Pinehurst Renovation Review

A Kid's Review of Pinehurst No. 2

I wanted to write a Pinehurst renovation review, but this is my first stab at writing a review of a golf course so go easy on me. I am more than grateful to have grandparents, who are active members and live on the 13th fairway of course No. 3. It has allowed me to play all 8 of these wonderful courses and has also granted me a place to stay when I play tournaments here (Donald Ross Jr., North & South Am, US Kids Teen Worlds, etc.). This review is specifically going to cover course No. 2, the championship course which has held 10 USGA events including two US Opens (1999 & 2005), mainly due to the fact that it has recently been re-opened for play and it is my first time playing the new layout.

Me at the famous Pinehurst No. 2

With the Pinehurst renovation, the course has been returned to its original state, just how Donald Ross had originally designed it. Thanks to Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the rough has been replaced (yes, replaced – there is no rough on the course) with wire-grass and waste bunkers. This has allowed Pinehurst to remove 2-3 rows of irrigation pipes, giving the course a very link-sy feel.

I want to come straight out of the gates saying, “I love the new course.” I have been able to play many rounds of golf on the old No. 2 and I loved it, but the way the course sets up now is great. The course, in my opinion, plays a little shorter now. When there was rough along the sides of the fairway, they watered the crap out of it and the course was always really long. The fairways run a little more now. Of course, the designers thought of this and added new teeing grounds for the upcoming US Opens, which will take place in 2014. From the new tees, the par 70 course plays 7,495 yards, at a course rating of 76.4, and a slope of 141.

My ball was not supposed to be here

The waster bunkers are interesting, but aren’t anything new to Pinehurst courses. When the course was all grass, you could hit any part of the fairway and be guaranteed to have a good angle into any pin. Now, with the Pinehurst renovation, waste bunkers force you to really think ahead about whether or not you will have a good angle into the green – a fairway hit does not mean you aren’t penalized.

Waste Bunkers

Though there is this reoccurring drought in Pinehurst, the course is beautiful and green. It looks like they water it a lot… like, A LOT. The one downside to this is that the greens are not the ruthless, unforgiving greens they once were. Due to the heat and conditions throughout the year, they are not able to cut the greens as closely as they would like for fear of losing them like 100 other courses in the area which have been forced to close. The greens when I played them (late July) were extremely slow (8’s maybe). I’m not saying by any means that they will be like that for long though. The combination of bad weather and new, immature greens will be a problem until maybe September, and then they will start to speed up. And then, of course, come 2014, pros will be extremely frustrated with them.

The fairways are still really green

The course and its surroundings just cannot be beat – the staff is so nice, there are 4 other amazing courses right next to you (courses 6,7, & 8 are in different places) ,the practice facilities are incredible (Maniac Hill, 2 chipping greens with a bunker, a putting green as big as the club house, and a couple mini-hidden greens around the area), and your stay is very comfortable; The Carolina is the hotel that runs shuttles back and forth to the course and is awesome!

By Cole Young

For more information on the Pinehurst renovation and family golf vacations in Pinehurst, click here.