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First trip to pinehurst - April 2019


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as the title says I will be taking a short trip to Pinehurst for the first time in april. long story short I came across an announcement for a team titleist event there April 17/18 that had 30 slots. thought why not and filled out the form showing interest not expecting to get selected. was pleasantly surprised t get an email today that I got picked for one of the spots.

 

the whole event runs late morning Wednesday the 17 to early afternoon Thursday the 18th. It includes handful of events including a round at the cradle and a round on 4 (my guess is the cradle on the 17th in the afternoon and 4 the morning of the 18th).

 

Tentatively I am planning on flying into Raleigh/durham Tuesday the 16th around 5 pm and flying out to Washington DC Friday late afternoon to see my parents for the weekend.

 

this leaves me with the possibility of playing additional rounds wednesday morning before the event, Thursday afternoon after the event and/or Friday before my flight.

 

looking for any and all suggestions for which other Pinehurst courses or other courses in the area (im already thinking I wanna play tobacco road possibly Friday) and any cool food/bar/brewery recommendations in the area would be great too

 

thanks!

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#2 is an iconic course and worth your time if you can fit it into your schedule. Walking through the club house at #2 is like visiting a museum to golf and Payne Stewart. Sitting on the porch of the Carolina Hotel and sipping a beverage after a round of golf is nearly a holy grail in itself.

 

I've only been there once and that is not enough.

 

Phred

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I've been to Pinehurst several times.

 

Of the resort courses the best are 2, 4, 6, 8. I haven't played 9. I also haven't played the renovated #4 but I hear good things so it's good that you are playing there.

 

Tobacco road can be polarizing but I quite liked it when I played it. It's got a fair amount of target golf to it, but it was fun. As far as other off resort courses I would recommend the following:

 

- Mid Pines and Pine Needles. Both are really good setups and classic NC sandhills designs.

- Dormie Club. I think it's still available for public play. It's a Coore & Crenshaw design and is also very nice.

 

Have fun!

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Obviously #2 if you can, and then #8, #6, and #9 - in that order for me although all are really good; Tobacco Road is worth playing for the scenery/conditions, both are wonderful; Mid Pines and Pine Needles are great; Dormie Club is also great, but I'm a Coore and Crenshaw fan. Those are what I would consider the best-of-the-best you can play. I also like Legacy and Talamore for a little less money.

 

You couldn't pick a better time to go to Pinehurst - spend as much time as you can on property!

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One other recommendation assuming you play #2. Walk it with a caddie. It's cart path only on #2 and on #4 now.

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Lots of good advice above, I agree with most of it. Play #2 with a caddie if you can. I'm not as high on #6 as some are, I prefer #8 or #9. I think Tobacco Road is a blast, I adore MidPines, its my favorite in that area. Lower price, Talamore is good, MidSouth is a little better. I'm not a big fan of Legacy, its just OK in my book. Dormie Club is really nice, and could become private if their plans work out, you may want to play there while you still can. In a perfect world, I'd pick #2, and either Dormie or Tobacco Road. If you want a Donald Ross course, and can't fit #2 in, You can go to MidPines or Pine Needles and have a great time.

 

Food and drink "off campus" would include Pinehurst Brewing, Maxie's or Dugan's in the Village, Ironwood Cafe north just a bit on Midland Road, Sly Fox (English-style gastropub) in Southern Pines, maybe CharBar 7 kind of in-between the two. I imagine your package will have you in one of the Pinehurst Resort restaurants, they're all pretty good too.

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awesome advice davep much appreciated! realistically not sure how much i'll actually end up eating/drinking offsite but I like to have options in case. Im a bit of a microbrewery snob, especially ones with cool back stories or in interesting places so I definitely am going to make time to stop into Pinehurst brewing for a flights and pints

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awesome advice davep much appreciated! realistically not sure how much i'll actually end up eating/drinking offsite but I like to have options in case. Im a bit of a microbrewery snob, especially ones with cool back stories or in interesting places so I definitely am going to make time to stop into Pinehurst brewing for a flights and pints

If you like a little backstory, the Railhouse Brewery in nearby Aberdeen was founded a few years ago by a number of military vets. I can't say I've tried their beer yet, but it might make an interesting way to spend an hour if you get the chance.

https://www.railhousebrewery.com/

In addition, Southern Pines Brewery is open in the north end of Southern Pines. They make the Man of Law IPA that you'll see on tap around town.

https://www.southernpinesbrewing.com/

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Just to pile on ....... Play #2. You're coming all the way from California. You'll be getting #2 at it's best conditions (spring and fall are best for that course). You may never get back there. It's hard to imagine coming all that ways to Pinehurst and not playing it.

