Pinehurst Resort

Don’t let its short layout turn you away. This course is an absolute blast.

As a bogey golfer I really liked this course - it felt like I had opportunities to score, whether I did or not.

I played this after 5, which I felt was a wee too basic, and before 4, which was harder. No. 6 fits quite well in between them in terms of difficulty and wow factor. If you're a bogey golfer, this is a great warm-up or complement to some of the more "premier" courses at Pinehurst.

If you miss the fairway you can quickly find yourself OB as there are homes along the course boundaries. This Fazio course also has several elevated greens.

We had a cart for this course and pace was fine - finished in a little over four hours.

I really liked this course and would definitely play it again.

If you are playing multiple days and want to ease into things, No. 5 is the course to start with. If you are only playing one or two courses, I probably would not pick this one.

No. 5 has its challenges but overall is not that hard. It's not my favorite of the Pinehurst courses but it's fine. It's just not super interesting or super fun. Your muni back home probably has a similar vibe.

Our pace of play was fine - we finished in just over four hours.

This a fun, interesting, and challenging course for a bogey golfer (me). I played with a member and he knew the course well. If you aren't playing with someone who has played this course before, a forecaddy would be helpful for advice on lines to take and reading greens.

If you play conservatively on this course and avoid waste areas off the tee and the deep greenside bunkers on approach, you can walk away with a decent score. Every hole offers bail-out options, so it's tough but not punitive.

The course was well-maintained. Highly recommend walking as it is cart path only. Our pace was decent at about 4:20.

I had an average score for me but would have had a great round if I hadn't three putted so much. I would definitely play it again even though there were moments when the course was kicking my butt.

If you have never experienced Pinehurst and want the experience of being there without the cost of staying on the resort, you’re only able to play 1,3,5. I chose 5 due to it being the full course. This was not the same quality course as the others are. It showed as well. It was average to above average conditioning, but nothing special. Greens were smaller, not much undulation. Many members were on the course which looked like a member’s type of course more than 2,4,8 would be. Just skip it, play one of the other places off of Pinehurst unless you want the experience of the putting course and Pinehurst.

Pinehurst #4 is a pretty course (The best section of the course -- Holes 13, 14, and 15 with the lake). So many folks seem to say it is their favorite but not for me. I like #8 and #2 way more than #4. Here is why I like #8 better than #4 -- the distance for some of the Par 4s on #4 are just too long from the forward tees (our caddie even said a few times there is no way you can get there in 2 - and I was hitting my drive straight and 180 yards which is decent - even a considered longer - for the average/bogey women golfer). Why I like #2 more than #4 - the distances are just as long on #2 but the difference is the sand in the waste areas. My golf partner and I agreed that the waste area sand at #4 was fluffy (similar to the green side bunkers) which made it much harder to advance the ball. On #2, the waste area sand is more hard pack and as long as your ball is not in a "love bush" you can easily advance your ball. #2 is also an easier walk than #4. I think in the heat most golfers would take a cart on #4. If I was going back to Pinehurst Golf Resort and had only 2 rounds to play, I'd pick #2 and #8 out of the three (#2, #4, #8). I can't compare to other courses.

It's not that I think you should not play #4 if you are playing multiple courses at the resort, I would say play it.

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.

So many people told me get ready to be "beat up" when playing Pinehurst #2 but that was not my experience. Yes, it was a challenging course and if you're game is not in a good place I can see it "beat you up" but otherwise I was pleasantly surprised by the course.

First, a good caddie makes a big difference. If you go, ask for Chris - he was amazing, great at reading the greens. Also, if you are not a good sand player - get good (practice) -- because odds are you will be in sand at some point around a green. Now it helps to be in the fairway, but if you are in a waste area (and not up against love grass) then it's not that hard to advance the ball a good distance because the waste area is fairly hard sand.

From the forward tees, some of the distances are just plain hard to get to the green in regulation. The hardest was #17, Par 3, 167 yards (per the Caddie) from the forward tees. That's a driver for the average bogey female golfer.

The greens are fast but we experience much faster greens at #8 (which are newer). Again, with a good caddie giving you a read, it wasn't too bad. The bigger issue is the approach shot on to the green (it's hard to hold a green if you are using a wood or hybrid).

Hole 16 (Par 4/5) was the only hole with water but from the forward tees it's only 105 to carry. It's a par 5 hole for women at 416 yards.

My favorite thing about #2 was the walk...we were off at 8.10 am (2nd group) and it was the fastest round of our four rounds of golf that week (most were over 5 hours but #2 was 4 hours 20 mins and it would have been faster but they were sending off grounds on the 10th hole so it slowed us down on the back nine).

The walk is easy because most of it is flat (some hills as you reach greens). A much easier walk than #4 or #8 where most golfers seemed to take a cart.

So bottom line, I really loved #2 and all my worries about it beating me up were nothing. Yes, I had hard holes - Tip our caddie said the first six holes are the hardest. He was right - my back nine score was 7 strokes lower. :-)

The whole experience of walking the course, with a great friend, experienced caddie, and perfect weather made it a great bucket list course.

