No. 8 at Pinehurst

The 605-yard sixth gives Pinehurst No. 8 its first real demand from the Gold tees, a par five that helps take the course to 7,099 yards and par 72. Tom Fazio’s Centennial Course plays through an Audubon Sanctuary, with a sense of separation from the wider resort that suits a full day on the course. There are six sets of tees, from 5,153 yards at the Red markers to the Gold tees, so the test can be matched sensibly to the group. The large greens place particular importance on touch and judgement around the hole, rather than allowing a routine recovery once the approach has missed its mark. The opening nine measures 3,568 yards from the back tees, before a slightly shorter 3,531-yard inward half. Between the long sixth and the 149-yard par-three fifth, the outward nine quickly shows the range of shots required.

No. 8 makes an excellent part of a longer Pinehurst stay, where eleven 18-hole courses give a group plenty of scope to vary the golf from day to day. No. 2 offers Donald Ross’s celebrated championship challenge, stretching to 7,588 yards and par 70 from its U.S. Open tees, while No. 4 brings sandy waste areas and broad views to a 7,227-yard, par-72 round. For a shorter outing, No. 3 is the resort’s most compact course at 5,155 yards and par 68. Away from the main rounds, Thistle Dhu provides an expansive putting course for an unhurried contest, and The Cradle is a nine-hole short course suited to an afternoon when a full 18 is not on the plan.