Pure golf atmosphere permeates everything in Sandhills

 BY HOWARD WARD

 Want to talk some golf? Just mention the word “Pinehurst” in any gathering in any part of the country and the conversation becomes filled with pars and birdies.

If there is any site in the world that rivals the Pinehurst area as the “Crossroads of Golf” it isn’t on the map. St. Andrews may have the “Old Course” and Pebble Beach may have the highest playing fees, but when it comes to golf for “Everyman” the Sandhills area that includes Pinehurst is “King of the Road.”

It isn’t just the number of courses in the region; it’s the rare combination of tradition, architectural genius, reputation, quality and a “pure golf” atmosphere that permeates everything.

Whether a golfer is visiting Pinehurst Resort and its eight wonderful courses, or taking a leisurely ride down storied Midland Road past Pine Needles and Mid Pines and a half-dozen other courses, the theme is golf.

This is where Donald Ross, the prolific course architect, spent most of his adult life. The most prized jewel in the collection of courses Ross designed is Pinehurst No. 2 and his dedication and determination to make it his legacy is evidenced by the acclaim the course maintains.

Even the best golfers in the world have found No. 2 to still be one of the sternest tests in the game. When the late Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open he was the only player in the field to be under par with 279. The Open returns in 2005 and the odds are that scores won’t be any lower, despite advances in technology. Scoring well on No. 2 is more than just hitting the long ball.

But as hallowed as are the grounds of Pinehurst Resorts, there are 30 other courses in Moore County that provide everything any golfer could want. And if you don’t think the word is out, visit any course parking lot during the spring and fall months and check out the license plates. The cars hail from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Canada and a lot of other cold places.

The names of the architects alone are enough to give the area the aura of a shrine. Ross designed four of the Pinehurst courses, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines Golf Club. The late, great Ellis Maples left part of his legacy in the Country Club of North Carolina, Woodlake, Whispering Pines and Whispering Woods. Gene Hamm contributed Pinewild Magnolia, Foxfire and Beacon Ridge.

Jack Nicklaus designed National Golf Club and his son, Jack II, made his debut at Legacy Golf Links. Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay built one of the Woodlake Courses, Mid South (originally Plantation Club), and The Carolina.

Tom Fazio contributed greatly to the area with Pinehurst No. 4, No. 6 and No. 8, as well as Forest Creek, where he’s building a second course. Rees Jones designed Pinehurst No. 7 and Talamore and was working on Pinehurst No. 9 before a slumping economy forced a curtailment of that project.

Dan Maples is prominent in the area with designs at The Pit, The Club at Longleaf and Little River. Tom Jackson designed Hyland Hills, the course that leads the Sandhills in numbers of rounds played annually. Gary Player built the Holly Course at Pinewild. And Arthur Hills has recently completed extensive renovations at both CCNC courses.

The result is a plethora of great golf courses that meet any criteria of golfers coming into the area. Prices range from more than $300 per round to less than $20. Knowledgeable golfers know that whatever their demands or needs, the Pinehurst area can fill them.

Mike Floyd, executive director of the Sandhills Golf Association, thinks the perception that golf in the Pinehurst area might be out of the reach of the average golfer is fading away.

“It used to be that a lot of golfers thought they couldn’t afford to play golf in the Pinehurst area,” Floyd said. “They would hear ‘Pinehurst’ and think of the resort. They didn’t realize that there were so many quality golf courses in the area with reasonable rates.”

Bill Tracy is co-owner and president of The Golf Group, one of the larger packaging agencies in the Sandhills. He thinks that despite the downturn in the economy and travel fears following the terrorist attacks of 9-11, golf is alive and well in the region.

“The number of rounds are down because of the economy,” he said, “but generally speaking, this area is better off than most.”

Tracy credits that partially to the location and to the variety of courses golfers have access to in the Sandhills.

“A lot more golfers are driving to destinations now than were a couple of years ago,” he said, “and we’re two hours closer than Myrtle Beach for the people from the Northeast.”

Floyd agrees with those views.

“One of our strongest selling points is the variety of courses,” he said. “The ‘name’ architects are definitely an attraction. The number of rounds is up from last year. Nationally, they’re down. But ours are up.”

Another factor cited by both Floyd and Tracy is the publicity the area has received nationally and internationally by the hosting of several USGA events over the past few years.

Pine Needles was the site of the 1996 and 2001 U.S. Women’s Opens. Pinehurst No. 2 will attempt to duplicate the success of it’s 1999 Men’s Open in 2005, and Pine Needles is bringing the Women’s Open back in 2007. The USGA held its Women’s Public Links Championship at Legacy in 2000, and the U.S. Men’s Amateur is scheduled for Pinehurst in 2007.

“There is definitely an impact from the publicity,” Tracy said. “Surprisingly — from my viewpoint — the Women’s Opens seemed to have more of an effect than the Men’s. I don’t know why.”

With more than 40 courses in the area, including some in bordering counties such as Tobacco Road, Deercroft, Bayonet at Puppy Creek and Anderson Creek, Tracy doesn’t see new construction in the immediate future.

“I don’t see anything happening over the next few years,” he said. “Any new courses, I think, will be additions to existing facilities such as Pinehurst Resorts and Forest Creek. I don’t see a need for new courses at the present time. Frankly, I’m very happy with what’s going on right now. Things could be a lot worse.”

Meanwhile, the golfers just keep on coming. Although a rainy spring season held play below normal on most courses, the result is expected to produce courses in better condition than normal during the summer months.

Whether the visitor is a serious, low-handicap player or the more typical mid-to-high handicapper seeking to enjoy an experience in the area that is arguably the “Golf Capital of the World”, he or she can find their niche in this wonderland of courses.

Even if you subtract the eight resort courses at Pinehurst and ultra-private layouts such as Country Club of North Carolina, Forest Creek, National and Mid South, the choices are still abundant.

“The Crossroads of Golf” has it all. It’s a “Taster’s Choice” of excellence and variety. If the golfer is looking for tradition or just a carefree outing, the Pinehurst area has it. In 40 different flavors.