25-04-2025
Pinehurst makes planning more precarious in the best possible way
Pinehurst makes planning more precarious in the best possible way
At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, Pinehurst is a must-play destination. If you have never visited the quiet North Carolina hamlet for golf, it's time to start considering a trip. And with news this week from Pinehurst Resort of a new course slated to open in two years, there's more reason than ever to start considering a either a maiden voyage or a return trip to the Sandhills.
Pinehurst No. 11 will be designed by the esteemed team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and the new course will sit alongside the resort's No. 10 course designed by Tom Doak and Angela Moser. Anywhere else in the world, those two courses alone would be enough to warrant the construction of a new interstate offramp and a possibly a runway extension.
In the Pinehurst region, they are just two more spectacular courses in a rolling green world of incredible options. Pinehurst No. 2 is famous as a U.S. Open site packed with history and pedigree, and the resort is also home to Pinehurst No. 4 by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. As the numerical naming convention implies, there are plenty of other courses at the resort worth checking out, including the par-3 course, the Cradle.
Away from Pinehurst Resort, the classic Mid Pines is a personal favorite, and it's just one of three historical treasures managed by Pine Needles Lodge. Less than an hour away are two Mike Strantz playgrounds, Tobacco Road to the northeast and Tot Hill Farm to the northwest – both of these turn classic golf architecture on its ear.
If you were fortunate enough to book a five-day stay in the region, you would be lucky to see half of what is on tap – and blissfully tired after all the walking. No. 11 will only complicate such destination planning in the best possible way, as golf's game of what to leave in and what to leave out soon will be even more interesting. Check out more on the new No. 11 below.
