How Can I Play Pinehurst No.2?

Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina is known as The Cradle of American Golf, and when you consider how many courses it has, it's hardly a surprise. 

The vast complex has no fewer than 10 18-hole courses, a nine-hole course and a putting green. The latest of the 18-hole courses, which was designed by Tom Doak, opened early in 2024 to enhance Pinhurst's reputation as a true golf mecca, and it's a must-visit at some point for many players of all abilities.

While visitors could easily be spoilt for choice given the options available, for the majority, one of the resort’s courses stands alone - Pinehurst No.2.

The course was designed by the legendary Donald Ross and opened in 1907, but it is now considered his masterpiece. Given other Ross designs include East Lake, Pine Needles, Oak Hill and Seminole, it needed to beat some stiff competition for that honor.

Ross was known for his meticulous attention to detail, and that is fully in evidence at Pinehurst No.2. In fact, he continued tinkering with it long after it opened, and he continued to make tweaks until he passed away in 1948. 

The fact Ross kept making revisions suggests he knew he was onto something good with Pinehurst No.2. However, by the 1960s, its allure had begun to subside, with the  fairway bunkers no longer a serious problem for most players, the greens more a chore than a challenge and a sameness to many of the holes.

Thankfully, that slide was halted in 2010, Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore were tasked with revistalizing the course. They didn't disappoint and reshaped the fairways and bunkers while removing the rough but adding sand and scrub to bring it closer to Ross’ original design.

One of the hallmarks of Ross's courses are its challenging green complexes typified by their "turtleback" domes, and they're on full display at Pinehurst No.2 The greens were inspired by Royal Dornoch in Scotland, where Ross once worked as a greens keeper, and are one of the bigger considerations for any player taking on the challenge.

Johnny Miller once described playing the greens as “like trying to hit a ball on top of a VW Beetle,” while they are also smaller than they look and need a lot of skill to negotiate. Approach shots need to be accurate, too, with shots that are short often rolling back off them.

Even in the present day, Pinehurst No.2's greens invoke similar wariness. In the build-up to the 2024 US Open, Wyndham Clark remarked: "The greens are extremely fast and penal. You hit it on the green, the hole is not done. I was just amazed how fast the greens are. Yeah, I mean, they are extremely fast. If they get any firmer and faster, the greens, I mean, they'd be borderline. They already are borderline."

There is some respite for players in the form of frequently wide fairways, but even then, strategy is a consideration more often than you'd think, with bunkers and deceptive undulations ready to test even the most accomplished player.

A look at the tournaments Pinehurst No.2 has hosted gives a clue to the task at hand. After all, as well as the 1936 PGA Championship, it was also the scene of three US Opens before the 2024 edition. 

That won't be the last time Pinehurst No.2 hosts the tournament, either, with four more editions already confirmed for the coming decades.

The US Open is notorious for its generally grueling nature, so it's safe to say the USGA knows all about finding courses that lend themselves to that kind of a challenge, and that's surely the case with Pinehurst No.2.

Considering the course's rich history of hosting the most prestigious tournaments, memorable moments were inevitable, although one in particular is nowadays also synonymous with poignancy. 

That’s because it was the scene of Payne Stewart's famous fist pump after he beat Phil Mickelson to the 1999 US Open title. Barely four months after that iconic moment, Stewart was no longer with us. He died at the age of 42 when a plane he was flying in, which was taking him to the Tour Championship in Texas, failed to pressurize and it later crashed. Fittingly, 50 or so yards from the 18th green is a statue of the Stewart in the pose of his first pump.

All those elements make Pinehurst No.2 one of the most beguiling courses around and a must-play for golfers at some point in their lives.

How To Play Pinehurst No.2

The good news is it’s not difficult to arrange a round at Pinehurst, as it’s open to the public and there are various packages to stay in one of the accommodation options at the resort.

For example, the Donald Ross Package includes the option of a two-night stay starting at $788, including three rounds. 

Another potentially attractive option is the Bed & Breakfast Golf Package, which includes a one-night stay and one round of golf from $542. However, a premium applies to play Pinehurst No.2. 

To play Pinehurst No.2 (and some other the resort's courses), you will need to be a guest, but anyone who is happy playing Pinehurst No.1, No.3, No.5, or nine-hole course The Cradle can call no less than a day in advance to book a tee time.

You can become a member of Pinehurst, too, with five options – Signature, Premier, Classic, Sports and Social. The Signature membership reportedly requires a $45,000 initiation fee and monthly dues of $620. For that, you will have access to all 10 courses at one of the most famous golf resorts on the planet.

How Many Courses Does Pinehurst Have?

Pinehurst Resort now has 10 19-hole courses, as well as nine-hole course The Cradle and an 18-hole putting course, Thistle Dhu.

Tom Doak designed the newest addition to the resort, Pinehurst No.10 - the first 18-hole course introduced there for almost three decades, which was built on a 900-acre piece of land bought by the resort in 2010.

That may not be the end of it, either. There are rumors that Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, who revitalized Pinehurst No.2 in 2010, will oversee an 11th 18-hole course at the resort in the future.

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