I have recently played Pine Needles and from what I saw of his work I would say it is excellent.

Mike ....your posts still seem to be laggin behind mine case you havent noticed

Craig-

I have been caddying at Pine Needles for the past two months and you hit it at the perfect time. I was not up there this past weekend, however this past month the greens have been rolling very true and fast. The fairways have been a bit patchy and a bit on the soft side. The course really gets going on the back nine, and everyone seems to enjoy that side better.

Mid Pines is one of my favorite courses in the Pinehurst area, also my favorite to caddie for obvious reasons. The conditioning this spring has been unbelievable. Couldn't have hit it at a better time.

Mike

At the Dixie Cup we played Mid Pines in the morning and Pine Needles in the afternoon.  I have no idea what PN was like pre-Fought, but it was quite nice when we played.  The bunkers were well shaped, all the turf in good shape, no wear and tear.  It looked right out of the box.

MP by contrast is an older course.

I enjoyed them both.  I was fascinated by the completely different routings of two 1920's Donald Ross courses separated by a thin road.  

Mid Pines is almost all tees and greens on the high points, with valleys in between.  Pine Needles is almost completely the opposite, with most tee shots up over a ridge to a green on the other side down lower.

I wonder if Ross did this on purpose in order to establish the contrast and create interest.  At any rate, it interested me!

The two courses are also a good walk, as each tee was within 30 yards of the previous green in almost every case.  I just love that.  

The 12th hole has changed considerably. Adding the large bunker about 40 yards in front of the green. If you guys received a yardage guide there is a great summary of the history of the course.

I've been to Pine Needles and Mid-Pines with the same group three of the last four years, including this past March.

Fought is a close friend, I believe perhaps a college teammate, of Peggy Kirk Bell's son in law, former tour  player Pat McGowan, who now manages the resorts. Fought has done some original work, at times partnered with Tom Lehman, such as the Raven at Verado in the far weastern Phoenix Valley.

My entire group was very impressed with the "new" Pine Needles.

The main changes were, IMO, the contouring around the greens, which enhances in places the opportunity for the ball to run away from the putting surfaces, the new bunker fronting the 11th (not 12th) green, and the switch back to the original par 4/5 sequence of holes 14 and 15. Last year they played 5/4.

I personlly think the "new" 15th is a show stopper. It is excellent. Dead straight, but the fairway tilts precipitously right tho left, sending tee shots careeneing toward the brace of bunkers on the left. We played the Ross tees, and these bunkers are right in the drive zone about 260 out. Just a mid to long iron home from there; however, from the new back tee, a fairway wood would be required to reach in two. the green opening is generous but flanking bunkers await the slightly off line approach. Lay up shots are challenged by a bunker right and OB left.

Number fourteen is the most difficult par 4- a long dogleg right with the drive zone narrowed by bunkers on the right. Long and straight puts one in the woods to the left. There is no elevation change, and the green is partialy hidden by the left front bunker. I believe there is a back right bunker missing, which disrupts one's depth perception.

I do not know if this is a change but I do not remember the fron to back slopes on holes 2,9, and 18 greens as being so severe. However, they fit perfectly and do not overwhelm. I will consider the bump and run into those grees next time, though.

I was in the Jim Sweeney group in late March.  We had quite a lively debate on which of the two courses was more difficult from the tees we played (the back at MP and the Ross tees at PN).  Pretty stiff breeze the whole time we were there.  It seemed as though at MP the wind was never at your back no matter what direction you were playing in.  We thought that was just another example of the genius of Donald Ross.

On 18 at PN one of our group hit the 18th green 5 times before it stayed on the surface.  I am really interested to see the women finish up on that hole in the Open.  Back left pin on Sunday could be fun.

I love them both, but for me Mid-Pines is more intimate, famaliar.  I feel like I'm stepping back in time.  

Read somewhere that Ross designed Pine Needles to be tougher and/or more of a "championship" course while designing Mid-Pines as more of a local, daily-playing "country club" feel.  

     I played Pine Needles last year. The scale was impressive and the greens were challenging. Bunkers were'nt intrusive.
    We both played at the same course when he was an amateur. He was very methodical in his approach, the antithesis of a feel player. Adam's assessment is right, his work product steadily improves. I get to play his first solo project all the time. It has issues which aren't evident in his current work. His newest project is promoted as Ross style. I'll check that out in a month.
     Given his annual golfing vacations to the west of Ireland I'm suprised that pedigree hasn't show up in his portfolio.  

John Fought was hired by Pine Needles without the Donald Ross Society being involved. It was the first restoration that John attempted. His connection was through Pat McGowan with whom he played on tour.

John won the US Amateur at Aronimink and has always been a fan of Ross. He spent a full month at the Tufts Archives before he made any plans for Pine Needles. He studied writings, drawings and bunker forms and then translated them to the ground at Pine Needles. In all, he did a marvelous restoration on a very good golf course.

John is proof that a competent Architect who is smart enough to do his homework can do a proper restoration. He is a very competent Architect and a true professional in his field.

Michael Fay:

If the DRS was involved with the decision to hire John Fought for this effort, do you think they/you would have hired him on the basis that he had no experience with Ross work and that as you say, " it was the first restoration that John attempted"?

It would seem...as long as one is competent and does their homework, that by gollie it can work and work very well.  The apparent prerequisite and well earned experience by those who have done Ross work is not really necessary.  Though on the other hand being smart enough to do your homework, doesn't necessarilly mean you are going to get an 'A' on your report card.  One can only hope...I applaud John and his design associate/researcher for doing what sounds like fine work and look forward to other non-Ross experienced architects achieving similar results given the opportunity.

I We played the "Ross tees" which are located exactly where Ross had them some 85 years ago at around 6500 yards.
(All this high tech equipment and I still only shot an 88.)

Craig, we also played the Ross tees last Spring, and our group all enjoyed it. However, we were led to believe that said 'Ross tees' were positioned so that the course today, with modern equipment, would play as it was originally designed to, but not to the original length. Many of the challenging (for decent club amateurs) drives were such that an Ok hit would pitch in the upslope, and stop but a very well struck shot would carry the apex and and then consequently be rewarded with extra roll. I found this an enjoyable challenge.