1) 8 things you must do when visiting Pinehurst (beyond the obvious stuff, like playing No. 2) Golf Digest

2) Who is Putter Boy? Golf Tripper

3) Ask Matty G  (Video)

4) Golf Advisor: The Carolina Sandhills in May

The weather in May potentially could be quite nice. According to weather.com, the average low (55 degrees) and high (79 degrees) are just about perfect for golf. Not too cold. Not too hot. May is also second only to April for the lowest average of precipitation in the area (3.1 inches of rain to 3.0).

Bob Farren, Pinehurst Resort’s director of grounds and golf course maintenance, indicated through a spokesman that the resort’s nine courses are in “optimal shape” at that time of the year.

“Fairways are firm and fast,” Farren said. “Greens are in great shape. The Bermuda grass has had time to come in appropriately. And the weather is ideal — warm but not hot as in the summer months.”

Farren added that aeration shouldn’t be an issue: Bentgrass greens are done in November and Bermuda greens in late July/August.

5) Splurging in North Carolina’s Sandhills: The five must-play golf courses of Pinehurst and Southern Pines  – Golf Advisor

6) Pinehurst #2 – Golf Club Atlas

7) Pine Needles  – Golf Club Atlas

8) Mid Pines – Golf Club Atlas

9) Golf Digest Top 100 Courses in America – Pinehurst #2 is #30.

John Dunn Tucker (9 1909)/Donald Ross & Walter Travis (A.9 1907)/Donald Ross (R. 1923, 1935)/Richard S. Tufts (R. 1950, 1961)/George Fazio & Tom Fazio (R. 1978)/Jack Nicklaus (R. 1987)/Rees Jones (1998)/Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2010)

In 2010, a team lead by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw killed and ripped out all the Bermudagrass rough on Pinehurst No. 2 that had been foolishly planted in the 1970s. Between fairways and tree lines, they established vast bands of native hardpan sand dotted with clumps of wiregrass and scattered pine needles. They reduced the irrigation to mere single rows in fairways to prevent grass from ever returning to the new sandy wastelands. Playing firm and fast, it was wildly successful as the site of the 2014 men’s and women’s U.S. Opens, played on consecutive weeks. Because of its water reduction, the course was awarded a Green Star environmental award by Golf Digest that year.

100 Greatest History: Ranked since 1966. Highest ranking: No. 9, 1995-02. Previous ranking: No. 28

Panelist comments:
“A true thinking-man’s course. Donald Ross demands shot-creation. Off the tee, there are great lines for shot visualization but it can also trick you if not careful or exact.”

“Though I had seen the restoration on television, the actual experience of playing the course and seeing the changes up-close was better than expected. There is tremendous atmosphere and history surrounding Pinehurst, which makes it feel like an incredibly special place to play a round of golf.”

 

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