When it comes to the 2021 golf season, many of us need to make up for lost time. What golfer wouldn’t benefit from an extra round of golf? That’s the idea behind our Summer Tee Golf Package.
The increasingly popular stay-and-play deal includes resort accommodations for three nights, breakfast and dinner, three rounds of golf and a fourth round, free.
Booking the package is easy, simply click here and select your dates, hotel and golf courses. There’s nothing simple about choosing from nine golf courses, you say? No worries, we’re here to help.
Here’s an itinerary that will ease you into your summer golf vacation while building to a crescendo on two of the country’s most revered championship venues.
The new 2nd hole on Pinehurst No. 3 is a delicate par-3 shaped by sandscape and wire grass.
Dress for golf before you leave so you can hit the ground (or fairway) running once you arrive among the Loblolly Pines of the Sandhills. Check-in time at The Carolina Hotel is 4 p.m., so if you’re driving in from within North Carolina or a neighboring state or taking the first flight out from an East Coast airport, there’s plenty of daylight for 18 holes that afternoon.
It’s really a toss-up, but No. 1 and No. 3 are both Donald Ross gems and wonderful opening day courses. At just 6,089 yards, No. 1 is the second-shortest track at the resort. Plenty of cross and greenside bunkers, along with its par of 70, ensure No. 1 is no push over.
No. 3 is a great way to get a flavor for the Sandhills style you’ll encounter on other Pinehurst layouts, such as No. 2 and No. 4. No. 3 was recently restored to its original “pine barrens” aesthetic by Kyle Franz and is chock-full of trademark Ross design characteristics. At just over 5,000 yards, it’s our shortest course, and iron play is at a premium.
Arrival day – with a bit of a drive or a morning spent in flight, 18 holes of golf and checking into your hotel – can be a long day. Keep it simple and casual this evening with a short walk down to Pinehurst Brewing Co.
Housed in the Village of Pinehurst’s historic steam plant building, “PBC” features fresh craft beers and savory Carolinas, Texas and Kansas City inspired BBQ from Pitmaster Chris Dowd. We’re partial to the Pivot IPA and a rack of Railroad Ribs. Just saying.
A big breakfast at The Carolina Hotel and a fresh start make for the perfect time to hop the resort shuttle and head out to “The Centennial,” No. 8. Tom Fazio was commissioned to design this tribute to Ross to celebrate Pinehurst’s first 100 years, and his approach blends classic Ross concepts with whimsical snarls that have become his calling card over the years.
No. 8 is nothing if not expansive. It pitches and rolls over 420 acres of topsy-turvy terrain and tips out at nearly 7,100 yards – welcome to championship-caliber golf at Pinehurst!
The 14th hole is a great risk/reward par-4 on No. 8.
Following a morning tee time on No. 8, head to The Deuce for lunch. Located at the resort clubhouse and overlooking the 18th green on No. 2, our version of a 19th hole offers both indoor and outdoor dining and a wide variety of pub grub and libations.
Today is the perfect day to walk off lunch on The Cradle, a nine-hole short course designed by one of the world’s most sought-after golf course architects, Gil Hanse. Brilliantly routed over just 10 acres and just 789 yards, The Cradle is as much fun for scratch golfers as it is for beginners.
If you’re staying in The Carolina Hotel, the storied Ryder Cup Lounge (named for the 1951 Ryder Cup played at Pinehurst) offers casual dining fare with a creative twist. Pro tip: the Deconstructed Nachos stick to the ribs after a long and satisfying day on the links.
Donald Ross called Pinehurst No. 2 the “fairest test of championship golf.”
You can make a strong case for slotting No. 2 on the final day of your Summer Tee Golf Package. But great musicians know a well-timed crescendo comes not at the very end of a song, but near the end.
As such, we’ve slotted Ross’s masterpiece into Day Three. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw restored the course’s natural and strategic characteristics back in 2010 ahead of the 2014 U.S. Open, removing 35 acres of turf reintroducing hardpan, natural bunker edges and native wire grasses.
Walking isn’t just allowed at Pinehurst, it is encouraged. Taking a caddie or forecaddie on No. 2 is an experience unlike any other, as they know the tee shot angles, landing area bounces and green contours like the back of their hands.
A quick note: there is a $195 surcharge when including No. 2 in any of our golf packages. For more on our caddie service, including recommended tips, check out our FAQ.
Since this is effectively your “go big before you go home” day, stretch the day. Grab dinner at the 1895 Grille at Holly Inn and a night cap at the North & South Bar at The Manor (check to see that the hotels are open at the time of your visit, they are reopened as demand warrants).
Gil Hanse’s redesign of Pinehurst No. 4 was hailed as the “Best New Course You Can Play” by GOLF magazine.
Since it opened in 2018, there’s been a healthy debate among our golf guests as to which championship course is their favorite, No. 2 or No. 4.
Frankly, that’s just how we intended it to be. In fact, this friendly discussion hit a peak in 2019 when the two became the first pair to host the final round of he USGA’s U.S. Amateur Championship.
Hanse and his team of designers and shapers, affectionately dubbed “The Cavemen,” transformed the wall-to-wall turf of Fazio’s 1999 remake into a collection of swooping, heaving holes that like No. 2, bring the Sandhills’ original look back to the forefront.
A morning round on No. 4 should leave plenty of time to freshen up at the clubhouse afterward and hit the road. If departing the resort around 1 p.m., there’s enough time to catch a late afternoon flight home from Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) or make it as far north as Washington D.C. by car in under six hours.
Safe travels, and hit ‘em straight.