Pinehurst No. 10
In the sandhills of North Carolina, a remarkable transformation has been unfolding amid the towering longleaf pines and gently rolling terrain.
Pinehurst, long known as the “Cradle of American Golf,” has spent the past decade proving that a 130-year-old resort can not only stay relevant but lead the charge in golf’s modern evolution.
It arguably began in 2011 with one of the more significant renovations in golf history, as architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw stripped away decades of accumulated rough and returned Pinehurst No. 2 to its original Donald Ross vision of sandy waste areas, wire grass, and strategic challenge. More than restoring a golf course, they sparked a renaissance throughout the region.
A new energy takes root at Pinehurst Resort
The changes at Pinehurst Resort since the No. 2 restoration epitomize how this old-school golf mecca continues to grow and modernize while embracing its history. A property that might have been perceived by some as staid and intimidating has evolved into a vibrant destination that welcomes not just avid golfers, but players of all abilities.
Many would point to the introduction of the fun-filled par-3 course known as The Cradle as an inflection point. Built just outside the main clubhouse at Pinehurst and opened in 2017, this playground designed by architect Gil Hanse is a far cry from the hushed, serious atmosphere that once defined the resort. Music is piped throughout the course, where shoes are optional for some and the drinks flow freely. There’s a more family-friendly feel at The Cradle, as well as the neighboring Thistle Dhu putting course.
The front-and-center changes reinforced the resort’s more welcoming atmosphere, while the redesign of Pinehurst No. 4 and more recent improvements to the No. 8 course reaffirmed a commitment to its championship courses and lineage.
The Cradle at Pinehurst Resort
The Sandmines Era
The newest and perhaps most ambitious chapter in Pinehurst’s evolution is taking place four miles south of the main clubhouse, at a 900-acre property called Sandmines.
After sitting dormant from 2011 to 2023 following the closing of a polarizing golf course known as The Pit, this former sand mine has become the staging ground for Pinehurst’s boldest expansion in decades. It’s a landscape loaded with potential that resort President Tom Pashley has referred to as a “Field of Dreams.”
Pinehurst No. 10, designed by Tom Doak and Angela Moser, opened in 2024 to immediate acclaim, with several national publications tabbing it as the best new course in the U.S.
The duo of Coore and Crenshaw are now crafting Pinehurst No. 11 on adjacent land, with an opening scheduled for Fall 2027, and promise remarkable contrast between the two courses. While No. 10 features dramatic elevation changes and expansive vistas, No. 11 will wind through the more intimate terrain of old mining spoils that have matured into unique landforms.
The opening of No. 11 will give Pinehurst 207 holes of golf, further cementing its position as the largest destination golf resort in the U.S. The Sandmines development will also include a new clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant, and eventually on-site lodging. Another putting course and short course could be in the property’s future as well.
There’s a bit of serendipity that the routing Coore and Crenshaw did in 2012 for the property that’s now Sandmines was never pursued. As it turned out, Pashley says the resort has learned far more in the ensuing years about what the “future of golf” should look and feel like.
Pinehurst No. 10
Regional renaissance beyond Pinehurst Resort
The transformation at Pinehurst extends beyond the resort itself. Throughout the greater Pinehurst area, historic properties have undergone their own reinventions.
The Donald Ross revival at Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines is among the more significant golf preservation stories in recent years.
Architect Kyle Franz, a Ross aficionado, led the transformation by restoring Mid Pines in 2013 and Pine Needles in 2017-18, returning both courses to their original Ross character with rebuilt greens and reconfigured bunkers. The ownership group that owns Pine Needles Lodge and Mid Pines Inn then acquired Southern Pines Golf Club from the local Elks Club in 2020 and again enlisted Franz for an 18-month restoration. It was the most dramatic transformation of the bunch, an undertaking that included tree removal, bunker work, irrigation improvements, and cart path reconstruction. Franz widened fairways, removed “the superfluous elements” that had been added over the years, and even restored a “lost hole,” a par-3 positioned between the fourth green and 15th tee that was discovered in 1950s aerial photographs.
The commitment extends to the hospitality side as well, as Mid Pines and Pine Needles recently partnered with Marine & Lawn Hotels and Resorts to ensure their classic hotel properties meet the expectations of modern guests while preserving their historic charm.
Pine Needles
The Talamore expansion
Another significant development came in September 2024 when Bob Levy Jr., who already owned Talamore Golf Resort and Mid South Club in the area, acquired Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen.
The acquisition includes plans for substantial improvements to a course that opened in the early 1990s, with new cart paths and bridges, complete bunker renovation, and extensive drainage and grassing improvements planned for Legacy. This expansion gives golfers access to 54 holes across Talamore’s properties: the Rees Jones-designed Talamore course, Arnold Palmer’s Mid South Club, and now the newly acquired Legacy course designed by Jack Nicklaus II.
Legacy Golf Links
Looking forward and honoring the past
The evolution in the Pinehurst region has deepened ties to the game and its history rather than diminishing them. The restoration work at numerous classic courses returned the original Ross vision, while the new courses at Sandmines from some of the golf’s most respected modern architects add contemporary challenge and honor the Sandhills’ tradition.
The area’s championship pedigree has been reinforced as well.
Pinehurst No. 2 was recognized as the USGA’s first “anchor site” and, following up on Bryson DeChambeau’s win in 2024, has men’s U.S. Opens scheduled for 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047.
Pinehurst today is a destination that simultaneously serves as a hallowed ground for golf and one of its most welcoming playgrounds. Whether it’s restoring historic courses, adding diverse golf experiences, or lowering barriers to engagement and enjoyment, the transformation at Pinehurst isn’t simply replacing ‘old’ with ‘new.’ It has demonstrated that tradition can coexist with innovation.
It’s indeed fitting that an area that has witnessed well over a century of golf evolution is proving that the past and future of golf can flourish side by side in the Sandhills.