Sandhills August Trip - Pinehurst question

[miss0033]

I have a trip scheduled for myself and a buddy in mid August.  Tee times were extremely hard to come across but we found some that work (good thing just 2 of us).

 

What is booked;

Wed night - fly into Raleigh, stay in Raleigh

Thursday - TBD - Staying at Pine Needles

Friday - Mid Pines AM and Pine Needles PM - Staying in Southern Pines (PN and MP were booked)

Saturday - Tobacco Road 9:40AM - PM TBD - Staying in Southern Pines (PN and MP were booked)

Sunday - Tobacco Road 7:40AM - 7:00 flight home

 

Thursday the goal is to play a round with my cousin who lives in Salisbury.  Tot Hill Farm seemed like a reasonable meeting point to play.  Our preferred option would be to play Lonnie Poole early in the morning in Raleigh (8:00am or earlier) and head out to Tot Hill Farm for a 3:15ish tee time (90 minute drive).  However, I have been tracking Lonnie Poole tee times the past few days, there seems to be very few tee times available before 10:00am on weekdays which would pretty much end us trying to play Tot Hill in the afternoon.  So Lonnie Poole might not be a go...  Whereas Tot hill Farm is wide open... I know it is a polarizing course (I've played it before, playing partner hasn't and is interested), hopefully conditions aren't terrible.  UNC Finley doesn't appear to be an option, as Thursday mornings they have junior golf camp with public tee times not available until 9:00am or later, not to mention UNC, Duke, and Pine Hollow are all the wrong direction for us for Pinehurst and/or Tot Hill.  Preserve at Jordan Lake might be an option, but looking at photos of it the course looks rather non-descript and not very sandhillsy. 

 

If we cannot get on at Lonnie Poole, and do an early AM Tot Hill round.  What are the chances we can get on Pinehurst #3 in the afternoon?  Either that day, or on Saturday after Tobacco road?  Tee times are very limited.  It appears there is a large event at Tobacco Road and Pinehurst that weekend; The Grint Tour, apparently.  I am guessing golfs current popularity and that event will make tee-times 5 days out next to impossible.  Also, if we can get on, does Pinehurst have any Twilight pricing after 3:00pm on the 'lesser' courses?  

 

Ideal Thursday option:

Lonnie Poole in AM? (8:00?)  Tot Hill in PM (3:15?) 

 - w/ Pinehurst #3 on Saturday afternoon (3:30) or attempt to get on at the Cradle

 

2nd option for Thursday:

 OR  Tot Hill in AM (9:00) and Pinehurst #3 (3:30?)

 - attempt a round at the Cradle on Saturday afternoon.

 

Thanks in advance.

[JLaws_2929]

FWIW I was able to get on No 3 booking 5 days out for Memorial Day weekend and it was a really fun course.

[PeteNC]

Options if you're looking for 36 and not committed to THF - 

Look at Grandover in Greensboro.  Easier drive than the others and they have 36 holes.  Hosted ACC championships.  Solid Tracks. 

You also could look at Tanglewood or Bryan Park which have 36 holes around Greensboro.  Slightly further drive but have had big events in the past.

 

 

 

Pinehurst has been quite busy.  Being a 2some may help your chances a bit.  

[miss0033]

Just got back from our trip.  Had a great time, which was the whole point.  Didn't play my best golf, but still had a ton of fun playing.

 

Played Lonnie Poole, which was a really nice course.  My playing partner and I both thought the back was significantly more difficult than the front 9.  But top notch condition, challenging layout, and just a great round of golf.

 

Tot Hill Farm was in pretty rough shape.  The "Cart paths" were more like ATV trails, and are in dire need of repair or replacement.  Lots of crab grass in many of the fairways, the back 1/3 of #13 green is curling up and completely dead, other greens had some large burnt out areas.  A few tee boxes have little to no grass, several former tee boxes have been abandoned (too difficult to get a mower to?).  It was a fun layout and we still enjoyed the round, we were just disappointed to see the condition it was in.  I hope they get some funds from all the homes that are being built around the course to help bring it back.  Hole #8 might be my favorite on the course, but #10-#17 are also just really fun holes to play, just a great back nine.  They also had closed up by the time we made the turn, with just some high school age kids bringing back carts and cleaning up.  So we couldn't buy any merchandise, since we were pressed for time coming from Lonnie Poole.

