A cleek's distance from the Village of
Pinehurst
is Carolina Vista, a tree-lined half-mile boulevard. At one end is The Carolina, the Pinehurst Resort's
elegant New England-style hotel built in 1901, its ornate porte cochere peopled with attendants decked
out in knickers. At the other end is the main golf clubhouse, an equally imposing L-shaped edifice that
serves the resort's five on-site golf courses, including the most famous track,
Pinehurst #2,
and
#4,
a Tom-Fazio design. (Pinehurst
#6,
#7 and
#8
are off site within short distances and each are served by their own clubhouses). During my visit, men
and women sporting glistening cotton whites were bowling in a tournament on the immaculate
croquet/bowling greens in front of the clubhouse.
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst #2 is one of five resort courses designed by Donald Ross at the invitation of resort founder James K. Tufts. Ross called #2 his best design though he has also said the same thing about some of his other layouts. In any case, #2 holds the distinction of having hosted more major championships than any other U.S. golf course. Ben Hogan won his first professional tournament here. The '36 PGA Championship was held here. Pinehurst adopted son E. Harvie Ward, whom some consider the greatest amateur who ever lived, beat Arnold Palmer, then a sophomore at Wake Forest, here in the North-South Amateur 5 and 4 in the semifinals. Two PGA Tour Championships, the '94 U.S. Senior Open and the '99 U.S. Open were held here. Pinehurst #2 has also been chosen to host the U.S. Open in 2005.
It is worth mentioning the campus at the main golf club and the logistics of playing golf here. Visitors drive up the inclined oval drive to the bag drop where an attendant asks you your tee time and which course you are playing. After handing him a tip, he whisks your clubs away and directs you to the pro shop. The pro shop is at the southeast end of the clubhouse, which must be the size of a European railway station.
Eventually you arrive at the pro shop and are issued receipts and told to go downstairs to an underground cavern where the caddie master directs you to your cart or caddie (caddies are recommended on #2) and directs you to the driving range. With five golf courses right outside the clubhouse door, it is easy to lose your way. Each course has a starters house, but finding the right starter can be tricky. The practice area including the huge driving range and a half dozen putting/chipping greens is humongous. On a crowded day, it is the O'Hare Airport of Golf. I never saw so many golfers in one place in my life. 
Continued:
Pinehurst Golf
