Pinehurst

[H2S]

While visiting brother Jim and his wife in New Bern, NC on 21.SEP... I played their local course (Harbour Pte GC) and popped my first ace on the 122-yd 17th with a 9-iron. Cost me $120 at the bar (does anybody agree that it seems silly for the player to pay?) Nice prelude for the week to come.

Three days later, we checked-in to Pinehurst... four brothers, all retired, all mediocre golfers, hadn't been together since 2000 on a goat ranch in Kauai... hit from the green tees... shot an 84 on #4 Sunday; an 82 on #8 Monday; and an 87 on #1 Tuesday... place is beyond fabulous, heaven (except for the painted cement greens)... after resting with a Deuce drink from the Deuce Bar after finishing #1 we played the nine-hole "Cradle" - barefoot, holding 3-4 short irons in one hand and a Woodpecker drink in the other... had 9 people in our shift, haha, what fun.

Brother Don had shirts made for the occasion - our father's nickname was Chilkoot Charlie. Place seems obscenely expensive - until you realize there is no better golf destination in the world. Place is more than a bucket list item if you're a golfer - it heads the list.

 

[H2S]

"Total Immersion Golf" is Pinehurst... everything, every subject, story, issue, experience, everywhere is GOLF... one of the best subjects to listen in on was/is: "Some of my favorite courses."
most intriguing was a course just 35 miles north of Pinehurst called Tobacco Road Golf Club | Sanford, NC ... several Carolina guys described it as a cross between a huge putt putt run with super tight fairways, hidden raised greens, swamps, fens, beach... and the seventh ring of hell.

I ski a lot... there are resorts whose terrain perfectly suits skiers/boarders who are technically competent (Bridger Bowl, Kicking Horse, Palisades Tahoe, etc) but are much less satisfying to those who need more experience. Tobacco Road looks like an excellent challenge for a technically competent golfer. Maybe some day, eh?

 

[foster4prez]

"Total Immersion Golf" is Pinehurst... everything, every subject, story, issue, experience, everywhere is GOLF... one of the best subjects to listen in on was/is: "Some of my favorite courses."
most intriguing was a course just 35 miles north of Pinehurst called Tobacco Road Golf Club | Sanford, NC ... several Carolina guys described it as a cross between a huge putt putt run with super tight fairways, hidden raised greens, swamps, fens, beach... and the seventh ring of hell.

I ski a lot... there are resorts whose terrain perfectly suits skiers/boarders who are technically competent (Bridger Bowl, Kicking Horse, Palisades Tahoe, etc) but are much less satisfying to those who need more experience. Tobacco Road looks like an excellent challenge for a technically competent golfer. Maybe some day, eh?

I just played Tobacco Road yesterday. My second time. Easily the most fun I've ever had on a golf course. It is great and highly recommend it if you get a chance.

Honestly, the highlight of Pinehurst is the Cradle and sitting up on the hill behind the 8th hole (i think?) with the cocktail cart and watching people hit it up the hill into that bowl. Last time I was there some little kid almost got his first hole in one with his dad. Place went absolutely bananas when he lipped out. Talk about lifetime memories.

I somehow didn't realize that I was going to be 45 minutes from one of the meccas of golf when I moved down to the Raleigh-Durham area earlier this summer.

Dormie club is another great spot to get on if you can. Just a special experience.

 

[H2S]

I just played Tobacco Road yesterday. My second time. Easily the most fun I've ever had on a golf course. It is great and highly recommend it if you get a chance.

lol... I just called my New Bern brother about this... I'm flying down to RDU from Detroit next week... gonna do it twice... quite stoked.

Honestly, the highlight of Pinehurst is the Cradle and sitting up on the hill behind the 8th hole (i think?) with the cocktail cart and watching people hit it up the hill into that bowl. Last time I was there some little kid almost got his first hole in one with his dad. Place went absolutely bananas when he lipped out. Talk about lifetime memories.

we four wholly agree with your "highlight" comment. The Cradle eased the performance stress & anxiety caused by the perfection of Pinehurst's 10 18-hole runs. Should have played it first.

one of the meccas of golf

imho, THE Mecca of golf.

 

[foster4prez]

lol... I just called my New Bern brother about this... I'm flying down to RDU from Detroit next week... gonna do it twice... quite stoked.

we four wholly agree with your "highlight" comment. The Cradle eased the performance stress & anxiety caused by the perfection of Pinehurst's 10 18-hole runs. Should have played it first.

imho, THE Mecca of golf.

I played #2 and #4. Maybe the highlight of my golf career was absolutely smoking a drive down the middle of the fairway off the first tee of #2, handing my driver to the caddie, and just taking off walking down the hole.

It went downhill from there. 40+ putts en route to a 89. #4 was a much more enjoyable golfing experience but its easy to see why #2 is the US Open venue.

 

[H2S]

One of my Colorado brothers rangers/plays the River Course at Keystone... said his pro played #2 from the gold tees and hit an 88... guy also played #4 and said the same as you. We were, to say the least, intimidated by #4 (hell, the whole place!) but, thankfully didn't embarrass ourselves until the second hole and thereafter. Great story about your nonchalant screamer... "like, hey crowd, this is what I do."

 

[H2S]

lol... I just called my New Bern brother about this... I'm flying down to RDU from Detroit next week... gonna do it twice... quite stoked.

whoa nellie... hammers falling... his wife and my usually accommodating wife both had issues with another golf trip when there were family get-togethers scheduled, football games and tight finances (such mundane excuses, but...) cancelled flights... sulking ever since. shit.

