To paraphrase former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth, “and the Cradle of American Golf will rock.”
Pinehurst Resort will break ground on its first new golf course in nearly three decades this month, and it will be designed by Tom Doak, one of the most respected and decorated golf course architects of the modern era.
Located four miles south of the main resort clubhouse, Doak’s 18-hole routing is expected to open late spring of 2024, coinciding with the return of the U.S. Open to Pinehurst No. 2. The new course – the resort’s 10th – will incorporate rugged dunes mined at the turn of the 20th century accented by native sand and wiregrass. With natural ridgelines, intriguing landforms, towering longleaf pines, streams and ponds, Doak envisions a course that complements the resort’s other courses through its contrasts.
“The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst,” Doak says. “It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we’ll work our way up to it around the mid-point of the layout. You’ll have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course. It will be an unforgettable experience for golfers.”
Doak recalls first visiting Pinehurst more than 40 years ago and playing and touring No. 2. He rated the storied Donald Ross design a perfect “10” in his famed book “The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses,” and was one of the most vocal supporters of its restoration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2010 prior to the 2014 U.S. Open.
“Tom Doak builds incredible golf courses on sand, and we’re excited to see what he’ll create in the North Carolina Sandhills,” says Pinehurst Resort President Tom Pashley. “We’ve worked with some amazing golf architects who’ve embraced our natural aesthetic and believe Tom will do something fantastic on this site.”
Landscape architect Angela Moser will serve as Doak’s lead design associate for this project. Moser’s impressive credentials include work at the Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, Streamsong Black in Bowling Green, Fla., St. Patrick’s Links in County Donegal, Ireland, Te Arai Links in Tomarata, New Zealand and Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown, Ga.
“The number one thing that excited us about the project is working with the beautiful sand that’s native to this region,” Doak says. “The sand, the wiregrass, the bluestem grass, and other native grasses that grow around the Sandhills create a fabulous texture for golf. It’s something most places just don’t have.”
In addition to Doak’s routing, Pinehurst envisions the potential for more growth in the area, which encompasses 900 total acres in Aberdeen. A variety of development opportunities will be evaluated with town officials, including additional golf, short course, clubhouse, guest cottages and other lodging.
“This exceptional property is a place where many of our dreams of the future can be contemplated,” says Pinehurst Resort CEO Bob Dedman Jr. “How those dreams play out will be determined over time, the same way the path forward revealed itself through recent additions like The Cradle, Thistle Dhu and the redesign of Pinehurst No. 4. Adding a Tom Doak design to our collection is another historic chapter in the story of Pinehurst. We can’t wait to read it.”
Pinehurst Resort is heading toward what’s sure to be an epic year in 2024 with the opening of its 10th course and the playing of the U.S. Open on No. 2. It’s been a busy two years at the resort, with the renovation of The Manor, the opening of the North & South Bar, the opening of the opening of The Next between No. 2 and No. 4 and stately Carolina Hotel just is undergoing a complete refresh to its rooms, hallways and dining areas.
For more info on all things Pinehurst Resort, visit www.pinehurst.com.
