Pinehurst Resort

This course was all it was described to me and more. I've learned that no matter your skill level, you can play any course if you have the determination, drive and love for the game. I may not be greatest golfer, but I have a 100 course bucket list and pinehurst #2 was 3rd after Pebble beach Links and Torrey Pines South. I fell in love with Pinehurst in general but playing number 2 was a dream come true, being from Florida I was used to a lot of sand bunkers, but this was lined with them, I will admit I hit a lot of shots from the sand, but kept up with other golfers in group and had an amazing time. Life is short and this course and pinehurst in general is worth very penny. The feeling you get when you hit off first tee and the last putt on the 18th is something only a devote golfer could understand. I also played #4 which was beautiful in itself. If you can get to Pinehurst, please do, it will be worth your time and money.

Played this course after a very hard rain but the course dried out very quickly. The greens were the bet I've ever played even after the hard rain. The course is very playable off the tee, with room to miss a little. The greens ... well you better play to the right spot and with the right distance. Miss one and the rolling mounds are simply fun. Not an easy track but it is simply spectacular in evry way I can judge a course - and that was even in bad weather. I could play this course every day and may not hit the same shot twice. It's fun without being overly difficult like it's older brother. Love No. 4.

This is the best course between the basic courses of #1,3,5,6. It is not at the main resort, but is only a short, 5 minute complimentary shuttle ride from the resort. Course has great views and challenging holes and is always in great shape since it is away from the traffic of the main resort. Great to play in one day along with #1 or #3.

Now "Pinehurst #9", National Golf Club is simply superb. Only "complaint" for some might be that it's very difficult (e.g. holes #1 and 4)... a typical pre-1990 Nicklaus killer. But very much worth a play if in the area. Suggestion: skip #2 with its silly greens and play #9 at less than half the price.

Unlike No 2 this course is a lot more forgiving for the average golfer. With built up rough and greens that aren't like tabletops No 6 is a far more playable course of the 8 at Pinehurst. There is still plenty of trouble on No 6 including a fair amount of OB thanks to houses on the course and several bunkers that will test your sand game. #9 is one of the most scenic holes on the course looking down from the tee to a well bunkered fairway and an interestingly positioned tree to the left. Holes like this make No 6 one of my favorites I have played at the resort, a list that now included #'s 2-4-5-6-7. The only negative to No 6 is the price, we played 6 two days after playing 5 and with 5 being half the price I would recommend playing 5 if you are price conscious and 5 gives you the benefit of being at the actual resort clubhouse. In the end all five of the courses I have played at Pinehurst are great in their own way and No 6 ranks near the top of all of the courses I have played in the Pinehurst area.

Having had the opportunities to play #'s 2-4-5-6-7 I would put #5 right in the middle of that pack. One of the true joys of playing it was that my best friend and I split a caddie for the day. Having that feel of being a "pro" for the day upgraded my experience on #5. If you do decide to go with a caddie on any of the resort courses ask for Mark Rice, great guy and a really good caddie. As for the course, it had it's moments, with a lot of out of bounds you MUST hit the ball straight off of the tee. The course also had some scenic holes including the par 3 downhill #15 which had a carry over a greenfront pond. I would recommend this course as an "affordable" alternative to 2-4-6-7 or 8. At half the price it still gives you a GREAT Pinehurst experience.

Had a great time getting out to Pinehurst No. 2 last month, and it was my first chance to see the course since the Coore/Crenshaw re-design. The course is in great shape, and the lack of rough presents both a unique look and challenge, even among the top-tier layouts in the U.S.

As with many Ross designs, the greens are the true star and that is certainly the case with No. 2. Turtlebacks and shelves wreak havoc on your approach shots, and they certainly test your short game. But it's a refreshing change from long rough and lob wedges from around the greens.

The sandy waste areas do a great job now of visually shaping the holes from the tee box, and lending a backdrop to a wonderful venue. Listening to your caddie on where to aim will certainly save you some strokes.

Pinehurst's facility is nearly unmatched in the U.S., and No. 2 is the star of the show. Certainly a great bucket list course and one that I look forward to seeing again.

Loved Pinehurst, loved the history and #2.

Played here in January, lucked out and had a nice day (the next day it snowed), played with a buddy and two locals, the course is a design masterpiece, very difficult but fair.

My Caddy was Rocky, great guy, would recommend him.

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.

“Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!” Yea, you probably know where I’m going. Pinehurst’s No. 4 would easily be the crown jewel of any other collection of courses, if it were not for it’s famed sibling, the brilliant Pinehurst No. 2. Tom Fazio renovated No. 4 in 2000 and the results are excellent. The 170 yard, par 3, 4th hole is a downhill beauty that requires a precise tee shot over a lake and equally as challenging (and risk-and-reward thought provoking) is the par 5, 13th hole that is a sharp dogleg to the left around a lake. A decent drive leaves you close enough to hear the sirens sweetly singing, begging you to go for the green in two, a carry of upwards to 200 yards over water. Both holes represent the quality and variety of the holes on No. 4 and how great golf comes in many varieties at Pinehurst.

