Pinehurst North Carolina

By TOM LANDERS A Pure Golf Experience

The Sandhills region of North Carolina is a unique geographical location that was spawned thousands of years ago. It features sandy soil and vegetation, such as the famous Carolina pines, which gives golf in this neck of the woods a special quality that has the feel of woodland and links courses all once.

The Village of Pinehurst and surrounding area showcases almost 40 championship courses. Every major golf architect has left his stamp on the Sandhills area, including Donald Ross, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, Rees Jones, Gary Player, Mike Strantz, Ellis and Dan Maples, Davis Love III and Gene Hamm.

Quite simply, the Village of Pinehurst area has more top-ranked courses within a 10- minute drive than any other area in the country! Since the 1930’s, champions from every generation have played their way through this golfing Mecca in such events as the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and the Ryder Cup. Come walk in their footsteps and make your own golf history.

Most golfers know of Pinehurst, the magical resort that boasts over a half dozen historic courses. We had the pleasures of playing four other courses that make the area famous -Mid Pines, Talamore, Mid South and Pine Needles. While perhaps not of the majesty and household name status as Pinehurst Resort’s courses, all four are wonderful routings that carry with them that definitive Sandhills flavor.

Myself and several buddies decided to make the area a golf getaway and we came back inspired and pleased to have had the chance to play such super layouts.

Our first day we gave Mid Pines a go. It remains exactly as the world renowned architect built it in 1921 and impeccably restored by Kyle Franz in 2013. The renovation was honored with GOLF Magazine’s Best U.S. Resort Renovation and Restoration of the Year. The course, often characterized as “pure Donald Ross,” was designed to fit perfectly into the natural landscape, as was Ross’s signature approach. Mid Pines was not intended to be a daunting challenge for the finest players competing under championship conditions, but was envisioned as a course that would offer friendly competition for members and guests of a private club and resort. However, accomplished golfers and pros have taken note of the perfectly preserved course and Mid Pines has become a classic gem, which has now played host to many national competitions including the 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. Mid Pines was incredible and what I felt was the “purest” course we played in an aesthetic sense. It was like a walk through the woods; fun, with ridiculously cool greens. Every hole was picturesque and it’s what you envision when people talk about Pinehurst area courses. I could play 36 there for a couple days in a row and never get bored. The clubhouse was awesome; you could feel the history just walking through it. Mid Pines is a classic throwback to a simpler era and it makes you take a breath and slow down. Staying there I’m sure leads you into a different pace.

The next day it was as the Talamore Resort with two courses, Talamore and Mid South. Talamore is a big and bold resort style course.

Features were bunkers that seemed to reach China on a few holes and big, sweeping holes with massive greens. The course lets you grip it and rip it and it makes for a fun round. MidSouth isn’t as delicate as Mid Pines and much more refined than Talamore. It was a perfect balance of the previous two we played. I felt the course was filled with resort signature holes; done right, not cliché. Inside the clubhouse we found an awesome bar with good food.

Talamore recently went through a remastering plan, which reimagined the both tract through a clever combination of restoration and rejuvenation projects that unlocked the course’s hidden potential. The project was executed by a huge team including course superintendent Rusty Smith, David Walsh and their staffs, and PGA professional and General Manager Matt Hausser. Alongside the Resort’s staff were the skilled crews of Shapemasters, a world-class certified golf course builder that has worked for many of the major modern era golf course designers including Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Arnold Palmer, Pete and P.B. Dye, Tom Fazio and Greg Norman.

Greens on the courses were restored to the original Rees Jones and Arnold Palmer designs, resulting in a 25 percent larger putting surfaces, and the addition of generous 60-inch Tif Eagle Bermuda green collars. The new Champion Bermuda putting surfaces provide significantly better playing conditions than its bent grass predecessor and put Talamore’s and Mid South’s greens on par with the other top courses in the area that have already made the switch to Bermuda greens--Pinehurst No. 2, No. 8, the Country Club of North Carolina, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Tobacco Road.

The courses feel bigger with the fairways opened up, limited rough and the removal of excessive bunkering. Improved cart access and the reshaping of certain areas to help cart flow has improved pace of play and general enjoyment of the course. Scotland and the Sandhills collide with the addition of 12 strategically placed, old-world style sod wall bunkers. Talamore is the only course in the Village of Pinehurst/Southern Pines area with multiple sod wall bunkers.

On day three, we checked out Pine Needles, an award-winning golf course and the first in the nation to be awarded four U.S. Women’s Open Championships. Named the number four course in the state by Golfweek, the layout was designed by the legendary Donald Ross in 1927, and meticulously restored by Kyle Franz in 2017. Today, the course spans more than 7,000 yards with each rolling hill and fairway bunker reimagined to reflect the challenges Ross envisioned nearly a century ago.

We had the pleasure of staying at the Jefferson Inn, which has a classic feel and fits perfectly with Southern Pines. We enjoyed a walk through the town of Southern Pines from the Jefferson Inn. The owner of the Inn was very helpful in pointing out great places to eat and things to do in the area.

The Inn’s cozy wood bar with pot belly stove just asked you to relax with a Manhattan. The rooms we stayed in were very impressive. Expecting a more period-style room, we very pleased to find it was fully updated with current amenities. Beds were beyond comfortable and the bathroom spacious. We will be booking there next spring..

We had breakfast one day at Betsy’s Crepes which was Ahhhhhhhhhmazing! One day is not enough. It was quick, delicious and the best way to start your golf day. After playing we hit the Pinehurst Brewery, a modern brew pub with a great view, good food and a fun atmosphere.

The Workshop close by in Aberdeen was also sublime. It’s small and cozy and has scrumptious food. We nearly tried everything and could barely walk after. Mac and cheese bowls, sandwiches, specialty drinks--the works. We didn’t play Pinehurst #2 but the clubhouse was worth the trip. Steeped in history and memorabilia, just walking the stairway you can see a who’s who of golf and the great matches they played. It has a beautiful bar area where we had fantastic burgers. There’s a neat view of the course.

The area had it all; special, immaculately groomed courses, great accommodations and fine places to eat and relax. We’ll be going back soon, I’m sure.

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Pine Needles