--and some good shots, too."
T&L Golf also recommends Pinehurst #4, redesigned by Tom Fazio and the site of the '08 U.S. Amateur. They also ranked #8 as the 10th most underrated sister course in the U.S., saying it can't touch #2 for history, but Tom Fazio's #8 is prettier with more variety and memorable holes, along with 18 tributes to Ross' crowned greens. #6 & #7 are also good second or third choices.
Pinehurst #8
TravelGolf.com Review #4: Pinehurst No. 4 represents a mix of old and new at Pinehurst Resort, originally built in 1919 by Donald Ross and then redesigned by architect Tom Fazio in conjunction with the 1999 U.S. Open.
Whereas Pinehurst No. 1 and No. 3 both play well under 6,000 yards, No. 4 was built with modern championship intentions and stretches to 7,117 yards and plays a slope/rating of 74.2/135. Played out of the same clubhouse as Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4 plays near the U.S. Open course at most points and the routing is still tight and very walkable with small distances from green to tee.
Pinehurst #4
In fitting Fazio fashion, No. 4 features rolling mounds and elevated tee shots to keep the visuals as appetizing as anywhere on property, and there is also little real estate and out-of-bounds on the perimeter of the course. A large pond hosts the par-5 13th hole and par-3 14th, perhaps the most wide open space of all the Pinehurst golf courses. The course does keep the Ross-style mounded greens in effect on many holes, so expect runoff areas and some crowned greens.
Pinehurst No. 4 jostled for position as Pinehurst's second fiddle with Tom Fazio's newest addition to the resort, the stand-alone Pinehurst No. 8 minutes away, opened in 2005.
2010 Update on #2 from Golf Vacation Insider:
The team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, known for their minimalist approach, are making major changes down there.
Pinehurst No. 2 will have no rough – Coore & Crenshaw stripped out nearly every inch of it, replacing it with natural sand, wiregrass, and pine straw areas that the course originally had.
Pinehurst #2's 12th Hole
Do you see those sandy areas with sprigs of wire grass? Before the restoration, they were almost entirely Bermuda grass rough.
Pinehurst #2's 13th Hole
This is how Donald Ross designed it; say Coore and Crenshaw, pointing to vintage aerial photographs and the course’s original main line irrigation patterns.
Interestingly, this rough removal / natural area replacement has apparently produced another major change – fairway widths that have increased an average of 50 to 60 yards, opening up more “strategic playing options.”
Other changes…
-Fairways will be kept firmer. Some 500 sprinkler heads have been turned off
-Eight new tees have been added, but overall length has been increased by less than 100 yards
-Rigid bunker edges will be replaced by a softer, natural look
Pinehurst No. 1: A lesson in the ageless golf course design of Donald Ross
By Brandon Tucker,
Senior Writer, WorldGolf.com
PINEHURST, N.C. -- All great things start somewhere. At the Pinehurst Resort, it began humbly in 1898 with the beginnings of Pinehurst No. 1.
Originally established in 1895 as a health retreat, golf came to Pinehurst (accidentally, actually) in 1897 when resort guests were spotted hitting white balls into the cow pasture. Founder James Walker Tufts asked a local doctor, Leroy Culver, to plot out the resort's first official holes for this emerging pastime.
When Donald Ross arrived in 1900 from Scotland, it was transformed into a proper 18-hole course.
Today, despite the boundless improvements to technology, the course's modest 6,093 yards and traditional design qualities remain a pleasant challenge. With minimal bunkering (often just to coral off-line shots from rolling off the golf course) plus smaller, flat greens, there isn't much that pops out at you on No. 1.
The opening tee shot is a welcoming one, playing from an elevated tee and calling for a gentle draw, or your ball could end up in the resort's equestrian club to the right across the street. The land has some pleasantly rolling, forested spots on them, some places even more picturesque than on Pinehurst No. 2, and fairways are never dead flat.
"That's the beauty of some of Donald Ross' courses," said Chad Campbell, director of golf at the Pinehurst Resort. "You don't need the man-made embellishments to make it great."
The green complexes, seeded with similar Penn G-2 bentgrass as Pinehurst No. 2, have the occasional run-off area, but they're generally more benign than No. 2. Also adding to the traditionalist vibe, there are virtually no water hazards to speak of, unless you top your drive on the par-3 11th hole -- a 220-plus-yard brute.
