The Sandhills, also known as the Carolina Sandhills cover portions of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It’s in this region where you’ll find the Pinehurst Resort golf courses. Pinehurst was founded in the late 1800s with the first golf course laid out before the term of the century. Fast forward 100+ years to find soon-to-be 10 Pinehurst Resort golf courses, including the timeless and legendary Pinehurst No. 2 golf course. In this Pinehurst Resort golf courses guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about playing Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst No. 4, and the Cradle to prime you for what this magical place has to offer.
Pinehurst No. 2: A Donald Ross Gem
Donald Ross is one of my favorite golf course architects. His courses, including Pinehurst No. 2 which he designed in 1907, are timeliness, fun to play, and offer a challenge. Other Ross courses I’ve played include the Birmingham Country Club West course, Country Club of Mobile, Mountain Brook Country Club, Charlotte Country Club, and Pine Needles Golf Club. While all of these are excellent courses, Pinehurst No. 2 is far and away the best in my opinion. There’s just something about the history of this course along with its layout that makes it my top Donald Ross course, especially after its most recent Coore and Ben Crenshaw restoration.
Is Pinehurst No. 2 Worth the Hype? Yes and kinda of no. Yes, it’s an immaculate, legendary, and publicly accessible course that you can play and compare your shots against the shots the pros hit in a tournament. No in that the course can beat you up compared to Pinehurst No. 4. To start, the green complexes are crowned making it nearly impossible to land the ball on the greens. This leads to balls rolling off the green and difficult uphill chip shots into small landing areas. In addition, the hard pan and native scrub add to the difficulty of approach shots if you miss the fairway. Crowned greens, hardpan, and native scrub won’t keep me from playing Pinehurst No. 2 again, it’s that great of a course.
Pinehurst No. 4: A Gil Hanse Marvel
Pinehurst No. 4, designed in 1919 by Donald Ross and restored most recently by Gil Hanse, is arguably the second-best course at Pinehurst. Large sand areas, cross fairways bunkers, native wiregrass, rolling hills, and expansive panoramic views best describe this course. It’s hard not to love how Hanse was able to restore this course by incorporating the native landscape into the original Ross design. Pinehurst No. 4 was an absolute treat to play.
When you compare Pinehurst No. 2 vs Pinehurst No. 4 you’re splitting hairs. For starters, both courses are amazing, they capture the natural beauty of the North Carolina sandhills, and challenge you. Pinehurst No. 2 is more expensive to play so Pinehurst No. 4 may offer the best value course at Pinehurst. Separately, Pinehurst No. 4 gets my vote for the first course to play when you arrive at Pinehurst to help acclimate you to your surroundings compared to jumping straight into playing Pinehurst No. 2.
The Cradle: Golf’s Playground
The Cradle is a 10-acre, 9-hole par three course adjacent to the clubhouse designed by Gil Hanse. It’s a course for all skill levels, offers the most laid-back golf I’ve ever experienced, and is straight-up a blast. To get a sense of the course vibes, shoes aren’t required and there’s a halfway house called Cradle Crossing overlooking the course offering adult beverages, food, and TVs. It’s heaven, to say the least.
Is The Cradle Worth Playing? Consider this. The Cradle Night Golf is a recent addition that allows you to play the course at night with golf-in-the-dark golf balls. I love this option as well as playing The Cradle right when you get to Pinehurst. You can also head to The Cradle after you’re finished playing golf for post-round fun or if you need to practice your short game.
Planning A Golf Trip To Pinehurst Resort
Late spring (late April to early June) and early fall (late August to early October) receive my vote for the best time to play golf at Pinehurst. We played in early June. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. I may not have even sweated the entire time we were in Pinehurst. Speaking of being in Pinehurst, staying and playing at Pinehurst Resort is a requirement. You must be a member or a resort guest to play Pinehurst No. 2 and Pinehurst No. 4.
When comparing Pinehurst to other golf destinations, it’s hard not to put Pinehurst at the top of the list. Admittedly, I haven’t played every single top golf destination in the US. However, I have played at Streamsong, The Greenbrier, Torrey Pines South Golf Course, The Omni Homestead Resort, Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club, Mossy Oak Golf Club and Old Waverly, Tullymore Golf Resort, and Nemacolin. Other than Streamsong, Pinehurst offers one of the best options for golf destinations.
In Conclusion
Pinehurst Resort golf courses have one of the best combinations of playable courses, history, accessibility, fun, and affordability. Pinehurst No. 2 is one of the best challenges for an amateur golfer. Pinehurst No. 4 is the perfect mix of fun and a test of golf. There’s no better place to unwind while playing golf than there is at The Cradle. If you’re planning your next golf trip, Pinehurst Resort golf courses should be at the top of your list.
