[rjsimper]

Curious that threads asking about the other courses at Pinehurst always seem to morph into "screw the resort, go play Tobacco Road" or something else in the area.

I think it's pretty well known that Pine Needles is solid, Mid-Pines is sporty, Southern Pines is a value, Forest Creek is upscale Fazio, etc etc etc.

However to discuss the merits or shortcomings of Pinehurst 4 itself, I would say that it's a nice golf course but certainly not a must-play.

I think that not enough is discussed about the courses at the resort, perhaps I'll start a thread to go through thoughts on each of those - the main reason being that people staying at the resort are often faced with deciding how to distribute the rounds included in the package.

4 is a nice course....worth a play if you're able to add it on your trip/stay at a good price....not worth going out of your way to play there at full rack.

[Mac Plumart]

Ryan...

I, for one, would love this Pinehurst proper thread that you are thinking about starting.

I am heading to Pinehurst for the first time in a few months and I am really excited about it.  But as it is my first time, I am unsure what to do/play.  I've check out Chris' site...http://sandhillsinsider.com/golf.html...and frankly I think it is the best site for Pinehurst area information I have ever seen.

Given this site, Chris' site, and a random hodge podge of information sources, I've decided to play 2, 4, 8, Pine Needles, and Tobacco Road.  I've had the agenda set for sometime and have been excited about  it, but seeing recent threads on this site...I have become overjoyed and anxious to play these courses.

Furthermore, I have taken words that some posters on this site have said (namely Matt Ward and Tom Doak) and I think I am going to make playing Pinehurst #2 an annual play course which I can study and learn from over time.

But I would be all ears regarding a thread that discusses all the Pinehurst proper courses.

 

[Chris Buie]

Mac you are too kind.  Thank you.  Let me know how much I need to make the check out for.  
I reviewed courses 1 and 3 on this site before - and wrote some stuff about the Ellis Maples/D. Ross hybrid #5 Course as well.
Anyway, you can see my take on #1 here:
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41357.0/
and #3 here:
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40661.0/

No real need for me to go on about #2 Course, is there?  Not unless it was from an angle that hasn't been done before.  
Speaking of #2 and whether Pine Needles can be compared quality wise, IMHO it is not a stretch to debate which is better.  The land of PN is much more interesting than #2.  I can't really think of anything I just don't like about Pine Needles.  And let me tell you, from the tips it is enough of a course for anybody.  It's a great course by any standard.
My favorite course in the area is Mid Pines.  It has similar qualities as #2 and PN - but it is not as demanding - it is more of a fun course.  I do enjoy very demanding courses but after a hard core week of work I usually prefer to play something fun.  Plus it's a pleasure to look at, very serene and naturalistic since there are few houses on it.  A lot of very interesting holes.  Great all around - and it's no push over from the tips either.  

[Tim Nugent]

Mac, from purely and architectual history standpoint, I would try to get time for The Pit.  It would provide a better undertanding of TR.  Dan Maples's course was pretty cutting edge when he did it, so I see it as a stepping stone course. And therefore, much more relivant than #4. I would also try to play them in order of creation to get a sense of the design evolution.

[Jaeger Kovich]

So I ended up playing #4 last weekend. It was my 2nd round of the day (#2 in the am) and after finishing I called 3 other courses real quick, all of which were over booked, so I decided to suck it up and see #4 for myself.

I just kept finding myself saying "Why?" on nearly every shot... Why were a zillion tiny little freckles of bunkers used everywhere instead of a single big bunker, or perhaps even a set of 2 or 3 larger ones? What doe these little scrapes add that "real" bunkers dont accomplish?

Was there an unlimited budget on this course? I have to imagine that building all 180 bunkers had to be more expensive. and is certainly more money to maintain... Can you imagine trying to mow between them?

Aside from the bunkers I thought the Fazio group did a much better job with hiding his famous/infamous framing techniques off the tee. And I did think there would have been a decent amount of good golf holes, and was certainly a different option from the other 2 courses I have played at the resort (2 and 3). I was amazed how he made the green complexes look fierce, but when you go to read your putt, more times than not, its not outside the cup.

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