 

Mid Pines and Pine Needles were both in outstanding condition and a joy to play.  I preferred the layout at Mid Pines, while my playing partner preferred Pine Needles.  Just goes to show, everyone has their own tastes and preferences.  The greens where nowhere as quick as I had remembered (played PN previously) and were covered in sand to the point where you had to clean your ball after every putt.  Didn't affect our enjoyment of it, just an observation.  Our room at Pine Needles Resort (Kirk lodge) was pretty tired...  The shower drained extremely slow, the bathroom mirror was cloudy and had a crack, pretty old carpet and bedding, and the A/C ran all night and never seemed to cool the room down; it was as if the room below us had a fire going in a fireplace or something.  Not sure if I would stay there again or not.  I don't need a luxury hotel room by any means, but the lodge rooms could use some maintenance and minor upgrades.  Although there was a rather large new TV which was almost comically large in comparison to the lodge room size.

 

Tobacco Road was in impeccable condition and the highlight of the trip for both of us.  I don't think I can add anything that hasn't already been said.  Other than, our round here Saturday was right around 5 Hours and 10 minutes which is just too long.  Sunday we played a little quicker in around 4:30.  

 

I am a little irritated with Pinehurst.  I called Friday for a round Saturday at #3.  I asked for their first available twilight tee time, and he said "We have a 3:44 available" - okay I will take it for 2.  I guess I should've confirmed the price.  We rushed from Tobacco Road over to Pinehurst, with the 5 hour round giving us much less time than anticipated.  Our GPS sent us to the Carolina, so they kindly get us a shuttle over to the main club house, but we are cutting it close.  I already had given them credit card info on the phone to get the tee time, I asked if we could just grab a cart and go, but No, I needed to check in.  We waited over 20 minutes in line at the pro shop with everyone buying stuff and multiple lines forming in random places (and complete chaos going on outside at the putting course and cradle due to the Grint Tour), so we are already at 3:50 and late.  She rings me up for full price, and I said I asked for a twilight tee time, but she tells me that doesn't start until 4:00, sorry about that.  I tell here it is going to be after 4:00 by the time we get over to tee off, could she just move the tee time or give me any help? I am told since I am not staying there I cannot move or adjust my tee time and they are very busy anyway, if anything she is helping me by still letting us play even though we are late.  So whatever, I pay full price and we head over there.  I am not kidding, I think there was maybe 3 other groups on #3 total.  It was empty.  When I asked for Twilight tee time, if it didn't start until 4:00, why did he tell me 3:44 when there were hardly any other tee times booked.  It was nice having a course to ourselves basically (a welcome relief from our other packed rounds), but don't act like you were too booked and doing me a favor to "even let me play".  Not to mention on our shuttle ride to/from the Carolina, seeing how the baggage handlers throw, slam, and stack golf bags - I don't think I will be parting with my money to play Pinehurst anytime again soon.  I am pretty sure we witnessed a Mavrik driver being snapped when it was thrown into the back of a bag transport cart, at a minimum the sole was dented.  Neither worker seemed to care, and seemed to be more irritated to be moving golf clubs around.  The whole place felt a little too pretentious to me, I preferred the much more laid back atmosphere at Mid Pines and Pine Needles, and the almost completely informal atmosphere of Tobacco Road.

 

#3 was a fun course, and I am glad I played it, but it is not a $120 course.  $65-$85 - absolutely, I would gladly play it again for that price, but not $120.  When Tobacco Road was $135, and we played both Mid Pines and Pine Needles for about $200 combined, #3 was a pretty poor value comparatively.  A twosome we got paired with at Tobacco Road said similar things about #1 but didn't know what they paid specifically as they were staying there on a package.  Couldn't play the Cradle, as the event "Grint Tour" had essentially booked any open tee times left after resort guests had booked.

[wrwarner]

That’s pretty poor service for Pinehurst. They usually pride themselves on their hospitality. You should write that up and send an email to Tom Pashley, their CEO, just as an FYI.
 

I can’t say I’m shocked though at the behavior of their assistant pros and outside staff. The Resort historically underpays those positions.

[ND2005]

I’ve definitely noticed that the bag handlers are super rough on the clubs there. I usually get my own bag there for that exact reason. 
 
The loading area under the main clubhouse is a zoo. Guess that’s what happens when you’re handling bags, carts, and caddies for 5 or 6 courses simultaneously in one tiny spot. 
 
I definitely agree 1 and 3 are not close to worth the full rate. The best way to play them is as an add-on/extra round to one of Pinehurst packages - then they are only 50 bucks