As the first new golf course built in nearly three decades at the resort, Pinehurst No. 10 is a true gem whose layout spreads over 250 acres. It was designed by Tom Doak, lead associate Angela Moser, and the team at Renaissance Golf Design. While the golf course shares the sandy features of its nine siblings, it's unlike anything else at this iconic destination.

It's the resort's lone walking-only regulation course and boasts a little bit of everything, including short to very long par threes, fours, and fives, blind shots, greens with humps and hollows, as well as long-range views over majestic pines. Pinehurst No. 10 has over 100 feet of elevation change and holes that you rarely see anywhere, let alone the Sandhills of North Carolina.

Because this golf course is so awe-inspiring and unique, it could one day turn out to be the most spectacular of all the resort's layouts. If you're interested in enjoying a round at this historical destination, we encourage you to book a Pinehurst golf package and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

A Short Guide on How to Best Navigate the Intriguing Pinehurst No. 10

The golf course is located on a 900-acre site the resort acquired in 2010, branded "Pinehurst Sandmines." Parts of the area were an old sand mining operation that went out of business in the 1970s, leaving behind quarries littered with conical spoils that have revegetated with wild underbrush and pines. It's worth noting that the site was also the one of The Pit, a Dan Maples design built in 1985 that closed in 2010.

Pinehurst No. 10 is a rolling golf ride that will take players over humps, bumps, and hills, just four miles from the resort. The golf course features breathtaking scenery, amazing green complexes and hole routings, water, sand, trees, and plenty of great holes that will put your skills to the test, giving you many options to attack. One of the best signs on this course can be found on the par-5 10th tee box, which reads "Rest and Be Thankful."

The land features extremities and capacities surpassing other golf courses at the resort. Once the routing moves away from the calmer area near the clubhouse, the holes become increasingly expansive. The fairways cascade over long, bending slopes and wander into tighter compartments surrounded by mining archeology. While the lack of fairway visibility could have been an element that would have prompted other architects to use bulldozers to knock down the land, this didn't scare away Doak and his team.

"No. 10 starts out fairly gentle, then it gets into the old quarry work, and it gets downright crazy, then the course gets up the hill, and there's a beautiful sweeping view," said Doak at the opening. To have a better idea about what each hole of Pinehurst No. 10 entails, here is a short breakdown:

• Hole 1 (par 4): you should favor the left-center for the best angle to the green that slopes from left to right
• Hole 2 (par 3): make sure to take enough club to cover the large upslope short of the green, and remember that the back right demands precise placement from the tee
• Hole 3 (par 5): you can play your approach on the ground or in the air to a green that slopes from right to left
• Hole 4 (par 4): when playing this hole, you should keep in mind that the back hole locations require a shorter tee shot, which will allow a more lofted approach
• Hole 5 (par 4): to avoid the two fairway bunkers, proper club selection is essential, and you should be aware of the hole location, as a ridge splits the green in half
• Hole 6 (par 4): if you're a short hitter, you should use a squarer approach angle and less carry on the second shot
• Hole 7 (par 3): you should avoid the thumbprint bunker front and center of this very challenging hole and keep in mind that the green slopes a lot from back to front
• Hole 8 (par 4): it's advised to favor the left side of the Matterhorn and leave the approach short of the flag, as anything above the hole makes for a demanding two-putt
• Hole 9 (par 4): to avoid a long carry on the second, you should place the tee shot on the right side of the fairway
• Hole 10 (par 5): to avoid risking the long carry for a shorter third shot, you should lay back from the cross bunkers on the left
• Hole 11 (par 3): to avoid penal bunkers on both sides of the putting surface, a lot of precision is required, and club selection is crucial
• Hole 12 (par 5): approach shots can use the backstop for deep hole locations, and missing right is a nearly impossible up-and-down
• Hole 13 (par 4): left center offers a shorter but more difficult approach, and with a long approach, you should use an open area short right to run or bounce the ball onto the putting surface
• Hole 14 (par 3): this is the longest par three on the golf course, so it's advisable to avoid a short left swale and aim for the backstop middle right to reach the center
• Hole 15 (par 4): you should use the left ridge for a successful roll to any right hole location on approach
• Hole 16 (par 4): to avoid the sandy areas on the left, you should aim for the right center, and the most popular bailout to this green is left
• Hole 17 (par 3): for deep locations, you should use the backstop, while for middle locations, you should use the ridge
• Hole 18 (par 4): when you play the last hole, the right center of the fairway will allow for a better view and a squarer approach

The Takeaway

As most golfers have probably noticed, Pinehurst Resort has never stood still for a long time. The history of this legendary destination is one of constant expansion and the last 15 years have been especially important, culminating with the opening of the newest course, Pinehurst No. 10.

Tom Doak and Angela Moser invested their endeavors into the natural terrain so well that it's now difficult to tell what they created and what they were given on the previous mining site. While Pinehurst No. 2 will forever remain the highlight of the resort, we encourage you to give Pinehurst No. 10 a chance, as you don't know what you're missing!

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