The venue for the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club has been the “go to” place for serious golfers since the early 1900s with golfing greats like Sam Snead, “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias and Ben Hogan coming here to compete.
Set on 2,000 acres in North Carolina's Sandhills, players can tee up on Pinehurst's eight championship tracks, while there are more than 40 other courses in the area.
Since the Carolina Hotel (often called "The Queen of the South") opened in 1901, much is the same. Rocking chairs line the long porches, tree-shaded paths lead into town and the delicious biscuits and gravy in the Carolina Room greet breakfast seekers.
And much is new, too. Renovated rooms are decorated with earthy colors of tans, cream and khakis; bathrooms feature marble vanities and shower rain-heads the size of dinner plates, plus you get flat-screen TVs and minibars.
A new 31,000 sq. ft. Spa and Golf Fitness Center offers more than 40 treatments. You’ll love the Hot Stone Massage, Magnolia Facial and Champion's Massage for golfers. A three-lane lap pool runs through the center of the spa.
Pinehurst's new Executive Chef Thierry Debailleul and his crew make everything from scratch, from sauces to soups and cakes for Pinehurst's 10 restaurants located in the Carolina, Manor, Holly Inn, and clubhouses.
Be sure to stop by The Tavern, a Scottish-style pub in the Holly Inn. It's a great place to unwind after golf.
Southern hospitality treats golfers to a seamless flow of services. Tell the bellman where you're playing and your tee time, and your clubs will be at the right course ready to go when you arrive. A shuttle ferries you back and forth.
Donald Ross' famed Pinehurst #2 is undergoing a major restoration to bring the course back to where is was in the 30s. The project, which is being managed by the firm of Coore-Crenshaw, involves widening and reshaping fairways, following the "bones" of Ross's original course. In fact, by shutting off the side irrigation lines, the original central irrigation line installed by Ross creates a green path or "skeleton" which can be followed by designers to find the original routing.
The devilish, crowned greens will remain as they are, and the course will remain open throughout the renovation process.