 

And as others have said, walk it with a caddie. Have fun and keep it below the hole.

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#2 is an iconic course and worth your time if you can fit it into your schedule. Walking through the club house at #2 is like visiting a museum to golf and Payne Stewart. Sitting on the porch of the Carolina Hotel and sipping a beverage after a round of golf is nearly a holy grail in itself.

 

I've only been there once and that is not enough.

 

Phred

 

You can do all that without playing golf or staying at the resort. Clubhouse and bar/restaurant (excellent) are open to the public and about the same price as going to Chili's (lol).

 

#2 is not a must play, unless money is not an issue. In April, most courses in the area will be in nice shape.

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awesome advice davep much appreciated! realistically not sure how much i'll actually end up eating/drinking offsite but I like to have options in case. Im a bit of a microbrewery snob, especially ones with cool back stories or in interesting places so I definitely am going to make time to stop into Pinehurst brewing for a flights and pints

 

the microbrewery in pinehurst resort is built in the steam power plant that once powered the resort ... not a beer drinker myself, but the place is interesting nonetheless ...

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Another vote for No. 2 with a caddie. I played there for the first time last Spring and it was spectacular. Drinks on the veranda afterward watching others hit into 18 is a nice end to the day. I also played No. 8 and No. 9, also with caddies (why rush around in a cart and miss the words of wisdom and history, as well as sarcasm if you are lucky) and loved both courses, but they are totally different courses. No. 4 was still under construction. We stayed at the Carolina Hotel, which has an enormous brunch. Our best dinner was at the 1895 Grille. And, being from California, you may appreciate the corkage policy. It is quite generous if you have some nice wines you want to bring to drink with your dinners.

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Play 2, 7, 8. Get the breakfast buffet at the Carolina, and have a dinner at the Holly. Thank me later - an experience you will never forget. As others have said go to the clubhouse for #2 (its specific to #2). Walking down the hallway be sure to stop and look at the trophy case. I don't think there is another course in the US that has hosted the PGA, US Open, Women's US Open, Senior US Open, Ryder Cup, and US Amateur.

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# 2 is iconic and must play at least once but for my money I would rather play Mid Pines AND Pineneedles for less than a round on #2 (especially if youre already play #4) MP has great pub for drinks and food. Pine Crest Inn is another great place for drinks and chipping contests.

 

Southern Pines is a great Donald Ross track that is off the beaten path.

 

If you want to stick with the resort courses, dont over look #1 for a fun/low key round.

 

The Duece in Pinehurst club house has great food, carolina inn for a drink on porch but not food (IMO)

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Thanks FREEgone I appreciate your advice and while 99% of the time I am a bang for your buck kind of guy I think this trip is going to be that 1% where I splurge. I’m only going to be in the area for 3 days 1 1/2 of which will be devoted to the event. Who knows when I’ll be back in the area again I think I would kick myself if I left without playing 2. Depending on the availability of a tee time I’ll keep mid and pine needles on my radar as well as 1. As a guy who plays mid tier courses with the rare high end round I don’t think I will be disappointed with any of the Pinehurst tracks or the handful of other courses in the area everyone’s mentioned. This trip can’t come soon enough.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent, cheaper hotel option nearby? I might save a few bucks by doing a night there instead of racking on an extra night at the resort

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Obviously #2 if you can, and then #8, #6, and #9 - in that order for me although all are really good; Tobacco Road is worth playing for the scenery/conditions, both are wonderful; Mid Pines and Pine Needles are great; Dormie Club is also great, but I'm a Coore and Crenshaw fan. Those are what I would consider the best-of-the-best you can play. I also like Legacy and Talamore for a little less money.

 

You couldn't pick a better time to go to Pinehurst - spend as much time as you can on property!

