First Trip to Pinehurst....what courses?

[Dustin Ferrell]

Going in for a quick 2 day trip to Pinehurst next month...playing one day on No.2 , but need to pick up one round the other day and not familiar w/ the other Pinehurst courses, Pine Needles, Dormie Club etc? 

If you had one round would you play no.2 for both rounds, or play your other somewhere else? If so which course?  Was thinking Dormie, but just wanted to check first.

Thanks for the input,
Dustin

[Jud_T]

I'd play #2 again if possible and in the budget, otherwise Pine Needles, Dormie, Mid-Pines or Forest Creek North, if accessible.  Many here will tell you Tobacco Road, but that depends on your opinion of Strantz courses, as they're a bit of a love/hate affair...I would not play any of the other courses at the resort proper.

[Dustin Ferrell]

Thanks Jud,,,needed to know if the other resort courses were worth it.  I'll take a look at those recommended.

Thanks,

Dustin

[Steve Kline]

I would Pine Needles, Mid Pines or Dormie long before playing one of the other resort courses. Whether you play #2 again comes down to cost and whether you care about getting multiple plays on a course or want to experience a second course one time.

[Jason Thurman]

Agree with Jud regarding multiple rounds at #2. If you can budget it, do it.

Otherwise, I'd do Tobacco Road. It's just so different, and it's also really good even under all the flash.

Pine Needles is wonderful too.

I'm playing Mid Pines tomorrow so I can fill you in afterwards.

I don't love Dormie. It's good, but the others are better.

[Jason Topp]

Discussion with links to photo tours and a few impressions starting at reply 82.  

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,56724.75.html

If I were to chose one other course I would probably play Mid Pines.  This is Donald Ross country and Mid Pines is a treat.

Pine Needles, Dormie Club and Southern Pines are all very solid in my view.  You will not regret playing any of them.

Check on green conditions at Tobacco Road.  They were terrible a few weeks ago and I would be surprised if they are back in shape now.

[Howard Riefs]

This may be helpful:  A similar "here's where you should play" thread from when Thurman went to Pinehurst last year:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=53238.0

[Andy Ryall]

I just returned Sunday from Pinehurst and the only big game course we played was Pine Needles, which was outstanding.  Mid South Club and Talamore were solid but not in the same class.   We also played Southern Pines on Sunday, which is a modest Donald Ross in terms of the club experience but the course was really good.   All three were materially cheaper than PN, Mid-Pines or Dormie.   Abundance of riches in the area.

[Dustin Ferrell]

Thanks all for the advice....will check with the guys I'm playing with and maybe do no.2 twice, otherwise figure out the one other from those thrown out.  Big Donald Ross fan, so its going to be a great trip.

[Michael George]

Agree with most here:

1 Round - Pinehurst #2 - you have to see the greens to believe their difficulty
2 Rounds - Pinehurst #2 and Dormie Club - Most in my group enjoyed Dormie more than #2
3 Rounds - Pinehurst #2, Dormie Club and Pine Needles.

After 3 rounds, then it is preference.  If you like quirk, Tobacco Road.  If you like perfect maintenance, #4.  If you like old, traditional courses, Mid Pines.

[Charlie Gallagher]

I agree with others here that Number 2 is the only Pinehurst resort course that is worthy if you only have a few rounds in the area. I found #5 ok, and was disappointed with #4 (the last couple of holes were ok) and number 8, just ok. Dormie is worth a visit and isn't too far from the resort. Number 2 is so far ahead of the pack it's not even close.

[Tom Ferrell]

Dustin -

Good to see another Ferrell out there!

I spent a week in the Pinehurst area earlier this year.  Number 2 is amazing.  Play the proper tees, however (or don't say you weren't warned).  Bill Coore tells me that #1 has the most genuine Ross at Pinehurst, but I didn't have the chance with so many other great courses in the region.    

I loved the layout at Dormie, but late-April conditions were rough (a writer friend of mine called it "a supermodel with a missing tooth!").

