Pinehurst
Nestled in the Sandhills
of central North Carolina
lies a roughly triangular
area encompassing the villages
of Southern Pines, Aberdeen
and the quaint little walking
village of Pinehurst (designed
by Frederick Law Olmsted,
who also created New York's
Central Park) and Pinehurst
Resort. The center of
Pinehurst-area golf is, and
always has been,
the Resort’s world-renowned
#2 course. Today the area
is home to 43 excellent courses
and counting. It’s
known as the "Home of
American Golf." |
 |
|
Steeped in tradition,
exuding refinement
and genuine Southern
hospitality, and
with year-round
golf weather, the
Sandhills area
is truly a golf
mecca. In addition
to Pinehurst Resort's
#2, several other
courses are among
the nation’s
elite. The list
of leading course
designers includes
Palmer, Maples,
Nicklaus, Player,
Jones and Fazio,
but the name "Donald
Ross" dominates.
The legendary Scottish
course designer
came to Pinehurst
in 1900 to redesign
the new Resort’s
#1, stayed for
48 years and created
the Resort’s
#s 2, 3 and 4 (significantly
updated in 2000
by Tom Fazio and
reopened as a new
course), as well
as the courses
at Pine
Needles and Mid
Pines.
In all, Ross designed
or redesigned more
than 400 others
in North America,
but considered
#2 his home course,
calling it "the
fairest test of
championship golf
I have ever designed." |
Pinehurst
and professional
golf have long been synonymous.
In 1940 Ben Hogan won his
first pro tournament at Pinehurst.
Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and
Cary Middlecoff won tournaments
here. A young Arnold Palmer
was a regular at Pinehurst
during college days at Wake
Forest. And who could forget
the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst
#2, where an exuberant Payne
Stewart, clad in signature
traditional knickers and
tam-o-shanter cap, won his
second Open just months before
an untimely death. The Open
returns to #2 in 2005. Pine
Needles, site of the 1996
U.S. Women's Open, again
hosts the tournament in 2006.
And Legacy
Golf Links hosted
the USGA’s 2000 Women's
Amateur Public Links Championship.
Area courses also host other
professional tournaments.
A trip to the Pinehurst area
will reward golfers not only
with first-rate golf, but
experiences and memories
that will last a lifetime.
Play the area's excellent
newer courses, but do include
at least one Ross venue on
your itinerary and commune
with both the spirit of this "holy" game
and the spirits of golf’s
greats who walked these hallowed
fairways before you.
Enjoy…
Courtesy Golflinktravel.com |
