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Sandhills/Pinehurst area course recommendations


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Hey all. I'll be coming to North Carolina the first week of August and will have my clubs with me. Would love to play a nice course in the Sandhills/Pinehurst area, and particularly interested in good bang-for-the-buck options. Tobacco Road is one of my bucket list courses, but I know it has a reputation of being exceptionally difficult. I'm a 10-12 handicap player, BTW.

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I would recommend Mid South, Dormie Club (if you can get on) and Pinehurst #7.  I go down every year and these are some of my favorites.  Tobacco Road looks hard from the tee box but is actually a pretty easy course if you don't trust your eyes.  Get a yardage book or and trust the book.  Landing areas are really big but look tiny from the tee boxes. 

   Driver:  :callaway-small: Epic Flash Sub Zero Hzdrs Smoke x flex 70g

3 Wood:  :titelist-small: 917 w/ Diamana Whiteboard stiff

5 Wood : :callaway-small: Epic Flash 18* Hzdrs Smoke stiff

4 Hybrid: image.png.cf6ab25979c6727ff31e6cc6f719636c.png TSi3 Hzdrs Smoke X flex

     Irons:  :callaway-small: 5-7  Apex forged 19 w/ Modus 120 X

                         9-A Apex Pro 19 w/ Modus 120 X

Wedges:  :callaway-small: MD5 52&56 Jaws Dynamic Gold wedge flex

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Tobacco Road is outstanding.     The first time you play it will be the hardest.  

The Sand Hills is a golfing paradise and you don't even have to play any of the Pinehurst resort courses.     Pine Needles, Mid Pines, Mid South, Dormie (I think it went private), and Talamore are all very, very good.   Take a look at each course's website to get some pics and pricing and see what looks good for your taste and budget.    You'll enjoy any of these courses being named in this thread.     

 default_taylormade-small(1).jpg.85912868199b94e166402712fb9f64b0.jpg Stealth 2 Plus 10.5* driver

default_ping-small.jpg.f0dadf3a40970feec67664677f8eff49.jpg G425 14.5*, 17.5* FWs

default_ping-small.jpg.f0dadf3a40970feec67664677f8eff49.jpg G425 22* hybrid

default_ping-small.jpg.f0dadf3a40970feec67664677f8eff49.jpg i230 irons, 5 - W

default_ping-small.jpg.f0dadf3a40970feec67664677f8eff49.jpg Glide 4.0 S 50*, 54*, 58* wedges

EVNROLL.gif.c1122c4834ff1cdf4df48962afede4ed.gif  EV 5.3 33"

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, I think I'll make Tobacco Road my first choice. Thanks to everyone for their helpful feedback. It's an opportunity to check one off the bucket list. Will most likely be playing sometime Aug. 3-5 so if anyone's in the area who might be interested in hooking up for a round, please let me know!

Edited by Eat My Divots
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On 7/11/2022 at 5:05 PM, MarkCPA said:

Tobacco Road is outstanding.     The first time you play it will be the hardest.  

The Sand Hills is a golfing paradise and you don't even have to play any of the Pinehurst resort courses.     Pine Needles, Mid Pines, Mid South, Dormie (I think it went private), and Talamore are all very, very good.   Take a look at each course's website to get some pics and pricing and see what looks good for your taste and budget.    You'll enjoy any of these courses being named in this thread.     

All the same courses I would recommend.

As others have said, Tobacco Road is hard, but not as hard as it looks. I’d highly recommend watching a couple YouTube videos to see each hole in advance - there are many holes you’ll want some insight re: how to play. I’ve been there with several foursomes and the ones who had no idea what the course was like didn’t like it, some hated it. Those of us who knew what to expect enjoyed it immensely. This was my favorite course preview…

 

  • Titleist TSR2 11° HZRDUS Red CB 50 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize
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  • Ping Pioneer - MGI Zip Navigator AT
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11 hours ago, Eat My Divots said:

OK, I think I'll make Tobacco Road my first choice. Thanks to everyone for their helpful feedback. It's an opportunity to check one off the bucket list. Will most likely be playing sometime Aug. 3-5 so if anyone's in the area who might be interested in hooking up for around, please let me know!

