Pine Needles is the *other* test of the US Open at Pinehurst and is absolutely worth a visit.
Connor Federico
In the rapidly expanding world of destination golf, one course qualifies as a true American classic: Pinehurst.
The “home of American golf” has become one of the epicenters of the golf travel world in the years since the pandemic — a fact only helped by an all-time U.S. Open in June to kick off an expanded partnership between the region, the USGA, and the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Although Pinehurst no. 2 dived into Bryson and Rory’s historic spotlight, an epic golf hole was surfacing outside the resort’s gates. In August, as Pinehurst’s hot summer hit a tipping point, GOLF editors James Colgan and Josh Sens visited the region to find “everything else” — the great golf that ISN’T No. 2, cool spots that don’t get visited enough by tourists, and yes, even a Martini (or three) favored by the locals. They were joined for part of their trip by longtime local resident—and GOLF architecture editor Ran Morrissett—who doubled as a tour guide.
This is the first installment in that series, starting with a conversation with another legendary host of the area’s premier championship: Pine needles.
Josh Sens, GOLF Senior Writer: On the morning of our first round in the Pinehurst area, we showed up at Pine Needles in a pouring rain. He had been throwing up for hours. But then the skies cleared and 20 minutes later, we hit a course that was surprisingly dry considering how much rain had fallen. I guess they don’t call this area the Sandhills for nothing, huh?
James Colgan, GOLF news and features editor: As someone who once worked golf courses in the Northeast, I found it annoying to see a golf course go from underwater to fully playable in the time it took to drink a cup of coffee. it it’s why every golf course designer from here in Australia is chasing that precious sandy soil. We were hoping to see what makes Sandhills stand out, and we got a glimpse before taking our opening shot.
But once the golf started – it was really good. Even after the rain, Pine Needles showed us a lot of teeth like, back Pinehurst no. 2the outstanding “championship” test of the area. I’ll admit, Josh, that I’m not the best person to articulate changes in the details of the golf course. Maybe we should call our friend Ran.
Ran Morrissett, GOLF Architecture Editor: A fun fact about Pine Needles that not every golfer knows is that it was once part of Pinehurst Resort. It was one of several courses Ross built outside of Pinehurst Village, along with Southern Pines and Mid Pines. Pine Needles opened in late 1928, which was certainly a lean time. The Great Depression took a heavy toll on the area, and a year later, both Pine Needles and its neighbor, Mid-Pines, were sold to take on the financial strain of Pinehurst Resort. Pine Needles was later purchased by Warren and Peggy Kirk Bell. The latter was one of the founders of the LPGA Tour. She also knew Donald Ross. Since then, Pine Needles has been under the care of the Bell family.
Meaning: This seems only fitting. It’s also interesting that you mention the Pinehurst Resort connection, because I think when most golfers picture a Donald Ross course, they picture Pinehurst no. 2, with its famous turtle greens. Ross built that course on fairly flat ground, so it made sense to protect the course with those driven surfaces. At Pine Needles, I think it’s fair to say he had the most dramatic topography. And so he took a different approach.
Morrissett: Ross knew how to work all types of terrain and he made great use of the natural movement of the soil at Pine Needles. A feature of the course is how often the high point of the hole falls in the middle of it. Many Ross courses feature an elevated fairway, a lower fairway and an uphill approach. Here, the golfer moves uphill on holes 1, 4, 6, 7 and 12, ideally holding the crest of the hill and enjoying some forward movement with his or her ball. Conversely, if you can’t hold the top of the hill at all, your tip ball gets bogged down in the slope and the course plays much longer than the scorecard suggests. By completing those 5 holes, you have holes like 2n.d and 18th that play steadily downhill and others like 4 that charge uphill. The hardest of the bunch might be 17thwhich, surprisingly, is also the course’s flattest hole. The bottom line: It’s the variety of ways the holes hit the ground that makes Pine Needles an outstanding test for both drive and approach shots. No wonder the USGA has deemed it the perfect host site for the US Women’s Open, which has been there four times in recent times, in 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2022.
Colgan: I’m glad you mention that, Ran, because I actually came to Pine Needles for it Women’s Open in ’22and I was *blown away* by the quality of the golf course that week. it’s ORDER more psychedelic than the layout in #2, and because of that, it makes less sense for EVERYTHING to come down to the sharpness of the greens.
In many ways, when the tees are properly placed to challenge the length of the course, it is more versatile than No. 2 as a major test.
Meaning: This is part of what makes this area so fun to visit. You can try different flavors of Donald Ross. Of course, not all golf in and around Pinehurst is Ross. But I can’t think of another part of the world that has such a high concentration of works by a single architect.
Colgan: Different properties also have different feel to them. If you think of Pinehurst as Disney World golf, then Pine Needles is summer camp. The atmosphere is old, musty and quiet – you can practically hear it Centerfield by John Fogerty through the trees. Even the courses reflect that.
Meaning: Pine Needles definitely has a throwback air from the moment you pull up, a rustic time capsule feel. How, if Scooby-Doo ever did a golf-themed episode, Pine Needles would be the place where the quirky innkeeper would greet you at bag drop.
Colgan: The Golf is also distinctly different. As a golf nerd, I look at golf trips through the same lens that I look at food: when I’m in an area, I want to try all the variations of the local cuisine. By these rules, a good place, then, is something that has more than the same “famous” burger-and-fries at every stop. Each of the Pine Needles courses—Needles, Middle Pines, and Southern Pines—is individually (and in a pleasant way) of him. (Yet ironically, the burger at Pine Needles Resort may be the best in the entire county.)
Meaning: I’m glad we got to literally graze around the city during our visit. We’ll get into those stops in the next two videos. Before we wrap up, though, I wanted to pick up on your golf comment, James, because if you’re a golf nerd, what better place is there in the US? Everywhere you turn in and around Pinehurst, you run into some type of golf-related business. Golf memorabilia shop. Golf art gallery.. Golf themed pubs and bars. To make that point, right after our round of Pine Needles, we made a beeline GolfPride Headquarters and refill our machines. After the way I putt that first round, I knew I had to make a change. I think a lot of visitors must be looking for that kind of curse, because the place was jumping.
