‘Difficult decision’: Pinehurst No. 4 to close for unexpected restoration

Pinehurst Resort has 10 regulation golf courses. But for at least a couple of months only nine will playable.

On Tuesday, Pinehurst announced that its highly ranked and popular No. 4 course will be closed in the late spring and for much of the summer so the resort can complete an unplanned “full greens restoration.”

“This season, the condition of Pinehurst No. 4’s greens did not respond as we anticipated and unfortunately fell short of our standards,” the resort said in a statement. “As a result, we have made the difficult decision to close Pinehurst No. 4 beginning May 19 to complete a full greens restoration.”

Pinehurst said the greens did not grow in as planned after a colder-than-normal winter, leading the resort to reinvest in the putting surfaces rather than welcome visitors at substandard conditions.

“Earlier this spring, we were optimistic that the course would recover as temperatures warmed, based on input from agronomy experts,” the resort said. “However, despite those expectations, conditions have not improved. A recent follow-up report confirmed what we have seen: No. 4’s greens have continued to deteriorate.”

Pinehurst said it expects the restoration to be completed by Aug. 7, meaning the course will be closed for fewer than three months in total, assuming the restoration grows in at the expected rate.

“We deeply regret the impact this will have on our guests’ and members’ golf experience, and we have been in communication with them,” the resort said. “But we believe this is the right step forward and gives us the best opportunity to return No. 4 to our high standards by later this summer.”

No. 4 quickly has become a guest favorite at Pinehurst since a 2018 Gil Hanse restoration. The course, originally designed by Donald Ross but dramatically reoriented by Hanse, has earned plaudits for serving as a more playable, fun counterpart to the resort’s crown jewel, No. 2.

Seven years ago, the opening of No. 4 — and its short-course sibling, The Cradle — triggered a surge of activity at Pinehurst. Last spring, Pinehurst opened No. 10, a rollicking Tom Doak-designed course on a plot a few miles from the main resort property. Last summer, the resort hosted a thrilling U.S. Open on No. 2. And just last week, Pinehurst announced the creation of No. 11, a Coore-Crenshaw design near the No. 10 site.