Pinehurst No. 9

[Howard Riefs]

Golf Digest's Matt Ginella reports that Bill Coore is designing Pinehurst No. 9, which will be on the site of the Pit course.  Interesting that it's only Coore -- and not Crenshaw. At least the Q&A doesn't mention Ben in regards to No. 9.

The link to Matt's extensive interview about Pinehurst with the resort president Don Padgett Jr about No. 2, the US Open, No. 9, etc.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/blogs/wheres-matty-g/2012/05/bill-coores-latest-pinehurst-n.html#entry-more

The excerpt on No. 9...

The last time we spoke (February 2011), you had just bought the Pit. You went on to close the course and focus on the reopening of No. 2. Is there any update on what was the Pit?
"Bill Coore was assigned to do a routing, which I think he’s close to completing. I have not seen it, but he has told me that he is almost there. We’re not going to pull the trigger anytime in the immediate future, but [Pinehurst owner] Bob Dedman would love to build that golf course. Bill [Coore] feels like it will be a very, very good golf course. He would be excited to build it. A lot of the land he’d use would be in the 150 acres east of what was the Pit golf course. That’s the parcel that Bill likes the best. At some point there will be a No. 9 at Pinehurst."
 
You’re back to 2008 numbers and you almost have a routing, so you’re probably closer to pulling the trigger now than you were a year ago.
"We’re a lot closer than we were six months ago."
 
As long as you’re sharing the news of a No. 9, is there going to be a No. 10?
"I’d say we’re more likely to have nine. Unless we were to acquire something, there’s no land in the vicinity to do the 10th golf course. If we were going to do it, we’d want to make sure it was as significant as Bill assures us No. 9 will be."

[Matthew Petersen]

Sounds great.

Seems like Padgett ios just talking about a routing here and, as I understand it, that is pretty much always Coore's job when C&C work together. Nothing in those comments would necessarily make me think Ben wouldn't be involved here down the road.

[Ronald Montesano]

I liked the Pit. I'll miss it.

[Bruce Wellmon]

As long as you’re sharing the news of a No. 9, is there going to be a No. 10?
"I’d say we’re more likely to have nine. Unless we were to acquire something"

"Unless we were to acquire something"

Now that's an interesting statement. Lots of room for the imigination to wander.

[David Schofield]

If I recall correctly, Mr. Mandell's book indicated that the Resort had started on a course northwest of the Pit Golf Links.  A look at the aerial shows that construction had advanced as far as clearing hole corridors.  I'm confused, then, by Mr. Padgett, Jr.'s statement that they don't have enough room for a No. 10 course without acquisition of additional property.

[PCCraig]

Forgive me if I missed it in the interview, but why aren't they keeping the Pit open? Assuming Bill Coore routes a course right next to it, why not keep it open?

[Mark Johnson]

i am excited by this.

I think the Pit has some of the best land in the Pinehurst complex.    I think C/C could really do some interesting things with it?

[Matthew Petersen]

Forgive me if I missed it in the interview, but why aren't they keeping the Pit open? Assuming Bill Coore routes a course right next to it, why not keep it open?

The way I read it was that the new Coore course may well incorporate portions of the land where the Pit is/was, as well as land adjacent to it.

[Jud_T]

Awesome news!

[Tom Fagerli]

I was of the impression they were going to build behind the Pit, too. Then the Pit came available so I guess plans changed. I had hoped they would re-open the Pit as the area needs a reasonably priced golf option that has character. However that doesn't appear to be an option now. I agree that the land has tremendous potential. Coore will do a great job I am sure.

[Cory Lewis]

"I’d say we’re more likely to have nine. Unless we were to acquire something, there’s no land in the vicinity to do the 10th golf course. If we were going to do it, we’d want to make sure it was as significant as Bill assures us No. 9 will be."

That quote makes no sense.  As someone mentioned earlier, Pinehurst was planning on building 9 & 10 on land next to The Pit on Route 5.  #9 was routed and cleared before 9/11.  If they are incorporating The Pit into Coore's routing then there is plenty of room to build #10.  They could use the land where the Rees Jones #9 was supposed to be.

[hhuffines]

They must be saving some room for the retail and housing... I believe that was part of the plan originally.