Eat, play, Ross: exploring the Pinehurst area, on and off the course

In the early days of the destination, most out-of-towners arrived by train.

Riding the rails from metropolitan centers along the eastern seaboard, they disembarked at a newly built terminal in Southern Pines, N.C., where horse-drawn carriages awaited to take them one town over to their final stop: Pinehurst.

This was in the early 1900s. More than a century later, trains still rumble into that same terminal. But the carriages have given way to shuttles, and the Pinehurst area has evolved from a sleepy getaway for golf and wellness into one of the game’s marquee global draws.

On a recent work trip that didn’t feel like work, my colleague, James Colgan, and I met up to explore what the region has to offer. Unlike travelers of the past, both of us flew in, touching down from opposite coasts in Raleigh, and then driving an hour in a rental car. Over the first two days, we enjoyed a survey course in classic golf course architecture, spanning from the Golden Age to the modern-minimalist era that the Golden Age inspired. More specifically, we started out at Pine Needles, where we got schooled in the subtleties of Donald Ross, before moving on to the newest course at Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst No. 10, a brawny Tom Doak-and-Angela-Moser creation, part of which rollicks over the humps and bumps of dormant mining land.

Now, on a third and final day of what was admittedly too short a stay, we were brushing up on everything else we could. As a basecamp, we’d chosen Talamore, an under-the-radar stay-and-play resort that combines sweetly appointed condo accommodations with three 18-hole courses: Talamore Golf Club, Legacy Golf Links, and Mid South Club, by Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, respectively. Like Ross’ Golden Age work, these three designs reflect the aesthetic of their time, on tranquil, tree-lined properties, with varied shot demands to fairways and greens kept in impeccable condition. On plushly kept Mid South, James, who is half my age and roughly twice my size, routinely outdrove me by 50 yards. But as dominant as he was off the tee, he couldn’t keep up with me that evening at the table. One of the great perks for guests at Talamore is a complimentary all-you-can-eat ‘pig pickin,’ offered on Monday and Thursday evenings, and featuring slow-smoked BBQ pork, with sides of slaw, beans, collards and a slate of varyingly piquant sauces. By consuming my bodyweight in all of the above, I left James in the dust on the gluttony front.

For all the recognition it receives for golf, the Pinehurst area gets relatively scant attention for the quality and eclecticism of its cuisine. Sushi. Tacos. Yakitori. Cacciatore. A composite sketch of the local restaurant scene belies the golf-world’s reputation for subsisting on little more than burgers, dogs and beer.

Of course, if that’s what you want, you can get it, too. Local craft brews abound, and the burgers at Chapman’s, in downtown Southern Pines, are tough to beat. We ate ours at the bar, where we washed down our meal with Marytinis. How these drinks differed from classic martinis, other than the fact that they were mixed by an amiable bartender named Mary, I can’t say for sure. What I know is that they were bracing and delicious, and because James wasn’t driving, he ordered two.

It wouldn’t be a world-class golf destination if there weren’t a lot of first-rate 19th holes. The Pinehurst area has too many to count. But none has a more compelling backstory than BHAWK, an American whiskey distillery founded by husband and wife, Brad and Jess Halling. Both are military veterans, with 49 years of combined service, one of which was 1993, when Brad lost a leg in the Battle of Mogadishu, a deadly clash that was later memorialized in the movie Black Hawk Down. The distillery the Hallings built together — an expansive, modern space with bar and table seating, a patio in back, and a terrific menu of casual, regional cooking to complement the spirits  — is easy-going and inviting, and is filled with tasteful tributes to servicemen and women, including the aviation crew who helped save Brad’s life on the battlefield. 

We stopped at BHAWK in the early afternoon, and by the time we left, humbled by our conversations with Brad and Jess, and wowed by the bourbon and whiskey flights they poured, there was just enough daylight to squeeze in one last visit to a course. 

As a farewell to the fairways of the Pinehurst area, we picked a fitting candidate in Southern Pines Golf Club, another star in a local constellation of Ross designs. For years, though, its glitter had gone largely unnoticed by outsiders until a 2021 restoration by the architect Kyle Franz that brought muted Ross features back to the fore. 

Once a sleeper, Southern Pines has been become a darling of architecture buffs around the country, and anyone, frankly, who enjoys a good walk that can’t be spoiled. But if Southern Pines is no longer a local secret, it still seemed undiscovered when we showed up late that afternoon. The course was largely empty and, clutching a few clubs, we breezed around a few holes, savoring the parting shots of our trip on a Golden Age canvas, brought to vivid life by the light and shadow of the golden hour. 

On the way back to our condo, we cut through downtown Southern Pines. A train was rumbling slowly toward the terminal. The sight and sound of it — relics of what seem now like a simpler time — made me want to linger longer. There was more to do and see, and a lot more golf to play. But early the next morning, I had a plane to catch.