Course Guide

Gil Hanse redesign, bold and modern, pot bunkers, excellent conditioning. Consistently praised as one of the best resort courses in the country.

Resort course — requires a stay-and-play package. The Hanse redesign gave No. 4 a completely different personality from the other resort courses: wider landing areas but demanding green complexes. The pot bunkers are the signature.

Tom Doak design, opened 2024, the newest resort course. Grand in scale, different feel from the rest. $125 premium on top of package rates.

The newest course in the resort’s rotation and it immediately jumped into conversations about the best courses in the state. Doak’s minimalist style lets the natural terrain do the talking. Expect wide fairways, creative green sites, and a routing that feels like it’s been there for decades.

Donald Ross design, four-time U.S. Women’s Open host. Pure layout, walkable, and one of the most enjoyable rounds you’ll play in the Sandhills.

Off-resort, with its own lodging and packages. Pine Needles is the kind of course that makes you fall in love with golf design. Ross routed it through towering longleaf pines with gentle elevation changes that keep every hole interesting. The greens are firm and fair, the walk is beautiful, and the lodge has that old-school golf-trip charm. One of my favorites in the area.

Recently restored Ross design, classic bunkering, great value relative to quality. Strong word-of-mouth reputation.

This course punches way above its price point. The restoration brought back Ross’s original bunkering and green complexes, and the result is a course that feels both historic and modern. The conditioning has been excellent every time I’ve played it. If you want a pure golf experience without the resort premium, Southern Pines is the move.

Another Ross design, vintage feel, consistently ranked top 25–30 in North Carolina. Part of the Pine Needles family.

Lodge stay available. Mid Pines shares ownership with Pine Needles, and the two courses make for a great pairing if you’re staying at either property. The layout has a tighter, more intimate feel — tree-lined corridors, subtle green contours, and a walk that rewards good course management.

Polarizing, dramatic, unlike anything you’ve played. Towering sandhills, blind shots, massive bunkers. Love-it-or-hate-it but everyone should play it once.

Tobacco Road is the course people can’t stop talking about, for better or worse. Strantz carved it out of an old sand quarry and leaned all the way into the drama: blind tee shots over dunes, greens tucked into natural amphitheaters, and waste areas that feel like you’re playing on the moon. I loved it. Some of my buddies hated it. But nobody was bored, and that’s worth something. Play it at least once.

Tom Fazio design, player-friendly with elevated tees and wide fairways. Consistently ranked in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public.

No. 8 is the resort course that makes everyone feel good about their game. Fazio’s elevated tees give you great sight lines, the fairways are generous, and the greens are receptive. It’s not as architecturally daring as No. 4 or No. 2, but it delivers a polished, enjoyable round every time.

Shortest resort course, but a great warmup for No. 2. Tiny elevated greens demand precision and sharpen your short game.

Don’t let the shorter yardage fool you. No. 3 is a masterclass in green design — small, elevated targets that will expose any weakness in your approach game. I played it the day before No. 2 and it was the perfect prep: same crowned-green philosophy, lower stakes, and a confidence boost if you score well. The walk is pleasant and the pace is quick.

9-hole short course, holes range 60–130 yards. The most fun you can have with your buddies at Pinehurst.

The Cradle is pure joy. Nine short holes, grab a wedge and a putter, and go have fun. It’s walk-up play — you don’t even have to be a resort guest. The holes are real golf holes in miniature, with real bunkers and real green contours. Play it at golden hour with a drink in hand. This is the thing people remember most about their Pinehurst trip, and I’m not exaggerating.

Arnold Palmer design, part of the Talamore Resort family. Attractive setting with longleaf pines and lakes.

Accessible via stay-and-play packages through Talamore Resort. Mid South offers a more manicured, country-club feel compared to the sandy, natural aesthetic of the Pinehurst resort courses. Lakes and longleaf pines frame the holes, and the conditioning is typically strong.

Rees Jones design, consistently ranked among the top public courses in NC. Known for its stay-and-play packages and (formerly) its llama caddies.

Yes, llama caddies were a real thing here — they’re retired now, but the legend lives on. The course itself is a solid Rees Jones design with good variety, well-bunkered greens, and a routing that makes good use of the natural terrain. The stay-and-play packages with Mid South make this a popular choice for groups looking for value.

Mike Strantz design, about 45 minutes from Pinehurst. If you loved Tobacco Road, this is more Strantz creativity. Dramatic elevation changes.

Tot Hill Farm is Strantz’s other Sandhills-area creation, and it shares Tobacco Road’s sense of drama and adventure. The elevation changes here are even more pronounced — you’ll hit shots from hilltops with panoramic views and play approach shots into amphitheater greens. Worth the drive if you’re a Strantz fan or just want something different.

Ranked ~35th in NC. Solid resort course, a step below No. 8.

No. 9 is a perfectly fine resort course that suffers mainly from the company it keeps. In any other resort, it’d be a headline act. At Pinehurst, it’s a supporting player. The Nicklaus design has some memorable holes and the conditioning is resort-standard.

Where it all started. Historic but modest. A nice walk through history.

The original. Course No. 1 dates to 1898 and it’s more of a historical experience than a design challenge. The holes are short and straightforward, but walking where it all began has its own appeal. Best for golf history buffs or as a light warmup round.

Fun layout, good for a lighter round. Not the strongest resort offering but enjoyable.

No. 5 is a pleasant, unassuming course that’s good for a day when you want to play without the intensity of No. 2 or No. 4. The layout winds through pines with some water features, and the greens are more forgiving than you’ll find on the marquee courses. I played it on a trip where we’d already tackled No. 2 and No. 3, and it was a nice change of pace.

Tom Fazio design, more rugged and undulating than the other resort courses. A few miles from the main clubhouse.

No. 6 sits apart from the main resort campus, which gives it a quieter, more secluded feel. The terrain is hillier than most Pinehurst courses, with more dramatic elevation changes. It’s a solid course that doesn’t get much buzz but delivers a good round.

Rees Jones design, ranked around 50th in NC. Challenging back nine.

No. 7 has a reputation for a tough back nine with some demanding carries and well-protected greens. The front nine is more gentle, setting you up for a sterner test coming home. It’s a good course, but with limited days, the premier courses should take priority.

Nicklaus Design, classic Sandhills feel, good value.

Legacy offers a traditional Sandhills golf experience at a fair price. The design is straightforward and well-maintained, with sandy waste areas and longleaf pines framing the holes. A solid choice for filling an extra day on the itinerary.

Dan Maples design, described as the “most playable course in the Sandhills.”

Longleaf lives up to its reputation as the friendliest course in the area. Wide fairways, minimal forced carries, and approachable greens make it a great option for higher-handicap players or anyone looking for a relaxing round. The price is right, too.

Highest elevation in the area, sparkling water features, affordable.

Hyland’s elevated terrain gives it views you won’t find on most Sandhills courses. The water features are attractive, the layout is fair, and the green fee won’t dent your wallet. A good budget option for an extra round.

Free. 18 holes. No greens fees. Grab a putter, grab a drink, and walk up.

Designed by Gil Hanse in front of the main clubhouse verandah. Inspired by the original 1916 Thistle Dhu — widely considered America’s first miniature golf course. The name is a play on “this’ll do.” Don’t skip it. It’s the kind of thing that turns a good trip into a great story. Seriously — you’ll be standing on a putting green with a drink, looking out at the clubhouse, trash-talking your buddies. It doesn’t get better than that.