You may ask us, why go to North Carolina if, say, California, Florida, or Hawaii with their hot sun, spectacular ocean views, and nice ocean breezes are more pleasant places for a vacation or a romantic weekend getaway. This is true, but North Carolina with its lush green mountain ranges, breathtaking waterfalls, and very comfortable mild climate has its own adventures and pleasures to experience and to enjoy.
Let's see... If you come to North Carolina to explore nature, you won't regret it! If you come to North Carolina for a small historic adventure, you made the right choice! If you come to North Carolina to play golf, you will experience the utmost of true classic golf! Whatever you wish to do on your vacation, North Carolina has it all.
As for golf, the best resort to visit in North Carolina is Pinehurst Resort and Golf Club. In fact, this is the largest golf resort in the USA, which offers an impressive 144 holes for golfers of all levels of play.
True Golf for Every GolferIf you seek to experience classic golf, you will find no better golf destination than Pinehurst. This small and romantic village was given a new life in 1895, when Bostonian philanthropist James Walker Tufts laid the foundation for the first middle-class health retreat here... Since that time, what was meant as a middle-class retreat has turned into the preeminent golf and leisure travel destination, which continues to win the hearts of many who come here to stay and play golf.
Eight fabulous golf courses with four of them rated championship will be at your disposal if you stay at Pinehurst Resort.
Pinehurst No.1, designed by Leroy Culver and later redesigned by renowned Donald Ross, features a splendid classic short layout of 6,128 yards. A very playable though challenging course with Donald Ross's clearly seen touch. By the way, the #1 Course is the most scenic and picturesque in design. So, if you want to combine your play with breathtaking scenery, Pinehurst No.1 will satisfy your demand for aesthetics!
The championship
Pinehurst No. 2 is a more famed course for it has been recently home to the 1999 and 2005 US Open, PGA Championship, and Ryder Cup. Donald Ross's creation from beginning to end, the marvelous No. 2 is a challenge because of the combination of various factors such as length, topography, unruly routing, and water features - that can make you laugh and cry at the same time. You will enjoy the course's crowned greens, and carefully placed bunkers, which form the strategic layout. Play the course and you will understand why Pinehurst No.2 is among the top 10 courses in the country, and site of more championships than any other course in the US!
If you are a true Ross fan and like his golf course designs, you will experience most of Ross's golf on
Pinehurst No.3! This classic Donald Ross short course features rolling terrain and dome-shaped greens, which have been recently renovated, making putting accuracy even more at a premium. For those golfers who don't give any preference to a golf course designer, Pinehurst, No. 3 can be the perfect warm-up for the next championship round.
The next course to follow is
Pinehurst No.4 – Tom Fazio's course. Though originally created by someone else (Donald Ross in 1919 and then redesigned by R.T. Jones and Rees Jones), the course is associated with Tom Fazio who accomplished a complete makeover in 2000. This brand new course, Fazio's superior tribute to Pinehurst, with over 140 pot bunkers dotting the landscape, offers a championship challenge to those who dare. Some of the most picturesque scenes at Pinehurst await you on holes #13 and #14. Site of the 2008 U.S. Amateur, Pinehurst No.4 invites you to practice your shots on its championship ground.
Pinehurst No. 5 is Ellis Maples's creation though having a key Ross feature - Mother Nature as the best guide in golf architecture. In comparison to its sister courses, #5 is very tight and has numerous out-of-bounds stakes lining its fairways. Besides, it has more water hazards than any other course at Pinehurst. What you'll see and experience is a lot of variety in the layout - uphill and downhill, left-to-right and right-to-left, long and short par fours. You will not be disappointed with this very playable, enjoyable 18- hole.
If you prefer long courses, then maybe you will like
Pinehurst No. 6, which is extremely long and has many elevated greens. The original 18 holes were designed by George Fazio in 1979, however, the course was given a new life when it was renovated by Tom Fazio in 2005. As a result, the course was granted a championship status due to its new putting greens, renewed bunkers rolling hills, all new level teeing areas, expanded practice area, etc. The back nine is one the most difficult anywhere. Much can be said about the superb Pinehurst No.6, but one thing is true – if you love long-yard Fazio designs, this course will become your favorite.
If you await something unexpected and extraordinary from a golf course, come and test your skills on the magnificent
Pinehurst No. 7. Designed by Rees Jones and renovated in 2003, course #7 is truly one of the boldest and most dramatic golf courses at Pinehurst. The course is laid out on undulating terrain on some of the most rugged land around the Village of Pinehurst with a lot of natural vegetation coming into play. With the use of landforms in equal parts the course assists and challenges the golfer at the same time - down off many tees into the fairway, back up on a number of holes into the greens. It is interesting how the wetlands dot the landscape-particularly on the short holes– this feature will definitely add zest to your play. With vast expanses of the sand, the "fingers" of bunkers on the 16th and the large, undulating greens, this course is sure to leave you visually stimulated on each shot. Playing course No. 7 you should know the reason for each and every movement – so your search for unexpectedness will be fully rewarded on Pinehurst No. 7!
The last but not the least golf course in this award-winning golf course is another traditional Fazio design –
Pinehurst No.8! All Fazio design lovers, this is your course! This proven championship course traverses 125 acres of wetlands and freshwater marshes. Into this design, Fazio incorporated signature Ross features, including dips and swales around the greens, sloping greens, and false fronts. Home to the PGA Club Pro Championship in 1997 and 1998, the course daunts and delights all who play it. Take part in a celebration of a century of great golf – play superior Pinehurst No. 8, which completes the unique octad of golf courses at Pinehurst.
Overall, all the eight excellent golf courses should be on your "must-play" list as offering great variety in layout and difficulty levels. However, tastes differ... and if you are up to the challenge, try the No. 2. or the No. 6 course. If you like bold and unexpected layouts – go for Pinehurst No.7. For spectacular scenery, try Pinehurst No. 1. The shortest course, Pinehurst No. 3 will be good if you want to polish off your shooting skills or teach your kids the game of golf. Experience the utmost of classic golf at Pinehurst Resort and Golf Club!
