Pinehurst in Early July

[Jrwatkins7]

I was planning on going down to Streamsong with a college buddy this summer, but apparently some of the course are being worked on until October.  So, I floated the idea of Pinehurst instead, and he bought in!  So we have booked the 4 day 3 night package, staying at the Carolina Hotel, and have tee tines already set for #2,4,7 and 8.  We hopefully should be able to squeeze in the Cradle and 2 more.  Need your help on picking the last two.  I know there are several threads talking about Pinehurst, and I have read through them all -on this site and others.  Any and all suggestions are appreciated. I figure I will take a caddy on #2, but maybe just that one.  I have never taken one before, and while I look forward to the experience, a caddy plus a good tip is way more than I am typically comfortable paying for a round of golf. While I know that there are a lot of great other courses, I really would like to get to Tobacco Road, Mid Pines and Pine Needles, but I think that will be another trip. So what do you guys think? 1,3,5,6,9 -  pick two.  Also, any other tips on what to do, where to go (or not) would be greatly appreciated.  I don't know how I am going to get any work done for the next five weeks  😀 !

Thurs #7, hopefully the Cradle

Fri - #2, ?

Sat #4, ?

Sun #8 and then to the airport

 

[DaveP043]

Since your middle days are #2 and #4, I'd recommend that you look at the other courses that play there.  #3 is pretty short, but pretty interesting, some interesting "terrain", and a lot of it has original Donald Ross green complexes.  It got chopped up a bit to make room for the Cradle, but I've read its still a lot of fun.  #1 and #5 are both just fine, if unexceptional.  #5 is the longer of the two, and has a few more of the holes from the original layout of #3, but #1 is fun as well. Look here or some info about this:  

Golf Club Atlas » Buie, Chris – The Original Pinehurst No. 3

Of the "off-site" courses, #8 is my favorite (you've got this one scheduled), followed by #9, and #6 still a very solid course.  But if you're trying to get 36 in, I wouldn't recommend spending time schlepping your stuff from one course to another.  

Another question, are you on a plan where you eat all your meals in at the resort, or will you need restaurant recommendations?

[Jrwatkins7]

12 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Since your middle days are #2 and #4, I'd recommend that you look at the other courses that play there.  #3 is pretty short, but pretty interesting, some interesting "terrain", and a lot of it has original Donald Ross green complexes.  It got chopped up a bit to make room for the Cradle, but I've read its still a lot of fun.  #1 and #5 are both just fine, if unexceptional.  #5 is the longer of the two, and has a few more of the holes from the original layout of #3, but #1 is fun as well. Look here or some info about this:  

Golf Club Atlas » Buie, Chris – The Original Pinehurst No. 3

Of the "off-site" courses, #8 is my favorite (you've got this one scheduled), followed by #9, and #6 still a very solid course.  But if you're trying to get 36 in, I wouldn't recommend spending time schlepping your stuff from one course to another.  

Another question, are you on a plan where you eat all your meals in at the resort, or will you need restaurant recommendations?

 

I do believe that breakfast and dinner are included, but if there is a can't miss place to go for dinner, let me know!  I am assuming we will try to find time to hit the brewery, too.  So many things to try and get in, while getting as much golf as possible, too.

[iSank]

Good call on the caddie for #2. Yea it’s a bit pricey but being that it’s cart path only, I think the twosome that played with us and had a cart probably walked more that we did. Plus it’s a great course to walk. Other than the ones you have scheduled I enjoyed #9 quite a bit. Have fun, wish I was headed there in July. 

[Jrwatkins7]

1 minute ago, iSank said:

Good call on the caddie for #2. Yea it’s a bit pricey but being that it’s cart path only, I think the twosome that played with us and had a cart probably walked more that we did. Plus it’s a great course to walk. Other than the ones you have scheduled I enjoyed #9 quite a bit. Have fun, wish I was headed there in July. 

I think it is cart path only for #4 as well, so we may just walk that and get pull carts. (but I'm not walking 36 a day in July!)

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, Jrwatkins7 said:

I do believe that breakfast and dinner are included, but if there is a can't miss place to go for dinner, let me know!  I am assuming we will try to find time to hit the brewery, too.  So many things to try and get in, while getting as much golf as possible, too.

You'll eat very well at resort restaurants, no real need to go offsite.  I do like both the food and the beer at Pinehurst Brewing, and its a bit more casual than some of the other options.  Even if you don't eat there, go in the 1895 Grill at the Holly Inn, to me its a really interesting architectural design, complex exposed trusses above.  If you do a little pub crawl in the Village, be sure to stop in the Pinecrest Inn, once owned by Donald Ross.  Dugan's is an old-time favorite, and the Drum and Quill isn't bad either.  I also like Maxie's, a few blocks to the north from the main part of town.

