GolfBlogger’s Pinehurst Trip

GolfBlogger’s Pinehurst Trip

With the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2, I thought I’d revisit some of the articles I wrote about my early spring 2021 trip to Pinehurst.

On the trip, I played Pinehurst No. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8. I also got in a round at The Cradle and at Tobacco Road.

Pinehurst No. 2 was by far the most challenging of the courses I played. I like tell people that it beat me up, stole my lunch money and left me for dead.

As tough as it is, I think if you have the wherewithall, you should play it. It’s historic and a

I am convinced, however, that if I were to play it again, I would do much better. Also, I would take a caddy. If you go, absolutely get a caddy.

Of the courses I played, Pinehurst No. 4 was the one I most want to go back and play again. It was a joy to play without being easy. I had to think about my shots, but never felt as though I was given the death penalty for a poor choice or poor execution.

I think you could play Pinehurst No. 4 every day and never get bored.

Pinehurst No. 3 was my second favorite. It is short (5, 115 yards), but still offers the full Donald Ross experience. It has the tricky green complexes and waste areas, and more than a few shots that you just have to take on faith.

Pinehurst No. 5 was the first course I played on my trip to the resort. It is an Ellis Maples design that opened in 1961. Maples’ father was the longtime construction superintendent for Donald Ross and Pinehust’s greenskeeper. Ellis Maples supervised construction on Ross’ last design, the Raleigh Country Club.

No. 5 is a bit more tame than some of the other courses I played. I would recommend it as the first course you play on your travel day.

Pinehurst No. 8 reminded me quite a bit of some Michigan courses “Up North.” It had isolated, pine tree lined fairways, marsh and some interesting elevation changes. The sandy areas also reminded me of some couuses I’ve played in Northern Michigan.

Tom Fazio designed No. 8 for the course’s 100th anniversary, so it is not surprising that it is a bit different from the others at the resort. It is still well worth a play though.

And then there’s The Cradle, Pinehurst’s short course. Play it after a round to relax, wandering the ten acres with a couple of clubs and a putter. It’s just pure golf fun.