Pinehurst Golf: The Complete Guide to the Home of American Golf
Pinehurst, North Carolina has been called the home of American golf with reasonable justification. The resort has been operating continuously since 1895, when James Walker Tufts bought 5,000 acres of North Carolina sandhills and hired Frederick Law Olmsted to design the community. The golf came almost accidentally at first — a local dairy farmer complained that guests kept hitting him with their golf balls, suggesting the game was already being played informally. By 1900, Donald Ross had arrived to design what would become one of the most influential courses in American golf history.
Pinehurst No. 2
Donald Ross designed Pinehurst No. 2 in 1907 and refined it over the following decades. It is his masterwork — a course that has been cited as the model for target golf in America, the template that hundreds of subsequent designers studied and referenced. The course was significantly restored in 2010 by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, who removed the rough and returned the native wiregrass and sand that Ross originally intended. The restoration is widely considered one of the most successful in golf history.
No. 2 plays to a par 70 at approximately 7,500 yards from the championship tees. The famous turtleback greens — crowned and sloped to repel approach shots that don't hold the proper line — are the course's defining feature. Missing the green is not just a missed green at Pinehurst; it's the beginning of a chip or pitch from a sloped lie that Ross designed specifically to produce difficult short-game situations.
The course has hosted more USGA championships than any other venue in America: multiple US Opens, US Amateurs, US Women's Opens, and the unique 2014 US Open/US Women's Open double-header. It hosted the 2024 US Open won by Bryson DeChambeau.
The Other Eight Courses
Pinehurst Resort operates nine numbered courses, ranging from the championship No. 2 to the Tom Fazio-designed No. 8, the Rees Jones-designed No. 7, and the newly renovated No. 4 (redesigned by Gil Hanse). The resort also includes the short No. 9 and the original No. 1, which plays as the most accessible track on the property.
For a multi-day trip, pairing No. 2 with No. 4 or No. 8 gives a representative sample of the resort's range. No. 2 for the history and architecture; No. 4 or No. 8 for the more modern, visually dramatic experience.
The Village of Pinehurst
Pinehurst is not just a golf resort — it's a village, developed as a complete community from the beginning. The downtown area has restaurants, shops, and the historic Pinehurst Hotel (now the Carolina Hotel), which has been operating since 1901. The scale of the property and the continuity of its operation since the 1890s give Pinehurst an atmosphere that purpose-built golf resorts cannot replicate.
Getting There
Pinehurst is located approximately 75 miles from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which has extensive connections to major hub cities. The drive takes about 90 minutes. The area's other major courses — Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Pine Needles — make the Sandhills a legitimate golf destination for a four or five day trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many golf courses does Pinehurst have?
Pinehurst Resort operates nine 18-hole courses, numbered 1 through 9. Pinehurst No. 2 is the most famous and the primary venue for USGA championships.
Has Pinehurst hosted the US Open?
Yes. Pinehurst No. 2 has hosted the US Open multiple times, including 1999 (Payne Stewart), 2005 (Michael Campbell), 2014 (Martin Kaymer), and 2024 (Bryson DeChambeau).
Who designed Pinehurst No. 2?
Donald Ross designed Pinehurst No. 2, refining it over several decades from its original 1907 routing. Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore conducted a celebrated restoration in 2010 that returned the course closer to Ross's original vision.
Is Pinehurst public or private?
Pinehurst Resort is a public resort — all nine courses are available to resort guests and the public. Pinehurst No. 2 is the most in-demand and should be booked well in advance.