[Sandhills Golfer]

It's going to be warm! Enjoy.

[Jrwatkins7]

Survived the trip to Pinehurst and back- so far.  Will love to go back again sometime, but probably not in mid-July!   I grew up in Florida and do not remember heat and humidity like this past few days.  Definitely think that we needed more time to get around to all the things we wanted to do and see.  Managed to play 2,4,5,7,8, 9 and the Cradle from Thursday afternoon to Sunday am, but after all that golf I had very little left in me to go out and see the sights.  We did manage to go to the Brewery and swing by the Holly Inn (stayed at Carolina) but after all that golf - and four trips into the main clubhouse to shop for souvenirs - i was done.  A few thoughts...

1) Taking a caddy or at least a forecaddy is awesome.  Walter forcaddied for us on #2 on Saturday while we used push carts, and there seems no coincidence that this was the only good score for the week (75),  His stories and insight to the course especially on the greens were invaluable.  I wish he had been with us on #4, because i was LOST and managed a crowd pleasing 90 there the day before

2) Everywhere we went in Pinehurst folks were amazing. Guests, employees, locals were all very friendly and made us feel welcome. Not so much at #9, though.  We started at #7 (80) on Thursday pretty much straight from the airport, and there was someone in the parking lot welcoming us and he told us all about the course, tips and details about the course.  At #9 (84) we had to go look for someone to acknowledge that we were even there.  We had to go find a cart ourselves and figure out where the first tee was.  No starter, nothing.  Fun course, and it was more familiar to play one round on some bent grass (the Bermuda got me good down there...) 

3) I thought #8 may have been the hardest course for us.  Maybe we just got on the wrong sides of more greens or something, but man it was tough out there.  I thought i was playing decently but the green complexes tore me up.  lots of three putts en route to an 86. 

4) #5 was a fun round, but i thought it seemed really nothing that special.  Looked like a 50 year old course that ran through a 50 year old neighborhood that could have been anywhere i have lived.

5) The Cradle was cool, and looks to be even more fun the bigger the group.

6) Thistle Du... i putted so many off the green...

7) I wanna go back...

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, Jrwatkins7 said:

Survived the trip to Pinehurst and back- so far.  Will love to go back again sometime, but probably not in mid-July!   I grew up in Florida and do not remember heat and humidity like this past few days.  Definitely think that we needed more time to get around to all the things we wanted to do and see.  Managed to play 2,4,5,7,8, 9 and the Cradle from Thursday afternoon to Sunday am, but after all that golf I had very little left in me to go out and see the sights.  We did manage to go to the Brewery and swing by the Holly Inn (stayed at Carolina) but after all that golf - and four trips into the main clubhouse to shop for souvenirs - i was done.  A few thoughts...

1) Taking a caddy or at least a forecaddy is awesome.  Walter forcaddied for us on #2 on Saturday while we used push carts, and there seems no coincidence that this was the only good score for the week (75),  His stories and insight to the course especially on the greens were invaluable.  I wish he had been with us on #4, because i was LOST and managed a crowd pleasing 90 there the day before

2) Everywhere we went in Pinehurst folks were amazing. Guests, employees, locals were all very friendly and made us feel welcome. Not so much at #9, though.  We started at #7 (80) on Thursday pretty much straight from the airport, and there was someone in the parking lot welcoming us and he told us all about the course, tips and details about the course.  At #9 (84) we had to go look for someone to acknowledge that we were even there.  We had to go find a cart ourselves and figure out where the first tee was.  No starter, nothing.  Fun course, and it was more familiar to play one round on some bent grass (the Bermuda got me good down there...) 

3) I thought #8 may have been the hardest course for us.  Maybe we just got on the wrong sides of more greens or something, but man it was tough out there.  I thought i was playing decently but the green complexes tore me up.  lots of three putts en route to an 86. 

4) #5 was a fun round, but i thought it seemed really nothing that special.  Looked like a 50 year old course that ran through a 50 year old neighborhood that could have been anywhere i have lived.

5) The Cradle was cool, and looks to be even more fun the bigger the group.

6) Thistle Du... i putted so many off the green...

7) I wanna go back...

7 Pinehurst courses.  Didn't they all begin to seem alike?  Almost sounds like you ran a marathon.

Always have a caddie when you play a high-profile championship course.  They can help your game, read your putts, but better is that they can tell you some good stories...

Edited July 13, 2020 by Double Mocha Man