Pinehurst Resort & Country Club - No. 8

After having our butts kicked on #2 a day earlier, this was a nice reprieve from difficult conditions. #8 is a fun routing with gentle elevation changes and a great variety of holes.Prepare to hit every shot in your arsenal as you navigate this track. There are quite a few forced carries and penalty areas, but landing areas off the tee are quite generous, and the greens are very receptive.

The course is lots of fun to play and conditions were excellent. I would be happy to return on the next trip to the area!

We played Pinehurst #2, #4 and #8. It is without saying that #2 is everyone's bucket list but from a playable (distances from tee to green) perspective #8 is the best of these three (playing the forward tees). It is 5,064 yards and the yards on the individual holes are fair so you do have a chance at pars and birdies (compared to the length of the holes on #2 and #4 where getting on in regulation is a challenge because of the yardages).

It is also a beautiful course! It is more interesting visually than #4 and has more traditional fairway bunkers and green side bunkers. On #4 and #2 there are waste areas on every single hole. On #8 only six holes (4,9,12,13,15, and 17) has waste areas; you are more likely to be in the pine trees if you miss left/right of fairways.

I wish we could do 1/2 stars because I would give it 4 1/5 right now - for two reasons (1) the greens are still exceedingly firm from the new turf (well, redo 18 months ago) and it makes it very hard to read the greens and they were way faster than #2 from a putting speed perspective; which was really surprising. (2) No GPS in carts. It's NOT a course you need a caddy but make sure to have a distance measuring device.

Bottom line, I want to play this course again when the greens have "matured" because it's should be a great scoring track.

Note: ignore the price I listed, we had a package so I don't know the individual price for each course but Golf Pass requires you put a price in the review.

Boggles the mind that you would have starter exaggerate the yardages for the blue tees.-We had 4 low single digit handicaps and all starter would tell us is how the blue tees were the back tees--(I called him on it as I know the gold is the back and they are not out) and how the blue tees are at 6800yds-actually yards was lees the 6500 and played shorter due to firm fairways. They need to end the the play forward play quicker dialogue-If you stink you will stink from all tees and if you are a quick player you will play quick from any tees--We waited on group in front of us all day. Overall course was disappointing. My 6th time playing it-First since the redo.

This is a nicely designed course with plenty of interesting holes. But the only thing that makes it a $240 course is the Pinehurst name. And they know that is what you are paying for. This is why when the course isn’t in good shape, like it was today, they don’t change the rates or even let you know when you check in to expect some problems. Why should they? This is Pinehurst and you should just be happy to play here. Greens had been sanded 2 days ago and were really inconsistent and many putts left a rooster tail of sand. Bunkers were rock hard with about ¼ inch of loose sand on top of hard pan. Fairways had big brown patches on every hole. Just not in good shape. And certainly not worth big $ except to say you played it. The emperor has no clothes.

The last stop on our North Carolina trip was at Pinehurst No 8, another course located off the main campus. Again, a slightly different style to the famous Pinehurst look. In this case, a little more traditional parkland course, but with some elements of the more sandy style. Certainly one thing that stands out about this course is how lush it is. Really a premium course in terms of conditioning.

The layout is also a fun challenge. There are well placed bunkers to keep you honest, and a nice variety of looks. I particularly enjoyed the par 5s on this course. The par 3s were a bit same-y and shorter, but was nice they weren't all 200+ yds either.

I would put this course just a notch below No 2 and No 4, but several people in our group had this as their favorite of the Pinehurst courses we played. We all agree it's a must for your Pinehurst trip.

The golf course is well conditioned and has a good variety of design throughout. I cannot fault this golf course as a true test of a great player but in comparison to some other Pinehurst courses (No. 4, No. 9) it isn't as fun. The greens, while not wild or terribly undulating, are hard to read and subtly fall off and repel shots constantly. As a mid single digit handicap I found this to be much tougher to score on than No. 4, No. 5, and No. 9. The stretch of holes on the back from No. 14 - No. 18 is particularly brutal. Again, I think this course is just designed for very good players and as someone who is not there yet, it wasn't much fun. The staff were very nice and, again, it is a well run golf course but is much harder than I gave it credit for.

The course was in excellent condition. #8 is "off property" and is hillier than the courses over at the main resort.

While many of the Pinehurst members I talked to listed this as one of the favorite courses (often ahead of #2 and #4), this is a course built for the better (single digit) player. While the fairways are not unreasonable, where the course gets you is the approach shot and the greens and surrounds. The greens are quite firm and undulating and the surrounds generally repel shots. Add in some tough greenside bunkering and it makes for a tough examination. Unless you hit the ball quite long off the tee or hit your irons high and straight, moving up a set of tees or two is highly recommended - believe me, it will still be a challenge.

If you are looking for an easier alternative that is still on Pinehurst property, check out #8. It is slightly off property, but can be worth the time.

The layout is a Tom Fazio built in the 90's, so it has a lot of the scale Fazio was known for then. Some big bunkers and water features. However, you get some great views of nature. It is a great contrast course to #2.

The staff and amenities were good enough. The restaurant served pretty good food, and the locker room was pretty nice.

The course conditions were enjoyable. The fairways and the greens were the stars, but the bunkers also were well done.

Overall, you will likely enjoy playing #8 and keep you coming back to the Pinehurst resort.