If you've never eagled a par 5 before, the two here are about as good a chance as you'll ever have. The fourth hole is 466 yards, downhill, while the 17th is just 426 yards, but uphill. While the par 5s are short, there are plenty of long par 4s to muscle through. Five holes play 390 yards or longer, and it will be up to you to decide whether you can fit a driver into play.
If you need any more evidence this course was built in another era, the 18th hole is a mild 152-yard par 3.
Who says golf courses should always end with a brute? Not Ross, and he knows best.
Pinehurst No. 1: The verdict
Pinehurst No. 1 is an old gem in a new world of golf course technology. It's certainly been passed up by a century of newer, bigger golf courses.
But the best golf course at less than 6,100 yards? Pinehurst No. 1 could certainly throw its hat in the ring. Unlike some other courses that date back to the early part of the 20th century, No. 1 never really feels all that cramped to the modern golfer. Playing corridors, while framed by Carolina pines, are still wide enough to at least toss the idea out there to hit the big stick.
This is also a great option for a leisurely afternoon round. Course officials say less than four hours is usually the norm and 4 hours, 20 minutes is about as long as it gets.
"It works well for golfers looking to play that emergency nine holes," Campbell said. "Or darkness is looming and they want to get in as many holes as they can."
Of Pinehurst's eight courses, No. 1 is most similar in length to Pinehurst No. 3. No. 1 is a more enjoyable play considering it's more fun off the tee and there much less real estate presence.
Stay and play at Pinehurst Resort
You don't have to stay at the Pinehurst Resort to play No. 1, but it's a good idea to do both. Often times, the resort offers unlimited golf package deals, and a short course like No. 1 or No. 3 is ideal for 36-hole days.
By staying at the Carolina Hotel or Holly Inn, you can walk to the old walking village of Pinehurst, home to a handful of golf memorabilia shops, restaurants and pubs. The Carolina Hotel recently expanded the Ryder Cup Lounge, which features an impressive tap beer collection, plus pub grub and proper entrees.
Fat Guy 2011 Note: Per Golf Digest's Matty G., the Pinehurst Resort recently purchased The Pit GC, which had closed in early 2011 due to the economic downturn. The Pit's location was desirable for the resort, as the course was essentially a doughnut hole nearly surrounded by Pinehurst Resort. There are currently no plans to re-open The Pit or have it become "Pinehurst #9" in the foreseeable future, due to the continued lack of demand for golf, along with $750,000-$1,000,000 in repairs needed on the irrigation system and other dormant infrastructure.
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 the Carolina Room on premisis 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 $$
The Squire's Burger has been rated the best in town, and out on the course you might overhear locals setting wagers for the delicious fish-and-chip dinners. More than 40 beers available, with many ales imported from England. Closed Sun.
SEAGROVE DAIRY BREEZE
311 N Broad Street, Seagrove; 336-873-7612 $
When visiting the Seagrove pottery studios, stop by this mainstay on the side of Bus. 220 and get a vanilla shake and Burger with cole slaw and chili--it's almost worth the trip by itself.
We were on a budget and didn't eat out much. Some Pinehurst regulars we met liked The Barn or Shucker's Oysters. The parking lot at The Lob Steer was full every night, and the menu at Sagebrush Steakhouselooked appetizing.
For more formal and upscale dining, all of the hotels and resorts serve fine food and offer superb service. T&L Golf also recommends:
BEEFEATER'S
(American) 672 SW Broad Street, Southern Pines; 910-692-5550. $$$
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 accommodations or a golf package, 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 in the South, 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.
Other Area Tracks To Play: Outside of the Pinehurst resort, Pine Needles gets a lot of the area press as a former U.S. Women's Open host. Target golf genius Mike Stranz' Tobacco Road is Fat Guy's favorite public course in the U.S., and Stranz' semi-nearby Tot Hill Farm GC is a Must Play as well. There are at least 22 quality courses in the area including the Pinehurst resort, so you could do full golf weekends here for years and never have the same experience twice. For area golf packages outside the Pinehurst resort, check out www.sandhillsgolf.com.