 

This. That stated. I loved #4. I played about a month (maybe less) after the re-design/opening, it was fantastic. Dormie Club was just ok for me.

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I am not with everyone here as #2 I was not taken back by it. Its a flat course or compared to others and the defense really is legnth and its trutle back greens. Routing is decent. The history plays a huge part in it I know but maybe I just went in anticipating to much.

 

I have only played 5 tracks in Pinehurst (adding more in Feb) but they are listed as the "ones to play", Overall I loved Mid Pines. Think its better then Pine Needles. Mid Pines puts a bit more premium on driving accuracy and has more aspects needed on approach shots.

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Nice! Please check back in cdm after your trip, would love to get a recap of the courses you play

 

Another interesting issue I have come across in booking my travel: I am flying from San Diego, my guess is traditionally the easiest way to pinehurst is through Raleigh/Durham however there is no direct flight, the shortest total trip at the best time connects through Charlotte. How does the drive compare from Charlotte vs Durham? If it’s not terrible my thoughts might be that it Would it make sense for me to just fly to Charlotte instead and avoid my bag potentially getting lost in translation. Weirdly enough it’s more expensive to book a direct flight from San Diego to Charlotte than booking from San Diego to Raleigh/Durham in which you are going to be on the same exact flight that goes to Charlotte.

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Nice! Please check back in cdm after your trip, would love to get a recap of the courses you play

 

Another interesting issue I have come across in booking my travel: I am flying from San Diego, my guess is traditionally the easiest way to pinehurst is through Raleigh/Durham however there is no direct flight, the shortest total trip at the best time connects through Charlotte. How does the drive compare from Charlotte vs Durham? If it’s not terrible my thoughts might be that it Would it make sense for me to just fly to Charlotte instead and avoid my bag potentially getting lost in translation. Weirdly enough it’s more expensive to book a direct flight from San Diego to Charlotte than booking from San Diego to Raleigh/Durham in which you are going to be on the same exact flight that goes to Charlotte.

 

Charlotte airport will be almost twice as long of a drive to Pinehurst as Raleigh (about 2 hours compared to 1 hour). Plus the traffic in Charlotte is far worse. And if you are staying at the resort, they provide transportation to and from the Raleigh airport but I'm 99% certain they do not offer it for Charlotte.

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I've been to Pinehurst several times.

 

Of the resort courses the best are 2, 4, 6, 8. I haven't played 9. I also haven't played the renovated #4 but I hear good things so it's good that you are playing there.

 

Tobacco road can be polarizing but I quite liked it when I played it. It's got a fair amount of target golf to it, but it was fun. As far as other off resort courses I would recommend the following:

 

- Mid Pines and Pine Needles. Both are really good setups and classic NC sandhills designs.

- Dormie Club. I think it's still available for public play. It's a Coore & Crenshaw design and is also very nice.

 

Have fun!

What he said!

 

For real...Mid Pines, Pine Needles, and Dormie are all great. And you've already got #4. If you can manage #2, great, but if not Mid Pines and Pine Needles should almost make up for it!

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TR and some of the literal outliers are on the way down from RD. Not sure what is on the road between charlotte and Pinehurst.

 

That being said, charlotte is a nice airport and a United hub so lots of direct flights. Grab a little connector to RD.

 

We were actually having this discussion regarding the airports at work yesterday for work reasons unfortunately.

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Nice! Please check back in cdm after your trip, would love to get a recap of the courses you play

 

Another interesting issue I have come across in booking my travel: I am flying from San Diego, my guess is traditionally the easiest way to pinehurst is through Raleigh/Durham however there is no direct flight, the shortest total trip at the best time connects through Charlotte. How does the drive compare from Charlotte vs Durham? If it’s not terrible my thoughts might be that it Would it make sense for me to just fly to Charlotte instead and avoid my bag potentially getting lost in translation. Weirdly enough it’s more expensive to book a direct flight from San Diego to Charlotte than booking from San Diego to Raleigh/Durham in which you are going to be on the same exact flight that goes to Charlotte.

 

I would just drive over from Charlotte. You would probably arrive sooner in Pinehurst than flying to Raleigh. This obviously depends on you layover time, runway backup, and traffic in CLT.

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