 

[foster4prez]

whoa nellie... hammers falling... his wife and my usually accommodating wife both had issues with another golf trip when there were family get-togethers scheduled, football games and tight finances (such mundane excuses, but...) cancelled flights... sulking ever since. shit.

Whoops. LMFAO

 

[NCChiFan]

While visiting brother Jim and his wife in New Bern, NC on 21.SEP... I played their local course (Harbour Pte GC) and popped my first ace on the 122-yd 17th with a 9-iron. Cost me $120 at the bar (does anybody agree that it seems silly for the player to pay?) Nice prelude for the week to come.

Three days later, we checked-in to Pinehurst... four brothers, all retired, all mediocre golfers, hadn't been together since 2000 on a goat ranch in Kauai... hit from the green tees... shot an 84 on #4 Sunday; an 82 on #8 Monday; and an 87 on #1 Tuesday... place is beyond fabulous, heaven (except for the painted cement greens)... after resting with a Deuce drink from the Deuce Bar after finishing #1 we played the nine-hole "Cradle" - barefoot, holding 3-4 short irons in one hand and a Woodpecker drink in the other... had 9 people in our shift, haha, what fun.

Brother Don had shirts made for the occasion - our father's nickname was Chilkoot Charlie. Place seems obscenely expensive - until you realize there is no better golf destination in the world. Place is more than a bucket list item if you're a golfer - it heads the list.

They have #2 closed to the public due to upcoming tourny or didn't have time?

I lucked out playing #2. Local member joined us and regaled us with pro history at each hole... "This hole, Tiger hit it here, then chipped up, ran over the other side..." Sort of tales. Was awesome. Hope you can catch #2 another time.

 

[H2S]

They have #2 closed to the public due to upcoming tourny or didn't have time?

I lucked out playing #2. Local member joined us and regaled us with pro history at each hole... "This hole, Tiger hit it here, then chipped up, ran over the other side..." Sort of tales. Was awesome. Hope you can catch #2 another time.

Hell, I'd like to catch all nine courses, Cradle and Thistle Dhu again and again. If not, if it doesn't happen, it's all right, me and mine have done that Pinehurst Thing... and that Pinehurst Thing did us. btw, the 10th course, Tom Doak, is set to open next April.

In the meanwhile it's great to hear personal experiences like yours and foster's. golf
Speaking of which, did yall partake the morning breakfast extravaganza at the Carolina Hotel?... lol... we barbarians tore that spread up.

 

[H2S]

They have #2 closed to the public due to upcoming tourny or didn't have time?

It's open... we were asked several times, given the opportunity by the nice Pinehurst people... wasn't that hard to turn the offers down...
and we don't feel bad about our reluctance to humble ourselves further than the glorious pummeling we received from #4, #8 and #1.

I've skied Jackson Hole many times, am a, to use the golf term, "scratch" skier... but have never run Corbet's Couloir. I mean, like, I could probably survive the plunge, like breaking 100 on #2, but would likely suffer long-term due to a crappy performance.

 

[NCChiFan]

Hell, I'd like to catch all nine courses, Cradle and Thistle Dhu again and again. If not, if it doesn't happen, it's all right, me and mine have done that Pinehurst Thing... and that Pinehurst Thing did us. btw, the 10th course, Tom Doak, is set to open next April.

In the meanwhile it's great to hear personal experiences like yours and foster's. golf
Speaking of which, did yall partake the morning breakfast extravaganza at the Carolina Hotel?... lol... we barbarians tore that spread up.

Indeed. And even better, was comp'd two different back to back Trade Association gatherings that included free rounds and 4 man tournaments on 2 of the courses. Over the course of the week and a half, played almost every course and #2 with is upside down bowl's for greens tore me up. Have not played it since the reno. Need to. Keep trying to get our Trade Association back there, but to few golfers now, to much on the fee's to convention there.

Each morning i was treated to a breakfast for each event, so didn't get to experience the Carolina Hotel extravaganza per se. Did have their cooking though.

 

[H2S]

comp'd
week and a half

jebus... hard to imagine 10 days at that place

My two Colorado brothers, with wives families and usual middle class obligations, would not have been able to make the trip;
my idiot third brother, in New Bern, NC is strapped to the gills trying to live an upscale country club life, replete with a 35-ft Mainship trawler...
so...
Pinehurst would not have happened for us this year... or probably any year... except for
wife's only sister's passing a couple years back (the lady was a virtual recluse, worked as an executive secretary at Detroit Edison for 35 years, never vacationed, never spent a nickel, put everything into IRAs and savings.) We were comfortably retired when she died and left a large pile of cash to us. We're childless and fully intend on dying broke...
so...
I flew the two CO slugs in, picked them up at RDU, met up with the NC bone and checked-in to our condo (Carolina Hotel is renovating for the Open) for a 3-day, 3-courses stay. Hadn't gotten the four of us together since 2000, at a goat ranch in Kauai. Might be the best move I've ever made in a long life of dumb-assaties. btw, it was my wife's suggestion that we treat the kids to the trip.

 

[H2S]

Greg was a terrific golfer... senior champion locally, played every day well into winter.
I'm leaving a couple of Pinehurst tees and a Cradle ball marker for him at the visitation this afternoon.

wife was leery of my idea to surreptitiously leave the tees and marker on one of the tables, so I presented them to Greg's wife...
she said he always dreamed of someday playing Pinehurst... I said he's probably there right now, it's heaven.
omg
she set the tees and marker on the altar next to his military picture...
got a big blubbery hug, from her, her daughters and son and maybe 10 more folks (mostly guys he played with.)

wife doesn't golf