Pinehurst Resort

Just because a calendar flips a month does not justify $196 for this course. When you have an hour frost delay and temps that don't break 50, you would think the course would not charge mid summer rates. Fairways still painted green. Tons of elevation change.

No. 5 doesn't have the reputation of No. 2 or 8, but should be incorporated into any trip to Pinehurst. If you play one of the championship courses, you can play 1, 3 or 5 for cart fee only. Challenging holes over rolling hills with several dog-legs and forced carries over water. Pay attention to the grain of the greens. With the grain, putts can be very fast. Against the grain, velcro. Played 18 holes in 2hrs and 15 minutes on a weekend. Awesome!

Look for the bale of turtles on the 12th tee.

Played this course for the first time this summer. Evidently, the greens were completely redone and we were playing the course after it had only been re-opened for a week or so. No surprise the course was in great condition and the greens were pure.

Winds through the trees and was a very enjoyable round. Wouldn't mind playing this track again on future trips to Pinehurst.

This newer addition is a change of pace from all the rest of the courses at Pinehurst, but certainly a worthy play. There's no doubt it has Jack Nickluas' imprint all over it, from the shape of the fairways, undulations, water hazards and difficulty of the tee shots and approach shots. With lost of elevated greens complexes and difficult bunkers, this is all the course you can handle and certainly presents a worthy contrast to the rest of golf at Pinehurst.

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.

This might be one of the best hours you can spend on a golf course. Conditioning like the championship layouts at Pinehurst, but playable by all levels, including expert players. That's right, you'll enjoy it if you're a good player and if you're not. It'd be pretty difficult to lose a ball on The Cradle, and there's nothing boring about it, despite the holes ranging from 50 yards or so to about 120 yards. And if you''ve never had a hole in one, this might be the course for you since there will undoubtedly be a pin position or two set up to catch a tee shot off a slope. Oh, and did I mention the course is beautiful. It's $50, but you can play it as many times as you want for the day (based on tee time availability).

Enjoyed the round here and conditions were good. Nice practice area and clubhouse. Tee shots were quite narrow in spots and this course is more difficult than No. 7. I prefer 7 but this is good and worth playing for sure when in the area. Greens are smaller and not as deep as other Pinehurst courses. This can make it hard to hold approaches on longer shots. I recommend playing a tee set shorter than you would usually play. Conditions were good and staff were nice. Of the courses I've played in the area, this wouldn't be in my top 3 but is still a good option and worth playing.

When I was told that the course was only 5100 yards after the redesign I was a little bummed out that it would have no character. I was first off the tee at 726 the day I played and alone so it made for a quick round. Since checkout was at 1200 from The Carolina quick was good. I was done by 940 and headed back to pack up my room with plenty of time to spare. So the course is short but I had a blast playing it. The two par 5's on the back were completely different from each other which was nice to see. All the par 3's will test either your iron play off the tee or your putting game on the shorter par 3's. They have taken out the rough in certain areas letting the sand and natural grasses grow back reminiscent of #2. The greens were awesome with their turtle back style. Come up short or go long and off the slope you go. I enjoyed the round and the course a lot. The value was not in line with what the course is though in my opinion. $75 for an executive style course is steep even for Pinehurst. If you want a quick round and great conditions then give it a shot. I'm glad I did.

Played #5 twice in a 3 day stretch and it was awesome both times. It is Pinehurst for goodness sake so the course is naturally in excellent shape. The staff is the best I've experienced from Kapalua in Maui to Couer'Dalene Resort in Idaho to any course in the Myrtle Beach area. There are plenty of scoring holes and some that are harder than they look. If they ever decide to reduce the rough and let it go natural like they have on 2,3 and now 7 it will add some difficulty. Worth the play if you are staying at the resort or just passing through.

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.

The information on this course is wrong, It is a 5,155 yard (executive) course from the tips. To call it a Ross course is not fair to Mr. Ross. most of the holes are considerably different from his original layout and the recent additions are cramped and, occasionally, dangerous when you are standing on the next tee.

