Pinehurst Resort Courses
For me 8, 2, 4, 6, 3 - then the rest; except 9 as I have not played it.
2 is the hardest.
2 is the hardest.
even #'s are the better courses. 2 obviously. 2's greens are hump backed a bit so straight is key. 8,4 are great and more user friendly. Those the stand outs and top 3 in my mind.
Didn’t play 2, but you know how it’s ranked. Absolutely loved #4 (a course I could play every day, which is a short list for me). Thus, of the courses I played: 4, 8, 3, 6, 1 (but 1 & 6 are courses I won’t play again). Must play the Cradle (make tee times early).
8 and 2 are the best 2 to me. The cradle is supposed to be fun and 3 is short but tough.
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See I go 2,4,8. Didn’t care much for 8, but also just fell off a plane and had little warmup. Maybe a slight difference maker as to why.
2 is just something else, but man I loved 4
1, 2, 4, 7, 8. 4 and 8 were good tracts, 2 was tough and my caddy was awful. 1 is just a short, easy warm up, I shot 70 on it. Can't remember much of 7.
#2 for the experience and the Cradle for sure.
Honestly though, do not sleep on taking the drive and playing Tobacco Road.
Honestly though, do not sleep on taking the drive and playing Tobacco Road.
#2 is a must. With caddy. I’ve heard the updated #4 is magnificent, but I haven’t played it since restoration. #6 and #8 are nice. I’ve heard the Cradle is a blast. Away from the resort, there are Pine Needles / Mid Pines (my favorite course off-resort), and also Southern Pines Golf Club, which is one of the oldest Donald Ross designs.
Played #1, 2, 4, and 9. Unfortunately on our first trip this summer #8 was being renovated. I was also interested in #3 because of the similarities of the green complexes to #2. #1 is shortish (longer than #3 I think) but has a nice balance of different green complexes and the holes along the race track and train tracks are pretty unique.
#2 was challenging for me off the tee because I was wild that day and seemed to find every wire grass plant in the place. The greens were not as challenging to read as I thought, I safely pitched to the middle of most greens or aimed to the middle (I admit on many I had been forced to layup due to my position off the tee). I played much better on 4, more unique and some of the best views on the property. More water than the other courses on the main part of the property. Some turtleback greens but more undulations. Definitely practice pitching off of tight lies for both #2 and #4. I'd say 4 was my favorite and most picturesque. That being said I want to attack #2 again because if I was straighter off the tee, I think I could have done well.
We played #9 because we were arriving at the tale end of the junior North and South Amateur and a lot of courses were closed or had tee times booked. Loved #9 actually. Not the "Pinehurst look," but a nice blend of holes. Most unique doglegs and most water while we were in N.C. Good warmup round coming from bentgrass greens of New England.
Looking for going again in the future and will probably try to play #3, #2, #4, and #8. Hopefully we can get to play Southern Pines as well. Played Pine Needles and TR this summer.
Good luck!
#2 was challenging for me off the tee because I was wild that day and seemed to find every wire grass plant in the place. The greens were not as challenging to read as I thought, I safely pitched to the middle of most greens or aimed to the middle (I admit on many I had been forced to layup due to my position off the tee). I played much better on 4, more unique and some of the best views on the property. More water than the other courses on the main part of the property. Some turtleback greens but more undulations. Definitely practice pitching off of tight lies for both #2 and #4. I'd say 4 was my favorite and most picturesque. That being said I want to attack #2 again because if I was straighter off the tee, I think I could have done well.
We played #9 because we were arriving at the tale end of the junior North and South Amateur and a lot of courses were closed or had tee times booked. Loved #9 actually. Not the "Pinehurst look," but a nice blend of holes. Most unique doglegs and most water while we were in N.C. Good warmup round coming from bentgrass greens of New England.
Looking for going again in the future and will probably try to play #3, #2, #4, and #8. Hopefully we can get to play Southern Pines as well. Played Pine Needles and TR this summer.
Good luck!
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Great trip!
My plans got derailed due to the hurricane but I got to play the best course in the area 
I just played there in September. 2 was my favorite. 4 was great too. Most people want to play 2, 4 and 8 but 8 is a tribute to 2 and 4 is very similar to 2 so we did 2, 4, and 7 plus the Cradle. Honestly, I’d play 2, 4, head over to Tobacco Road and the Cradle the evening before the main rounds. If you have time Mid Pines.
One other really cool thing was you can rent hickory sticks there and they come with a box of branded ProVs. That was a cool experience playing 4 with wooden clubs.
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People like 8, it wasn’t my favorite. Could have been playing partners just being strangers still, could have been from falling off a plane.
I played decent there but it just was quasi memorable. 4 and 2, I could play all the time and be surly about it all the time in the best of ways.
I played decent there but it just was quasi memorable. 4 and 2, I could play all the time and be surly about it all the time in the best of ways.
i had a trip fall through and find myself sans family, at a slow time at work, with a few days to kill. pinehurst popped into my brain. but it's going to be too close to the us open, so #2 is not available. my question is: would you go to pinehurst if you couldn't play #2?
Yes I would. 3 is super challenging but not long, 1 is fun, the cradle is a blast, and then you can play other local courses midpines and so on.
Reading the FAQ at the pinehurst site it looks like they aren’t closing #2 until May 28:
“May 28, 2024: Course 2, Locker Room Facilities, Padgett Center, & Pinehurst Tennis Facility & Courts 1 & 2 CLOSED”
Currently, it appears to be modified play on #2 with players needing to use mats from fairways and par 3 tees.
i'd check in 5/29, so sounds like i'd just miss it. but they're also easing the rates to accommodate. still on the fence, though.
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I would. I LOVED number 2 but they have so many courses. 4 was a tough test, 3 was really fun for a second round of the day. 10 looks incredible and 8 or 9 is supposedly really good too. Not to mention you have Mid Pines and Southern Pines right down the road
I think it would be...4 and 8 are outstanding and hold their own against the US Open track. And with 10 looking insane, I think it's going to be making a jump up the rankings. Have played 1-9 and they are all a ton of fun, plus the atmosphere around the cradle and the clubhouse is second to none. Great vibes and hang
I played 8 some years back and got my teeth kicked in. Different even has water on it.
Also, if you ask me, I'd play 4 over 2 every day of the week...not crapping on 2, but I think 4 is just such a fun play every time
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That’s the one I was thinking of then! I’ll have to play it on my next trip down