It’s the first day back in the office after our spring golf trip and the Monday blues are in full force (I started this post on Monday). But am I the most depressed out of the seven of us that went? Hard to know exactly but I’m certainly a strong candidate for it.
In this post, I’m going to provide a full recap and course review of the four courses we played: Tobacco Road, the Cradle, Pinehurst #2, and Pinehurst #4.
Tobacco Road
It seems like this Golf Course is being mentioned everywhere recently, so it was a no-brainer to add to the itinerary with it being only 30 minutes away from Pinehurst.
Designed and built by Mike Strantz back in 1998, it’s not a course that you’ll find anywhere else. Instead of grading and reshaping the entire landscape, he mapped out and carved in landing zones that seem more like minuet details rather than the main course.
Take the Par 5 hole #1 for example, it’s 195 yards to clear the gap and it looks like there is barely any room to even land your ball. I’m sure Mike would have left the hill/mound intact if he didn’t have to account for the short hitters and ball toppers.
Once you make through those, the hole isn’t done. Depending on your tee shot, you’ll have another 240+ into the green with another blind shot. I’ve heard the course described as “target golf” and I’d say that’s a pretty good description. But if I had to say it in my own words, it forces you to play its game, not yours.
I’m usually a longer hitter than most with an average drive of 285-295 so on most courses, I just rip it and hit a wedge in. But not here. Mike Strantz makes you play his way and forces the player to use their whole bag. Listen to him describe his mindset as he was working on nearby Tot Hill Farm:
You can almost feel the joy he got in knowing I was going to get wrecked out there trying to play my game. But Mike can rest in peace knowing that I changed my playing style after hole 6 and adapted to the course.
Sand, Sand, and More Sand
If you’re considering playing here, be sure to brush up on your ability to hit out of sand. And I’m not just referring to green side bunkers. The local rule here is there are no bunkers. Everything is played as waste area which means there are no rakes and you can ground your club anywhere. The sand is inconsistent from place to place so they highly recommend you take a few practice swings to know what you’re working with.
This is the Par 3, 17th hole and sure, you’re not supposed to hit it in the sand here, but the green isn’t very long and it provides a very intimidating tee shot.
The fairways and greens were in top shape. The details around the course made you feel like you were truly in the heart of a Tobacco Farm from the 1800s. The clubhouse and cart storage area looked like old farm buildings and every staff member was as nice as they come.
Would I go back? Absolutely. Now that I know the course, I need some revenge on a few holes. Is it worth the $265 price tag? Ehhhhh. TBD, but I’ve certainly played some golf courses much worse for around that same price.
Pinehurst Resort
If you’ve never been to Pinehurst, and you remotely like golf, this place can and will take your breath away. Everyone who works there is more friendly and welcoming than Mr. Rogers and the place is in tip top shape.
The only downside to the experience is that in order to play No. 2 and No. 4, you have to stay on property versus getting an AirBnB, but it’s so worth it.
We opted for the Holly Inn which is cheaper than the somewhat newer Carolina Hotel, but we had no complaints at all. The beds were comfortable, the rooms had great A/C and the hotel bar had ice cold beverages. Not sure what else you need.
The Cradle
Our tee time on No. 2 was set for 1:30pm which gave us the morning to play The Cradle as many times as we wanted. For $50, you can take on the 9 hole, 800 yard course as many loops as you can get in. You really only need 2 clubs around there, but carrying 3 will give you a few more up and down options if need be.
Our group of 7 played altogether and we got through all 9 holes in under an hour. After finishing, we had about three hours until we teed off No. 2 so if you went back to the hotel to relax, a few got a bite to eat, but myself and another Golf nut went back to the starter and asked for another loop. He said he’d work us in and gave me a phone call in about five minutes. God bless this place.
The Cradle is the epitome of a relaxed, good time. With a bar off the 4th tee box, you can laugh, sip drinks and even play barefoot if your heart desires. The only real worry you have during this time is whether or not your group considers it a hole-in-one or not. I’m told they average about 4 per day out there.
