Every golfer has a list. Pinehurst is on all of them. A Pinehurst North Carolina golf trip is the closest thing American golf has to a pilgrimage, and the long weekend is the right way to do it. Ten championship courses, a nine hole short course, and the Carolina Hotel, all in one walkable village in the Sandhills. The golf runs from a Donald Ross masterpiece to a Tom Doak newcomer, and you never have to leave the resort to play it.
The first hole on Pinehurst No. 2, looking back toward the clubhouse.
Why Pinehurst
Pinehurst calls itself the Cradle of American Golf, and it has the receipts. The resort has hosted more single golf championships than any other site in America, including U.S. Opens in 1999, 2005, 2014, and 2024. The U.S. Open comes back in 2029, with Pinehurst as the championship's first anchor site.
The resort covers 2,200 acres in the Sandhills, about 70 miles south of Raleigh Durham International Airport. Ten championship courses, the Carolina Hotel, a spa, and a village you can walk from end to end. The golf, the hotel, and the history are all in the same place. Your only job is to show up.
Best golf courses on a Pinehurst North Carolina golf trip
Four rounds anchor the long weekend. Every one of them is on the resort, and every one of them is worth the trip on its own.
Pinehurst No. 2 is the reason most golfers come, and it earns it. It's Donald Ross's 1907 masterpiece, 7,588 yards to a par of 70, restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2010 and 2011 back to its sandy, wiregrass character. The defining feature is the crowned turtleback greens that shed anything short of perfect. Hit it a little short and the green politely hands your ball back.
No. 2 is for resort guests only, and you need at least a two night stay to play it (three nights on most weekends from mid March to mid November). The round is bundled into a stay and play package, and if your package doesn't include No. 2, adding it carries a $250 premium. A second round in the same stay has run around $595 in peak season and $360 off season. Carts stay on the paths, so walk it and take the caddie, around $85 plus tip. On these greens, the local read is worth every dollar.
Pinehurst No. 4 is the warm up round and the locals' favorite. It's a 2018 Gil Hanse redesign on a 1919 routing, 7,227 yards to a par of 72, right next to No. 2 at the main clubhouse. Think of it as No. 2's close cousin: sandy waste areas, wiregrass, and greens that are a little more forgiving. It hosted the 2019 U.S. Amateur, and an extra round has run around $395. Play it first, while the group is fresh and still confident.
Pinehurst No. 4, the Gil Hanse redesign with sandy waste areas and wiregrass.
Pinehurst No. 10 is the reason to come back. It's Tom Doak's 2024 design on the resort's old Sandmines land in Aberdeen, about 10 minutes from the village: 7,020 yards, par 70, through native wiregrass and rolling dunes. It was named Best New Course of 2024, and it feels nothing like the village courses. Bigger elevation, wilder sand, and a walk that earns the back nine. Literally a walk: No. 10 is walking only, so pack comfortable shoes and your best attitude.
Pinehurst No. 10, the Tom Doak design on the Sandmines land.
The Cradle is the best 789 yards in golf. It's Gil Hanse's nine hole, par 27 short course on the ground where golf at Pinehurst began in 1898, with holes from 56 to 127 yards, steps from the clubhouse. It runs around $50 to $65, and replays are free once you've paid. Right next door is Thistle Dhu, the free 75,000 square foot putting course around the Putter Boy statue. Play The Cradle every evening. You will not regret it. Your wedges might.
The Cradle, the nine hole short course beside the Pinehurst clubhouse.
The play
The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort.
Thursday: fly into Raleigh Durham International and drive about 70 miles south to the village, roughly 75 minutes. Check into the Carolina Hotel, the resort's landmark, then spend the evening on The Cradle and Thistle Dhu. Dinner at The Deuce, overlooking the 18th on No. 2. Enjoy the view. On Saturday it's your problem.
Friday: No. 4 in the morning while the group is fresh. Replay The Cradle in the afternoon and settle the day's bets on Thistle Dhu.
Saturday: No. 2. A mid morning tee time, a caddie, and a walk in the footsteps of four U.S. Opens. Then back to The Deuce for the last night, this time with stories.
Sunday: close with No. 10 in the morning, then drive back to Raleigh Durham for an afternoon flight.
Three nights also checks the weekend minimum for No. 2. Build the whole thing in the Fore & Away app and let it sort the tee times, the hotel, and the budget around the golf.
Quick answers
How do you get on Pinehurst No. 2?
Stay at the resort. No. 2 is for resort guests and members only, with a minimum two night stay (three nights on most weekends from mid March to mid November). The round comes bundled into a stay and play package. Adding No. 2 to a package that doesn't include it carries a $250 premium, a second round in the same stay has run around $595 in peak season and $360 off season, and a caddie is extra, around $85.
How many days does a Pinehurst trip need?
Three nights, four days. That covers three 18 hole rounds (No. 4, No. 2, and No. 10), an evening on The Cradle every night, and a morning to walk the village. Two nights is the midweek minimum for No. 2, but two nights means rushing the round the whole trip is built around.
When is the best time for a Pinehurst golf trip?
Spring and fall. Highs run 74 to 80 degrees in April and May, and October averages around 73 with the clearest skies of the year. November cools into the low 60s, and summer runs hot and humid with highs in the 90s. Book the spring and fall weekends first. They go earliest.
What should I wear at Pinehurst?
A collared shirt and well kept pants or shorts. No denim, sandals, or open toe shoes on the courses.
Photos courtesy of Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.