With a rich history dating back to 1895, Pinehurst Resort is home to nine golf courses. The following is a short description of each course at this amazing golf destination:
- No. 1: As the first golf course ever built at Pinehurst Resort, this is a course whose first nine holes were designed by Dr. Leroy Culver and whose last nine holes were built by John Dunn Tucker. It was finished in 1901. Recalling his Scottish heritage, Donald Ross subsequently added numerous bunkers, both across the fairway and around the green.
- No. 2: This golf course is considered Donald Ross’ masterpiece. It has served as the site of more single golf championships than any other golf course in America and hosted back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships for the first time in 2014. The championship will return to Pinehurst Resort in 2024.
- No. 3: As another classic design by Donald Ross, this course is the shortest at the resort, at just 5,155 yards. However, you shouldn’t let the modest distance fool you, as the par 68, renovated in 2017, features many of Ross’s original design characteristics throughout the classic layout. The small elevated greens – averaging just 4,500 square feet each – demand great precision.
- No. 4: Designed by Gil Hanse, the fourth golf course at Pinehurst Resort is the perfect complement to the second one. It’s a bold expression of pure, timeless Carolinas Sandhills golf. Breathtaking from tee to green, exposed sand areas, wide cross bunkers, and native wire grass meld with the course’s rolling topography and natural ridge lines to create dramatic vistas.
- No. 5: The fifth golf course was designed by Ellis Maples, and its most famous hole is the par-3 14th, which is also known as the Cathedral Hole. The hole is fronted by a pond and encircled by ancient pines, the tops of which resemble the pipes of an organ. The architect believed that it was the designer’s job to find the golf course that resided in the land’s structure, so his fealty to the land is striking in the variety of this course.
- No. 6: Designed by George and Tom Fazio, the sixth golf course at Pinehurst Resort is located a few miles from the center of the resort. They began working on the course in 1975, but Tom returned in 2005 to create new bunkers, soften angles, and seed faster greens. The result is a more rugged, undulating track demanding bigger drives and a more aggressive approach.
- No. 7: The seventh golf course was designed by Rees Jones and is a championship test. Its layout unfolds over dramatic, hilly terrain dotted with wetlands in the lower-lying areas. Every hole on this amazing golf course features something to test your game. Tiger Woods won his lone Pinehurst title to date there in the 1992 Big I Junior Classic.
- No. 8: Designed by Tom Fazio, this golf course synthesizes all the elements of the Pinehurst golf experience into one layout. The renowned architect took full advantage of the 420 acres of rolling terrain and natural wetlands to create a course that’s visually enthralling and challenging but fun to play. The eighth golf course opened in 1996 to commemorate Pinehurst Resort’s centennial.
- No. 9: Having said multiple times that his all-time favorite golf course at Pinehurst Resort from a design standout was the second, Jack Nicklaus also designed his course at the resort. The famous architect built his masterpiece amidst the longleaf pines. The ninth golf course is a magnificent 7,122-yard layout and is as meticulously designed as it’s compelling.
Therefore, if you’re planning a golf vacation at Pinehurst Resort, you won’t have time to get bored, as you can choose from a whopping nine spectacular golf courses designed by acclaimed golf architects.