The question I posed on Twitter:
When the inevitable consensus forms as to which routing(s) are superior, why would anyone want to pay $XXX to play the third best routing?
Kyle, I would tend to agree with you, and it’s likely yours and my opinion of “third best routing” would align. I would also leave room in the argument that others might prefer the third best routing…..based on their game, their preferences, etc.
The Loop has two routings….one has to be superior to the other, correct? Why would the resort bother with setting up the inferior routing every other day?
I can see people liking routings because of specific reasons such big differences in yardages, radically different bunker scheme etc.
Ciao
I like the Thursday routing but my trip is from Sunday to Wednesday.
Off to Southern Pines!
That implies that you have previously played the Thursday routing, while most likely also playing the Sunday to Wednesday routing as well.
For any given player to play all 5 routings would take them staying in the area for 5 days and playing a new routing each and every day, or spending enough time at Pinehurst over multiple trips to play each routing. In either case, unless you're a member, that seems somewhat unlikely in short order. Especially with 10 other resort courses, and dozens of other local options as well. So the time it would take for an individual, and then a collective bias, to form around rank and order of the 5 routings will take quite a bit of time.
I would not anticipate a facility like this at Pinehurst to be viewed as a marque venue, and play on it would be primarily in concert with those looking for more golf in a day. At the same time, the playground aspect of the property may make having a universal consensus of rankings among the routings moot. For most, they just won't care. To Pinehurst it would seem to fits more into the tiered structure of Thistle Due, Cradle, and Spoils.
That in itself may make it hard to justify the investment. With 9 courses today and the 10th coming soon, each additional golf opportunity at Pinehurst may end up being worth less than the previous, unless it is considered one of the best on the property or adds new value that is not being captured today. Thistle Due and the Cradle have done just that, but the value added by the Spoils may not be as high as the cost. At least in a traditional sense.
The idea of a venue like this being the centerpiece for a private establishment is interesting, but that has a much higher likelihood of having a hive-mind preference being formed around one preferred routing or inferior routing. As an additional feature at a resort property, especially with the potential for a group to rent the course as a choose your own adventure routing, the uniqueness and variety plays into their favor.
It's not surprising that Pinehurst has elected not to build the course, but I do appreciate they explored the concept as a potential new assets to their portfolio.