The future site of No. 11 at Pinehurst Resort
After waiting nearly three decades to add a new 18-hole course, the Pinehurst Resort isn’t wasting any time with its next expansion following last year’s debut of course No. 10.
Following its traditional numerical naming pattern, the “Cradle of American Golf” has announced plans for Pinehurst No. 11, with construction set to begin later this year in the Sandhills of North Carolina and an expected opening in Fall 2027.
The acclaimed architect tandem of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, who previously oversaw the restoration of Pinehurst’s flagship No. 2 course about 15 years ago, now get their first original design at the biggest golf resort in the U.S.
Joining No. 10
Like its predecessor – the No. 10 course designed by Tom Doak and Angela Moser — the new layout will be located at Pinehurst Sandmines, which is about four miles from the resort’s main clubhouse. The 900-acre property, which for decades was mined for its deep reservoirs of sand, was acquired by Pinehurst in 2011 and sat untouched for more than a decade before ground was broken on No. 10 in January 2023.
So, what should we expect from the 11th 18-hole course at a golf getaway that will soon top 200 holes in total?
Perhaps most intriguing is how dramatically different the new course will be from its neighbor despite their proximity.
“I don’t think I have ever seen two more physically different sites that are contiguous, literally touching each other, than the sites for No. 10 and No. 11,” says Coore. The sites “are monumentally different in terms of their character, and the two courses will be massively different in terms of their characteristics.”
Bill Coore at the site of No. 11.
‘It’s all incredible’
Among the distinctive features at No. 11 are giant “spoil piles” left behind by years of mining that started in the 1930s. While not natural dunes, Coore notes that these piles now have a very natural appearance and are surrounded by towering pine trees that have grown up through the ensuing decades.
“It’s such a wonderful site, just because of its inherent character,” says Coore. “That character was essentially created, not all of it is natural, but it has all been reclaimed by nature. The spoil piles are here, and Mother Nature provided the trees, and it’s all incredible. It’s not too often you get that kind of combination, and it creates a site that is extraordinarily interesting for golf.”
While No. 10 has gained acclaim for its expansive vistas and elevation changes, No. 11 will be more intimate in scale, with a layout that dramatically winds and twists across ridges and choppy terrain. Coore said he knew they obviously had sand to work with, but said the landforms are unlike anything he’s seen around Pinehurst. And Coore, a North Carolina resident, has ventured to Pinehurst numerous times dating back to when he was a youth.
“You’re winding your way through trees and over old piles and across ridges,” says Coore. “We’re far, far from the sea, but we have these contours and features and landforms that remind you of spots in Ireland or Scotland. And yet here it is, in Pinehurst.”
Pinehurst President Tom Pashley has said he’s thankful the Sandmines property, formerly home to a public course known as The Pit, wasn’t immediately developed when acquired in 2011 by Pinehurst’s owners, the Dedman family. Focusing on other projects instead allowed the resort to learn valuable lessons about the evolution of modern destination golf, including the transformative Par-3 course, The Cradle, that opened in 2017 and has helped shape development efforts at other resort properties.
Pashley has said he envisions Sandmines as a “Field of Dreams” area that can become a melting pot of experiences curated to traveling golfers. Given the success of The Cradle and the Thistle Dhu putting course adjacent to the main Pinehurst clubhouse, it’s a good bet that another putting course and short course will be forthcoming at Sandmines.
As construction begins on No. 11, other activity is also underway at the satellite property. A 6,000-square-foot pro shop and locker room will open in June, while in August, Sandmines’ restaurant and bar will open to guests. Plans for guest lodging are ongoing and could be completed by the time No. 11 debuts in 2027.
The future home of No. 11 at Pinehurst Resort.