Pinehurst Resort has finally reached double digits as the iconic North Carolina destination announced that its 10th course will be designed by course architect Tom Doak and is scheduled to open in spring 2024.
The course will be Pinehurst Resort's first since 1996 and will be located 4 miles south of the main resort's clubhouse on what used to be The Pit, a quirky Dan Maples design that opened in 1985 and was shuttered in 2010. The land was bought by Pinehurst Resort in 2011.
Doak's new design is expected to be in contrast to the resort's previous courses, incorporating dunes mined at the turn of the 20th century, along with natural ridgelines, intriguing landforms, towering longleaf pines, streams and ponds.
"The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst,” Doak says. "It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we’ll work our way up to it around the mid-point of the layout. You’ll have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course. It will be an unforgettable experience for golfers.
"The number one thing that excited us about the project is working with the beautiful sand that’s native to this region. The sand, the wiregrass, the bluestem grass, and other native grasses that grow around the Sandhills create a fabulous texture for golf. It’s something most places just don’t have."
Doak is no stranger to Pinehurst. He first visiting Pinehurst more than 40 years ago, playing and touring No. 2. He rated the storied Donald Ross design a perfect 10 in his book "The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses," and was one of the most vocal supporters of its restoration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2010 prior to the 2014 U.S. Open.
Landscape architect Angela Moser will serve as Doak’s lead design associate for this project. Moser’s impressive credentials include work at the Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course; Streamsong Black in Bowling Green, Florida; St. Patrick’s Links in County Donegal, Ireland; Te Arai Links in Tomarata, New Zealand; and Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown, Georgia.
