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Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

Mac Plumart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2009, 06:24:19 PM »
Great photos!!!  Thanks for sharing.

I am heading to Pinehurst in March.  I am hitting 2, 4, and 8, Pine Needles and Tobacco Road.

However, I am wondering if Tot Hill might be worth the extra drive? 

Have you played Tobacco Road and Tot Hill?  Thoughts on them, do I need to eventually play both?  Or not?

Thanks for any guidance.
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2009, 06:32:30 PM »
If you are replacing one of the aforementioned with Tot Hill, it's a toss-up.

Mike Strantz, having died so young, has a relatively small body of work, so it makes sense to play both North Carolina courses if you are interested in playing them all...I made the mistake of not playing Caledonia when I played True Blue, so I'll have to go back to Myrtle Beach one day (twist my arm!)

If you are going to play both, play Tot Hill Farm first.  I felt a bit disappointed the first hours after Tot Hill, but soon came to my senses.  It is definitely worth a play, but make sure you play it from the tips.  It's not long (nor is Tobacco...tips there, too).  The 10th plays from one side of the road for tips, the other for the rest of tees.
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2009, 08:30:16 PM »
Great photos!!!  Thanks for sharing.

I am heading to Pinehurst in March.  I am hitting 2, 4, and 8, Pine Needles and Tobacco Road.

However, I am wondering if Tot Hill might be worth the extra drive? 

Have you played Tobacco Road and Tot Hill?  Thoughts on them, do I need to eventually play both?  Or not?

Thanks for any guidance.

I'd play Southern Pines or Mid Pines or about 5-10 other courses in the area before making the jaunt to THF.  I will admit I have only played THF once, and it was just too wacky for me.  Tobacco Road has some crazy holes and shots, but they are all pretty fair.  I do not think the same way about THF.  Of your 5-some above, I would rank #2, PN, TR, #8, #4.  I've played almost every course in the area, and THF for me is well down my list.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2009, 08:38:02 PM »
I will certainly cede to Mr. Tufts in terms of expertise.  We played Little River, Tobacco Road, The Pit, Tot Hill Farm and Southern Pines (along with Pete Dye on the way northward) and of the five Sandhills courses, the one I would go out of my way to play again is Tobacco Road.  I enjoyed the other four and would return to any of them but wouldn't go crazy if I couldn't play them again.  I didn't find Tot Hill to be "crazy" as did Mr. Tufts...in fact, Tobacco Road is crazier in my book.  You can't find a crazier hole than #13, although #15 and #16 come darned close!!  They are all a blast to play, but they are crazier than anything at Tot Hill Farm.
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2009, 09:58:17 PM »
I guess what separates THF and TR for me can be exemplified in a discusion of THF #5 (?) and TR #13.

The hole at THF is the downhill right to left par five with the "tongue" green down in front.  While the hole is not offensive until the green, this was one of the wackiest greens I've ever seen.  The tongue is about 20 feet wide (this is where the pin was the day I played) and SEVERELY sloped right to left.  The bunker to the right is at-grade with the green.  Miss left by a few feet, and watch your ball ping anywhere off the rocks.  This phenomenon happens quite a bit at THF, where there are rock outcroppings poking out of the grass 3 feet off a green ready to remove any chance of recovery.  It is interesting to say the least, but to me, it's just too out there.

#13 at TR is the often-called "unfair" par 5.  The hole zig-zags right then left before the blind green set in the circle of sandhills.  Personally, this hole isn't unfair.  If you miss slightly, your ball will often carom forward or backward onto the green.  It is blind, but you can easily walk or drive forward and check the pin location.  And, the hole is something like 520, so you should be hitting a short iron!

Circle a green with rock outcroppings, or circle a green with sandhills that block the view to the green...give me the blind green every time.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Mac Plumart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2009, 10:04:48 PM »
Brad...

Both sound so unique.  They both sound like must plays to me.

There are certainly times you want a straight forward golf course, but sometimes playing a course with some "funk" is fun.

At least that is what I think...and these courses sound funky.  As long as I go in knowing this, I can have fun.

Thanks for all this information.  Very well put and insightful.

Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm and The Pit
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2009, 10:12:06 PM »
Brad is absolutely accurate in his assessments...the par three at THF right after the rocky par five is also ringed with rocks...instead of sand pits (a la Tobacco Road), Strantz uses the rocks at THF, as you are technically outside the sandhills.

The third or fourth shot with wedge into the par five at Tobacco that he mentions must be played SO precisely, as the green is not deep at all.

If you understand that you are in for a unique experience at both and don't sweat any bad bounces, you will love both courses.
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

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