[Tim Taylor]

Hey treehouse,


Planning a 60th birthday trip next April. There will be four of us, handicaps from 8 to 14, converging from Northern Virginia and the Carolinas.


Which course would play on arrival day after five hour drive?
Would you play same course back to back on the 36 hole days? Or split it up to see different pins and tee set ups?
Is one of the courses more fun than others for an alternate shot match?
Which course is best for a caddie round?



Tim

[mike_malone]

Your questions make me feel like I’m back in school.


I will just say that I get a feeling when I play a course. My ideal feeling is constant pleasure from playing and looking around at things as I go. I get this feeling maybe once a year at new courses for me.


Mid Pines gave me that feeling. I felt that this is what Pinehurst golf is!!

[Ira Fishman]

Tim,


I think PN is best for the first day round. It plays tougher than it seems but it is more forgiving off of the tee.


SP for the caddie round. It is the toughest walk.


You will have a great time.


Ira

[Charles Lund]

I've done five trips to the Pinehurst area.  You can have a complete and satisfying trip playing Mid Pines, Pine Needles, and Southern Pines.

I'd suggest that for the 36 hole days you try to play Mid Pines and Pine Needles with 18 holes on each course.  All you have go do is cross the street to get to the other course.    I played Southern Pines during the renovation, just after it reopened, and again in March of this year.  I'd play it on the days you plan to play 18 holes so it's likely that pin positions will vary.  On the March trip this year I also played Mid Pines and Pine Needles.  Despite the common heritage of each course, it's not like you get the feeling you are playing the same holes so there is less of a deja vu sense of what you might encounter with the work of some designers.


I also like the distinct character of each course and club.  Despite the presence of the Pinehurst Resort in the immediate area, you can have a high quality golf experience at the three courses you are playing.  I've played four of the resort courses and liked the experience.


Charles Lund

[Tim Martin]

I've done five trips to the Pinehurst area.  You can have a complete and satisfying trip playing Mid Pines, Pine Needles, and Southern Pines.

I'd suggest that for the 36 hole days you try to play Mid Pines and Pine Needles with 18 holes on each course.  All you have go do is cross the street to get to the other course.    I played Southern Pines during the renovation, just after it reopened, and again in March of this year.  I'd play it on the days you plan to play 18 holes so it's likely that pin positions will vary.  On the March trip this year I also played Mid Pines and Pine Needles.  Despite the common heritage of each course, it's not like you get the feeling you are playing the same holes so there is less of a deja vu sense of what you might encounter with the work of some designers.


I also like the distinct character of each course and club.  Despite the presence of the Pinehurst Resort in the immediate area, you can have a high quality golf experience at the three courses you are playing.  I've played four of the resort courses and liked the experience.


Charles Lund

Tim-I agree with Ira that the caddie round should be at Southern Pines. Further Charles gets it right as far as which courses to play and when. If I had ten rounds I would play four at MP and three each at PN and SP. Enjoy the trip!

[Ronald Montesano]

It simply doesn't matter. If you're with the right people, and you have the right attitude, the caddie can help at all of them. I would take the caddie for your first round. If you hit it off, retain the caddie for the next two rounds. If not, hoof it and haul it.

All three courses are famazing. Get that local farrier to join you for a few rounds, and you'll have the time of your life.

I love #TheResort, but Sandhills is much more than #TheResort. I could spend a bunch of trips to the region without setting foot on #YouGuessedIt

[Peter Sayegh]

The 36 hole day must be an MP/PN combination.
Upon arrival, I would recommend MP or SP.
If you want a caddy to just carry your bag, I'd echo SP.

I can count on one hand the number of caddies I've ever seen at MP/PN/SP combined so if you're looking for someone that offers shot advice and a knowledge of the greens particular to those courses, I'd ask others on this board for (a) name/s.

[Matt MacIver]

I’ve never used (or seen) caddies there but didn’t look for them.  But beware, MP and probably the others have Bermuda greens and since they allow Monday play don’t actively top-dress them weekly - meaning they allow (want) the Bermuda to actively grow and “get grainy” throughout the day, so if you can’t read grain you better learn fast. 

[Peter Sayegh]

I’ve never used (or seen) caddies there but didn’t look for them.  But beware, MP and probably the others have Bermuda greens and since they allow Monday play don’t actively top-dress them weekly - meaning they allow (want) the Bermuda to actively grow and “get grainy” throughout the day, so if you can’t read grain you better learn fast.

Matt,
Thank you.

First thing I tell all my first time guests at MP is it's the hardest 7 foot putt course I've played.

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