Travelogue
It’s accepted that St. Andrews is the “Home of Golf.” If that’s the case, the home of American golf is Pinehurst. For some, a trip to the Sandhills is like leaving home for college — golf college. Everything you’d want — all nine(!) courses, housing, dining — is elaborately placed around weaving roads and paths on a sprawling campus, pine straw bordering every turn. The quad in this analogy is just as delightful as your alma mater’s grassy space. It’s made up of an 18-hole putting course named Thistle Dhu that abuts a 9-hole short course named The Cradle, with a grassy perch filled with lawn chairs overlooking it all. A true Pinehurst Day involves all of them — say, 18 on Gil Hanse’s wide-open redesign of No. 4, a wedges-only loop on the short course and settling bets on the putting course. To complete the syllabus, pop in for a pint in the Ryder Cup Lounge or the new Pinehurst Brewing Co. Or, if you made birdie on any of No. 2’s par threes, a free beverage awaits in its 19th hole, the Deuce. Congratulations, graduate.
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Things you need to know
- Best time to go: The fall brings pleasant temperatures without the humidity.
- Daily stay-and-plays start at: $450
- Golf experience: Nine courses. How can you beat that?
- Best non-golf amenity: Croquet, the way it was meant to be played.
- While you're there: Visit the Ryder Cup Lounge and immerse yourself in golf's rich history.
- Insider tip: Play in the late afternoon — the tall pines and their shadows create an epic canvas.