Pinehurst No. 2 is a national treasure. While the Donald Ross’ gem always retained it dignity and challenge, as evidenced by it’s hosting a historic and a compelling U.S. Open championships in 1999 and 2005 (plus many, many other important tournaments, including the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in 2014), discussions of individual holes were always predicated with, “…when it was originally designed, it was…”. Well, after the Coore & Crenshaw restoration what was, once again, is. Their efforts brilliantly allowed the course to bloom anew. The rough is defined by vast sandy areas and wire grasses, allowing fortune it’s fancy, but it the revelation of the Ross’ ingenious original shaping and tee to green artistry will be the restoration’s lasting legacy. While the par 3, 17th hole and difficult par 4, 18th hole will garner most of the attention at the 2014 U.S. Open, my favorite stretch of holes are 389 yard, par 4, 3rd hole, 569 yard, par 5, 4th hole and 476 yard, par 4, 5th hole. Each stands alone in it’s design merits and challenges utilizing the natural slopes of the land in perfect harmony with green contours and bunkering.

Very nice classic course. Holes are varied, play was never boring. The price is high, but you get more than just a round of golf. The practice facility and clubhouse are first class and the amount of history is awesome. If you are a short hitter this is a good way to experience Pinehurst.

I had the chance to play Pinehurst No. 2 in 2010, right before they closed it to restore it back to its sandier look, then again about a month or so after it reopened a year later.

To say it's a much more interesting golf course now would be an understatement. Holes that seemingly seemed like an average, run-of-the-mill Carolina course with rough and lined with pines suddenly came alive. The greens have always been the highlight, but now the course looks really cool off the tee, too.

I had a caddie who helped me knock in a bunch of putts on the greens and, from the regular tees, this course isn't a terribly difficult play for average golfers like myself as long as you can find your ball off the tee and not do anything too silly around the greens. I even walked off the 16th hole with an eagle (I know, the US Open plays it as a par 4 - but daily play calls it a 5 and I'm sticking to it).

I know the $400-plus green fee is a lot to ask of some folks, so even if you don't have the cash, I'd recommend stopping into the clubhouse and having lunch or playing one of the more affordable of the five courses onsite. Be sure to hang out in the old village for a day, too. It's really one of the neatest places a golfer can go in the U.S.

It's going to be great to watch Mickelson & the gang try and recover from these sandy areas in the U.S. Open, and then again for the women just a week later.

I wouldn't say Pinehurst No. 2 is the only standout course on property but if you're going to play only one course while you're in town, you might as well play number 2 because of all the history. The upturned bowl greens and false fronts put a premium on approach shots and short game (especially chipping). When the ground is firm and rough is absent from around the greens, consider putting if chipping from tight lies isn't your thing. Regardless of your caliber of play, I'd say the charm and challenge of this course rests mostly in the approach shots and short game, providing the course isn't prepping for a major championship by letting the gnarly rough grow. Bottom line: I definitely recommend and look forward to returning later this year.

The redesign on Pinehurst #2 is excellent. Native grasses and indigenous sand dunes have made for a very natural feeling upgrade to Donald's masterpiece. Tee to green Pinehurst is excellent and the course doesn't begin until you get to the greens. A unique golf experience, Pinehurst is a wonderful US Open venue that presents different challenges then most classic US Open designs with thick rough etc. Having access to Pinehurst is great, BUT it is run like a corporate money grab. The range and practice facilities are in poor shape, the pace of play is slow and some of the character and charm is lost as it is run more like a factory then a golf club. None of this overshadows the course itself, but the overall experience could be even better.

The restoration of Pinehurst No. 2 in 2011 enhanced this Donald Ross original. The minimalist team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw used old aerial photos from the nearby Tufts Archives as their guide to create a visually stimulating, more strategic course ready for the back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in June. It's still one of the best walks in all of golf.
They replaced 26 acres of rough with sandy, hardpan waste areas armed with pine needles and hand-planted wiregrass.
Wider fairways will play firmer and faster, where shots off-line could sit up nicely or nestle into a trouble. Eight new tees added less than 100 yards in length, although one will transform the signature par-4 fifth hole into a par-5 for the Open. The virtually untouched inverted saucer greens (several were tweaked) are as perplexing as ever.
Over the years, Pinehurst No. 2 has hosted the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens, the 1991 and 1992 PGA TOUR championships, the 1951 Ryder Cup, the 1938 PGA Championship and countless prestigious amateur events.

The old and new collide at Pinehurst No. 4, a Donald Ross original reimagined by Tom Fazio in 2000.
Fazio did such a great job in reinventing the 7,117-yard course that it's widely considered the second-best at the resort these days. He splashed the rolling hills with more than 140 new pot bunkers, bringing the combined total of the traditional traps and yawning waste bunkers to 188.
A large lake adds a scenic touch that No. 2 can't match. Three excellent holes, par-3s at no. 4 and no. 14 and the dogleg par-5 13th hole, grace its shores. The long par-4 finishing hole, lined with a waste bunker up the entire left side, separates champions from chumps.

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.

No. 7 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club always seems to be the odd course out in the resort rotation. Plenty of local members play it, and enjoy it, but when it comes to resort guests, the big three, No. 2, No. 4 and No. 8, see the most traffic.
At 7,216 yards, this Rees Jones design is the resort's second longest track. A parade of 13 elevated greens make it play even longer. It opened in 1986 away from the main clubhouse to replace a former nine-hole employee course designed by Donald Ross. The front nine ends in a three-hole flurry of water and wetlands, including the "Devil's Gut" guarding the green on the short par-4 seventh hole.
Here's a interesting historical footnote: Tiger Woods won his lone Pinehurst title to date here in the 1992 Big I Junior Classic.

If you budget can stand it, this is a first rate course