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.

Variety is good, right? On Pinehurst's terms, courses 6 through 9 offer it in the form of modern resort golf. No. 7 is a nice but fairly typical 1980s golf course: tough, with well-protected greens and a good bit of exterior mounding and shaping to show the hand of Man. That said, there are plenty of good holes, with the short par-5 first being high among them. A reminder that this is still Pinehurst comes at the lovely par-3 16th.

It is odd that the original course at Pinehurst tends to get overshadowed, but there you have it: the first course built is in some respects the resort's hidden gem. Overlooked no doubt because it barely cracks 6,000 yards and doesn't have a ton of picture-postcard holes, it is nevertheless a lot of fun, perfectly suited to a second round of the day or an early-morning last look before departing. The course's par threes - particularly the fall-away 7th and the long 12th - are superb, and add some teeth to the course along with the small, subtly elevated greens. The out-and-back routing is charming, too. Do not ignore this course when planning a trip.

The total overhaul of Pinehurst No. 4 was a resounding success. A day after playing No. 2, I was expecting a significant letdown, but No. 4 is an excellent golf course that retains its own identity. With more dramatic terrain than No. 2, No. 4 feels a lot like the heathland courses of England, with larger, more diversely shaped greens and varied bunkering, plus some water in the form of a lake at the bottom of the property that comes into play on a couple of holes. But the big Pinehurst themes - sandy off-fairway roughs, walkability, firm turf, wonderful conditions - are all here in spades. No. 2 is still #1, but #4 is pretty great in its own right.

The greatest golf courses provide the greatest pleasure to the greatest number of golfers. By that measure, Pinehurst No.2 is world-elite, especially since its 2010 restoration that widened the fairways and reintroduced the sandy areas native to the Sandhills. Not only is it an exacting and endlessly interesting test for low-handicap players, but the width and near-total lack of lost-ball trouble means even a new golfer could have a fun time while being taught the values that are important in the game (specifically, approach and short-game play!). I could play No. 2 every day and never get tired of it, and I'd have the benefit of becoming better and ever more appreciative golfer to boot. It is one of my favorite golf courses anywhere.

No. 5 sits squarely in the middle of the arc of Pinehurst's history and in the general ranking of its courses. It's not the course that thousands of golfers flock to the resort to play, but it delivers an enjoyable experience, thanks to its clever, walkable routing that takes nice advantage of the terrain without too much fuss. An appropriate arrival- or departure-day course.

Perhaps the most fun laid-back Par 3 course out there as it is a bundle of short shots and tons of fun. If you are in the area or at the resort, unwind with a putter and a wedge in the Cradle.

If you are a serious golfer you have to take the challenge of PH2. It challenges you in every way tee to green and you enjoy every minute of even the worst breaks. Everyone should be lucky to play a course like this to remind you, you got it good on your home track!

I played the Cradle Par 3 short course at Pinehurst Country Club for the first time last week.

Walked on and was joined by a nice threesome.

The starter Curt is helpful, friendly, and professional. He exchanged my bag for a Sunday bag. I brought a few clubs.

The longest hole is 110 yards. You tee from mats. The rest of the Cradle is manicured turf just like the others at Pinehurst Country Club.

This is the most fun you'll ever have on a par 3 course! Greens are fast and undulating . Bunkers are deep. I hit 9 iron successfully out of 2.

There is a bar at the 9th hole (yes, I had a beer) and piped in music to create a fun party atmosphere.

On the 9th green, people sit in Adirondack chairs, booing bad shots, cheering good ones.

I hit a 5 wood to 15 feet on the fringe. I asked one of the "gallery" how the putt broke. Took their advice and sank the putt for birdie. They cheered!

Great course for $50 that I would play every time in Pinehurst!

For all levels, beginners, and families!

You'll have fun!

I walked onto Thistle Dhu for the first time last Sunday with 3 friends after attending the final round of the 2022 U.S. Women's Open.

Designed after the Himalayan putting course in St. Andrews, Scotland (which I was on in 1975), this features 18 holes in front of Pinehurst Country Club.

Great for a little competition with friends.

Fun for everyone!

I highly recommend Thistle Dhu to "round" off your Pinehurst experience!

Pinehurst has to be one of the most if not the most magical golf experiences in the US, if not the world. I feel privileged and blessed to have played in the original and first course ever built at Pinehurst, and boy it did not disappoint. From the moment you drop off your golf bag to the moment you finish the round, it feels like you're in a beautiful dream you never want to wake up from. To top it all off, I played one of my best rounds ever, which made the experience even more delightful. Everything about the course was absolutely perfect, as if created by God, and pictures or video don't do it justice, it is a place you have to be there in person to experience its true beauty. The OG Pinehurst #1 is perfect for guys like me who are not very long hitters. Play it from the tips! Every aspect of the course is perfect and pristine. The greens are absolutely perfect. I've never been on greens where putts have rolled so true.

Walked 18 in less than four hours. Terrific conditions and fun, challenging greens. More modern course than some others in the area, with larger greens and more terrain changes. Highly recommended!