Sad to see such bad things done to such a great place.

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.

This is a typical Nicklaus course with hills all over the course forcing you to hit a lot of shots from lies that aren't flat. With scuttle evelation changes and optical illusions like bunkers in front of greens with 4-6 foot trees in them make it tough for you to feel comfortable over shots into the greens. He even makes you pay for hitting good tee shots on some holes, like 18, where I hit my tee shot left center in the fairway and ended up with the ball way above my feet as the fairway had a huge slope from left to right. The service was ok at #9, nothing to write home about. There is no snack area so you have to go wait st the bar to get anything, even a Powerade. The pace of play was not great as this was a five hour round and when we made the turn and headed to the 10th tee there were four groups on the hole, one on the green, one in the fairway and the we were the second group waiting on the tee. So, it wasn't the most enjoyable round for some of those reasons but I did enjoy the layout and the condition of the course.

No. 2 will always be my favorite course among the resort's collection, but this was my second favorite. And now with the announcement of Hanse's renovation, I can't wait to see what No. 4 becomes. The first tee of No. 4 sits right beside the Thistle Du putting green, so arrive in plenty of time to experience it. Although No. 4 runs alongside No. 2, 4 has slightly more elevation change. The holes along the small lake - the par-3 4th, par-5 13th and par-3 14th - are standouts. The collections of par 5s are excellent, true three-shooters with virtually no chance of getting home in two. The last three holes make it tough to protect par en route to the house. The canvas is firmly in place. If Hanse restores No. 4 half as well as Coore/Crenshaw did No. 2, it will soar up the Top 100 public ranks.

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.

Greens are 100% recovered from what sounds like a rough spell. Excellent condition. Now that I've played it 3 times, I really enjoy this layout. Challenging but fair. Must avoid bunkers and CLUB UP on approaches. It plays so much longer because of all the uphill shots. Cart guys are really great and practice areas are very good. Kudos to the grounds crew as the greens are perfect and they are showing little stress from the drought.

Course should be closed until greens are in adequate shape. We were told that holes 1-6 greens weren't in good shape. None of the rest were much better. Pace of play (over 5h) was just as bad.

Played 5/17 and 5/18 as a single. Had course to myself both rounds. Played through one group. Cart guys are very friendly and helpful. Staff was nice. Clubhouse is old but well kept. Greens were absolutely perfect. Fairways excellent, too. But the greens were just spectacular. Very well kept course. Design routes through a neighborhood of nice, well kept homes. There are OB stakes in view but you have to hit a TERRIBLE shot to go OB. I got near the stakes one time in 36 holes. There is good room to drive the ball here but approaches are difficult. They will tell you several times there are 13 uphill approaches and it is true. Some are 2 clubs uphill. Bunkers are well kept but stay out of them obviously. Most green complexes will have a bailout side away from the bunkers. Play to that or it will be a long day. The course routing has no "wow" factor really, but it is a rock solid golf design that challenges and makes you think. Really strong par 3's and par 5's. Overall an excellent experience with zero complaints. I played the blue tees (6,820 yds) first day and white tees (6,340 yds) the next. If you are unsure which to play, play the up tees. As stated before the course plays longer than it shows on the card. Definitely will play again when in the area. NOTE: This course and clubhouse are NOT based at the main resort clubhouse. It's separate off of HWY 15/501 about 6 min from main resort clubhouse.

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.

Of the Pinehurst Resort's nine courses, only #7 and #8 have marsh-hazard features. These features on #7 are attributed to a bit of forced routing, whereas on #8 they are more reflective of esthetics. No. 7 has nice elevation variety, and many challenging holes. Pinehurst CC maintenance is apparent here. Overall, #7 ranks in the middle of the pack for the nine Pinehurst courses... 2/4/8/9/7/6/5/3/1. Nevertheless, an extremely nice tract and well worth playing.