Just returned from golfing up in Southern Pines. Here's a review nobody asked for:
Tobacco Road
A perfect example of golf course maximalism design, which is difficult to fully grasp without seeing it. Unfortunately, your initial appreciation for the course will depend on how you're striking the ball. Nobody in our group hated it... but only a handful of us loved it (and we played well).
It's a pure strategic and execution test. Every tee shot is visually daunting, but there is a lot more room than you perceive. Think of Waterlefe with blind tee shots and giant mounds of deep fescue rough.
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| The opening tee sets the tone. |
The greens are absolutely wild, with multiple sections that are sometimes barely connected. There are lots of kicker-slopes and punch-bowl areas that lead to birdie putts if you land in the correct spot. What looks like a giant green is actually two or three smaller greens. And what looks like a tiny green is actually a couple of connected microscopic putting surfaces!
There are various "dead" areas on every shot. And it's impossible to know where those spots are without playing the course multiple times. So you end up firing at the center of each green and hoping for a good bounce.
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| The approach on the uphill par-5 13th. The green is completely hidden... |
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| ... and only 20-yards deep with two distinct sections (right and left funnels). |
As someone who doesn't often hit shots off-line, I felt the course was "fair." I had no issues looking at the GPS and generally knowing where I should land my ball. Others felt Tobacco Road was completely "tricked up" — which I believe was the entire point: a tricky test you won't find anywhere else.
They're currently charging over $300 per round, all day every day. No twilight rates. And the tee sheets are completely filled six months in advance.
The Pines Courses
The other three courses we played are all Donald Ross courses from the early 1900s. They were also all restored in the last decade, and felt like a time-capsule in the North Carolina sand hills. Greens fees currently running about $240 per round:
Mid Pines
Probably ranked the lowest by everyone on the trip, but still a beautiful course. My complaint was there were no real standout holes. Even now I'm having trouble remembering the routing.
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| The par 3s were all very challenging. |
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| The rest of the course looked like this. Subtle land movement framed with pines. |
Honestly, I got World Woods (RIP) vibes from Mid Pines. If this course was located in Tampa, it would be one of the best in the area. But compared to its NC siblings, I thought Mid Pines was mid.
Pine Needles
Located across the street from Mid Pines, the property sits on much more dramatic land. There are very few flat lies on the course. It also hosted the 2007 and 2022 U.S. Women's Open — and rightfully so. I found this to be a very difficult test throughout.
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| Downhill tee shot over water, with a sharp dogleg left. Deep bunkers protect cutting the corner. |
Their greens were most like Pinehurst #2 on the trip, with how high they were pushed up from the approach surfaces. Conditions were excellent, and the lodge was the best hangout spot. Overall, a top choice by our group.
Southern Pines
The newest restoration of the bunch, this course was a lot of fun. Off the tee it was pretty straight forward. But the greens were "potato chips" and sometimes elevated into volcano positions. Overall, these putting surfaces were the most difficult we experienced.
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| Wider than Mid Pines, and more memorable / fun. |
This place was basically a muni for the last 70 years... and exists as a shining example of what all lower-tier courses should strive for. While a full renovation/restoration isn't always economically feasible, the key components of these old Donald Ross designs can easily be replicated: Wall-to-wall fairway, remove all but the most strategic trees and bunkers, and slap some large wavy greens down surrounded by mounding.
Final thoughts:
The golf was excellent, and better than most of the courses at actual "Pinehurst."
The new owners have pumped all their money into the golf. So while the Mid-Pines lodging was suitable for our needs, it was pretty run down.
The town of Southern Pines is very small with a few dive bars and a handful of bistros. Pinehurst is only 10 minutes away so it's easy to go hang out there as well with all the other Bag Tag Bros your brain can handle.
It's definitely worth a trip due to how easy it is to get in and out of Raleigh.
