At 6,089 yards from the Blue tees, Pinehurst No. 1 makes an engaging opening round at the resort rather than an ordeal. This par 70 has broad fairways and room to build a score, but its compact front nine, just 2,840 yards and par 34 from the Blue tees, asks for sensible positioning before the longer back nine. It is the course where Pinehurst began, its first 18-hole layout having opened in 1898, with later work by John Dunn Tucker and Donald Ross shaping the course played today. Five tee choices make it straightforward to set the right test for the group. White tees measure 5,806 yards and Green tees 5,466 yards, both remaining par 70, while Red and Yellow tees change the card to par 72 at 5,167 and 4,197 yards. It is a relaxed place to settle into the sandy North Carolina setting, get the driver moving and leave enough energy for another round.
No. 1 sits beside the Resort Clubhouse, close to The Carolina Hotel, putting breakfast, the first tee and post round food within easy reach. Start the day at the 91st Hole, then return to The Deuce for a drink and something substantial after golf. The clubhouse also has an interactive corridor tracing Pinehurst’s golfing story, a fitting stop before playing the course that started it all. For groups wanting to make a proper golf break of it, there are 11 full length courses across the resort, plus the Thistle Dhu putting course and The Cradle, Gil Hanse’s nine-hole short course. No. 2 brings Donald Ross’s turtleback greens and a much sterner 7,588-yard championship test from the U.S. Open tees, while No. 3 is a shorter 5,155-yard par 68. Academy coaching, including swing analysis and short-game tuition, is available for anyone keen to sharpen up between rounds.
Send us the dates and the group size and a golf travel specialist will come back with tee times, rooms, and a price within one working day.