This is another golf course that I'd like to give 4 1/2 stars if that option were available, because Tom Fazio's No. 8 design is certainly that good. It's a modern golf course, no doubt, but it fits the sand hills terrain perfectly, albeit with a few more water hazards than 1-5 at Pinehurst. There's nothing boring about No. 8 and it'll challenge the best players from the rearward tees. Like all the courses here, you can almost always expect great conditioning, including the greens surfaces.

Got the chance to play #8 for the first time in about 10 years. Tee boxes, fairways, greens, bunkers, all in perfect condition. Greens were firm and fast, but most importantly they were fair. I would put this course up against the many that I have played in North Carolina. If making the bucket list trip to play the deuce, make sure #8 is your close second.

No surprise here, when you think of the top courses under the Pinehurst umbrella #8 belongs there. The layout by Fazio is truly phenomenal. From waste areas to false fronts and drop off areas on every green, Fazio makes you work for a decent score. We played it the day after the USGA four ball was there and the greens were running about 12's which made for a tough scoring day but it didn't take away from the great experience at all. This course does battle with #7 as the second best course in the Pinehurst resort family. Put this one on your list of must plays when your venture to the Sandhills.

My review isn't a negative one. It's just that No. 8 was my last round of the Pinehurst weekend, and followed rounds at No. 4 and No. 2. Just my opinion, but one thing that hurts No. 8 is that it is not on the main property. Because of that, it just didn't feel like Pinehurst to me. As for the course, it was very pleasant. We started on the back, and Nos. 10-12 were excellent holes. No. 14 offers a really cool risk/reward play off the tee, as does the par-5 17th on the second shot. The front nine is highlighted by its' short par 4s. Many locals I spoke with while staying in Pinehurst said No. 8 was their favorite of the resort's courses. If I'm being honest, despite being a solid track, this course's reputation benefits from being under the Pinehurst banner. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in my home state of Alabama offers courses that are at worst the equal of 8, and in my opinion better than 8. Seeing as how it fell out of the Top 100 American Course rankings, perhaps more players share this sentiment. Still, if staying at the resort, you must play No. 8, simply for the contrast it provides to the on-site courses.

Played there for the first time 3 years ago, and the course was totally true to my memory. This is one of the best inland course that I've played in North America. Challenging design, lightning fast greens but still fair. Just don't go there thinking that you will play your handicap. You will need a sharp short game because every green missed can turned into a big number. Played there with a strong wind and the approach the ninth green was brutal. Still, it's a great challenge and the welcome and the service are one the best that you can have. So many great holes, but my favorites are the par four 4th, 12th and 14th, the par five 6th and the par three 8th.

Warm welcome, great folks in the clubhouse, tremendous facility and a great range. Pace of play is ideal but this a more than a hard test of golf. The layout is superb and the fairways are like carpet. The greens roll true but they are an unfair test for anyone not playing the PGA Tour. They are very, very firm and depending on where they put the pin, impossible to get it close. There was a 12 handicap in my group who took an 8 on a green he hit in 2 on a par 4 because of the severity of the green/pin location. You can't even get a divot tool in the green deeper than 1/4 inch. If you play here, expect many approach shots to roll off the green. Chipping takes a pro touch to get it close to the flag and if you can shoot your handicap, be sure to thank the golf God's. Worth a shot to play though, just be prepared for some true frustration on/around the greens.

This was the first round of golf on our Father's day trip. The greens next to #2 were the best of the trip. #8 has no hoses around it which makes its nice and isolated.

We had a forecaddie for this round, who set the bar fairly low for expectations of the caddies at Pinehurst, luckily our caddie on #2 revived that.

This course is fairly similar to #6 from a design perspective, minus the pot bunkers, rather large fairway bunkers exist. No holes really stand out in my head. and this would rank 3rd on the trip.,

No. 8 is just an excellent golf experience. The trek is much more of a parkland layout than no. 2, but still has severe roll offs, penalizing bunkers, and quick greens. This is just another excellent course at an excellent destination.

No. 8 is a good course to play before No. 2.

Everything about Pinehurst number 8 is what you'd expect at this course. We arrived, had a delicious lunch in the restaurant and hit the practice facilities. The fairways are so nice, you'd almost feel guilty to take a divot. The greens roll just like you see on tv each Sunday. The driving range provides free balls (and nice ones at that) and the range is nicely kept as well. The starters are friendly but don't overload you with too much info. The course was in impeccable shape, and bunkers were just like what tour pros play out of. A few holes with blind tee shots provided these cool boxes near the the tee to look into. Inside the box was a monitor that shows where the group in front of of you is at. Avoiding killing someone is always a plus...though I've been on courses where I'd liked to have! Our round was as enjoyable as one can imagine, and the course and staff did not disappoint. Will definitely play again.

Pinehurst No. 8 opened in 1996 to mark 100 years of golf at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. Tom Fazio paid tribute to Donald Ross by giving the 7,092-yard course a dose of Ross's false fronts and collection areas.
Cut from 420 acres of forest away from the main clubhouse, Pinehurst No. 8 remains the most scenic of the resort's eight courses. There are two loops around water hazards that are particularly beautiful and challenging, holes 5-8 and holes 14-16. All three par-3s in these locales are memorable, especially the demanding eighth hole.