For the upcoming U.S. Open, they’ll close down The Cradle and transform it into the driving range for the Pros. What better areas than to give them 9 greens as targets out there.
Pinehurst No. 2
Ahhhhh. Pinehurst No. 2. One of the most iconic golf courses in all of America and has been dubbed the cradle of US golf (hence the par 3 course’s name). It will be hosting the 124th US Open in just a few weeks and this place was in absolute tip top shape.
The greens were top dressed earlier in the day and were running at a 13 or 14 they said. The caddies told us this is the hardest course we’ll ever play where we won’t lose a single ball (they were right). Just like Tobacco Road, there are waste areas all over the place so barring any 80 yard slice, you’ll be able to find your ball with a solid shot out of the sand.
From the white tees, 6,400 yards wasn’t particularly long but still made for a few decisions whether to use the driver or not. I found myself using my 5 iron more often than not because the fairway is always easier to hit from than the waste area. This did make for some 180+ yard approach shots, but thankfully that’s right in my wheelhouse so the only thing I needed to know from the caddies was, where not to miss.
Speaking of caddies, this was my first experience walking a course with a caddy whose carrying my bag and let me tell you, this is how golf is meant to be played.
With the weather being absolutely perfect, it felt like I was taking a leisurely walk through the park, drinking a beer and hitting a little golf ball every now and then. I had no cares in the world for those 4 hours. Just joking around and enjoying the moment.
I played mostly good with a few birdies on the par 5’s, but had your typical poor contact on several shots too. I got baptized on the turtle back greens by chipping back and forth over the same green a few times. The yardage book may say the green is 20x30 yards but really the only usable area is about 5x10 on most of them. Ole Donald Ross keeps you on your toes and it’s vital that you know your shot dispersions with each club so you can account for your misses.
I finished the round with a cool 90 (the low for our group) and walked off with head held high. We grabbed a quick post round beer at the Deuce to talk about the round and headed back to the hotel to shower for dinner at 1895 Grille in the hotel.
Pinehurst No. 4
Despite this being our last day, we were all in great spirits as the caddies and other golfers we ran into said No. 4 is a real treat.
And they weren’t wrong.
The clubhouse recommended we walk since it was cart path only, but we bypassed that due to several complaints about chaffing in areas they didn’t normally chaff (the sand does really get into everything). We also only opted for a Forecaddie vs the bag carriers before we knew how awesome the bag carry is. On the next trip, we will be getting bag carrying caddies from here on out.
This course was incredible. With picturesque holes throughout the whole round, it was sometimes hard to focus on actually playing the round. I just wanted to stand there and look at the scenery. Hopefully by the time I play it a few times, I won’t gawk at it so much.
This course gave more opportunities to hit driver but still required precise shots into the green. Luckily I had the caddy tell me where the misses are and where you definitely don’t want to go. Like No. 2, even though the greens were big, there was limited usable space to land the ball before rolling off the back or side. So course management and knowing your shot dispersion is absolutely critical on a course like this. I’m looking forward to see how Scottie, Rory, Jon and Brooks handle them in a few weeks.
By the end of it, we were all pretty worn out and D-Ross didn’t do us any favors with 17 and 18. But I managed to string together 2 pars to finish with an 87 on the day. Certainly not my best, but also not my worst. And for my first time there, I’ll take it every day of the week.
Final Thoughts
For any golfer who appreciates the game and wants to see what it feels like to play a PGA Tour level course, there’s no better place to play. Not only is the golf outstanding, but this is a resort where all the staff members treat you like royalty.
I’m currently planning 2025’s golf trip as well as a weekend getaway for my wife and I. Apparently they have a world class spa as well that she could easily spend 5 hours in while I try to find something to do with my time 😎
If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing as I’ll be sharing updates on our Gauntlet league and discussing more course management strategies in my upcoming posts.