I think you'll enjoy TR, I always do.  As others have said, play smart.  TR will tempt you, but for just about every risk/reward choice, the risk is much much greater than the potential reward.  If you're looking for dining or drinking recommendations, let me know.  I've been going to that area a couple times a year for the past 15 years, and have found a bunch of favorites.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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We played Tobacco Road, Pinehurst #4, #5, and #8 and #9 while were in the area. Tobacco Road was my favorite as it is fairly generous off the tee and visually stunning. As others have mentioned you should either look at it on Google Earth Pro or watch videos as many of the holes have blind shots which people complain about. But those same people have access to a number of tools (aforementioned google earth pro) that can give you most of the information you need to play out there. I don't take a lot of risks as a player so I actually scored well out at TR because I didn't take on much risk (Strantz is trying to bait you into taking on risk the whole time..). Highly highly recommend. Also we walked the course which was even more enjoyable but it is not an easy walk (especially in late May). If I ever went back I might try the Pine Needles/Mid Pines combo but would definitely get back to TR. Loved my experience there. I did take on one major risk that worked that I have to brag about. On the par 5 13th, you can take it over the right trees and cut the hole down considerably, which I did, one of the most exhilarating tee shots I have hit in my life...still managed to only make par however. 

image.png.8c44e93b8908f8096150705dbace3df8.png

 

I also loved Pinehurst #4, it was my favorite pinehurst course we played. I liked Pinehurst #9. Pinehurst #8 was just okay (I had heard a lot of good reviews so that probably heightened my expectations). Pinehurst #5 is decent but nothing special. The cradle was great but very crowded and slow.

:mizuno-small: STZ 230 9.5* "Std" setting ➖ :mizuno-small: STZ 230 Hybrid 18* "lower" setting➖ :mizuno-small: Pro Fli-Hi 21.5* ➖ MALTBY TS1-IM 5-GW ➖ :benhogan-small: Equalizer II 54* ➖ :ping-small: Glide 4.0 (S) 58* ➖ L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 
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I live nearby in Montgomery Country and will add my $.02:

- this time of year it is truly hot & humid (extra glove, water needed)

All courses mentioned are well-known & very good but “off the radar” + great value are:

Elks Club:  Donald Ross design now owned by Mid-Pines / Pine Needles folks

Foxfire:  last weekend course was in as good shape as anywhere here except bunkers were pebbly (needed sand)

Did I mention it’s bloody hot & humid  ??

 

 

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  • 9 months later...
On 7/4/2022 at 9:45 PM, Eat My Divots said:

Hey all. I'll be coming to North Carolina the first week of August and will have my clubs with me. Would love to play a nice course in the Sandhills/Pinehurst area, and particularly interested in good bang-for-the-buck options. Tobacco Road is one of my bucket list courses, but I know it has a reputation of being exceptionally difficult. I'm a 10-12 handicap player, BTW.

If you are flying in/out of Raleigh, the course at Duke University is stunning and is 20 minutes from the airport.  

D : TSR3: 8*

4W : TSR3: 16.5*

3i : T200U

4-9 : T100

W : SM9 46, 50, 54, 58

P : Scotty Cameron Futura 5.5M

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On 7/23/2022 at 12:29 PM, Golfist said:

I live nearby in Montgomery Country and will add my $.02:

- this time of year it is truly hot & humid (extra glove, water needed)

All courses mentioned are well-known & very good but “off the radar” + great value are:

Elks Club:  Donald Ross design now owned by Mid-Pines / Pine Needles folks

I've played Southern Pines GC (previously owned by the Elk's Club) 3 or 4 times since the complete renovation by Kyle Franz, and its amazing now.  Its also a lot more expensive than it was just a few years back, but its worth it.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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