I did not play Mid-Pines, but certainly wanted to and will make it there on my next trip to the area.  I DID play Tobacco Road, and I would encourage anyone to play it.  Fun, wild, interesting, over the top at times.  Incredibly cool shots to try.  Had an absolute blast.

I also had the chance to go out on Raleigh Country Club, and I gotta tell you, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it.  Shoehorned at times by the property it occupies, but beautiful expression of architecture.  Ross' last course, for you history buffs.

Have FUN.  

[Tyler Kearns]

Check on green conditions at Tobacco Road.  They were terrible a few weeks ago and I would be surprised if they are back in shape now.

Jason,

Tobacco Road website states they aerated the green Sept. 3-4, was this the issue you had?  Hoping things will be in shape when I head down for the Dixie Cup on Oct. 11.

TK

[Tom Fagerli]

As a Ross fan you need to play MidPines. The redo is fantastic.

[Greg Taylor]

If you are on this site and do not play Tobacco Rd then you're missing the point...!

[Jim Sherma]

If you are on this site and do not play Tobacco Rd then you're missing the point...!

That damned GCA groupthink!

Brian - I disagree that Greg's statement was an example of groupthink.

If he had said "If you are on this site and do not LIKE Tobacco Rd then you're missing the point...!", that would be groupthink. Saying that site membership implies a desire to seek out different architecturally interesting courses and then make your own decision as to whether or not you like them is something else entirely. I believe that is what Greg was getting at.

[Jay Mickle]

As a Southern Pines resident and Pine Needles/Mid Pines member I often am visited by friends. My choices are Mid Pines, Dormie, Tobacco Road and if they are up to the $500/round, then #2. A great cross section of local courses.  

[Jason Thurman]

If you are on this site and do not play Tobacco Rd then you're missing the point...!

Honestly, I largely agree with this.

It's hard to skip some of the Ross classics down here (I'm in Chapel Hill for work and played Mid Pines today). There's probably nowhere in the world where you have a better sampling of a single Golden Age ODG's work that's open to the public and of high quality. Pine Needles is fantastic. Mid Pines is elegant. The resort is of great interest for any architecture fan.

I live in Ohio. I've played four excellent Ross courses within 90 minutes of my home in the last year. Some of them I prefer to anything in Pinehurst outside of No. 2. The Ross routings and restored shaping are very reminiscent of what I see near Pinehurst. They're generally less expensive too, though perhaps tougher to access.

There's nothing like Tobacco Road anywhere near my home. It's completely unique among the golf courses I've experienced. I think you'll be happy no matter what you play. But you'll probably find Tobacco Road's architecture most... interesting, even if it's not your favorite.

If you really love shaping and brilliant routings, Mid Pines or Pine Needles will make you very happy. But they simply aren't as compelling or unique as Tobacco Road, and as great as they are, they don't offer a lesson that you can't get anywhere else.

[Jason Topp]

Check on green conditions at Tobacco Road.  They were terrible a few weeks ago and I would be surprised if they are back in shape now.

Jason,

Tobacco Road website states they aerated the green Sept. 3-4, was this the issue you had?  Hoping things will be in shape when I head down for the Dixie Cup on Oct. 11.

TK

September 13.  Aerating was not the problem.  The problem was that there was no grass on large portions of the surface and the remainder was cut at lawn height.  With cooler weather, I hope it comes back.

[Sean_A]

if they are up to the $500/round, then #2.

  - say it ain't so!  I half toyed with the idea of making a separate drive to Pinehurst this month, but that sort of number is way beyond a deal breaker when packages exist for one night trips to play Mid-Pines and Dormie for half that.  Honestly, do people actually pay that sort of money or is it corporate/jolly stuff?

Ciao

[Jud_T]

Sean,

It's hard to parse out pricing as it's all part of various resort packages.  Looks like cheapest rate in winter is $400 including room and maybe breakfast.

[Greg Taylor]

^ it's all cool....!

Greens aside, if you get the chance, I would say play Tobacco Rd, you may hate it (or love it) but it is a must see from an GCA point of view.