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One Golfer’s Mantra—
Never Give Up
N
JOHN MUMMERT/USGA PHOTO ARCHIVES
Notwithstanding its beautiful mountains and lovely
seashore, North Carolina’s most prized
geologic
geologic feature is a 75-mile-long, 35-milewide
wide expanse of hard-packed, white quartz
sand that runs through the state’s interior.
Set squarely within the gently rolling
sandhills and tall longleaf pines is Pinehurst,
one of the nation’s first golf destinations
(1895) and the place where Donald Ross
left an indelible mark.
Actually, there are two Pinehursts. The
first is Pinehurst Resort, a cradle of the
game synonymous with golf in America.
The flagship of this prodigious 144-hole
complex is the legendary No. 2 Course,
a Ross masterpiece recently returned to
its original appearance by Bill Coore and
Ben Crenshaw, who ripped out 35 acres
of bermudagrass sod to expose the sandy
hardpan and tufts of wiregrass alongside
the fairways. The tricky muffin-top putting
surfaces were left intact, as were their
slippery spilloffs. The greens and their
surrounds will rivet the attention of the
world’s best players when the men’s and
women’s U.S. Opens are held in consecutive
weeks on the No. 2 Course in June.
While all seven of the resort’s additional
venues are distinctive, there is only one
Maniac Hill, the practice area named
by Ross for the legions of golfers who (then
and now) lash away from dawn to dusk in
search of improvement. Adjacent to the
range is Thistle Dhu, a new putting course
modeled after the famed Himalayas Course
at St. Andrews. Just bring your ball and
putter—play is free to guests.
Resort accommodations range from
the revived Victorian-era Holly Inn to
the century-old Carolina Hotel, where a
pianist tinkles the keys of a baby grand each
morning to set the mood for the day. All a
hungry golfer could ever want is available at
the breakfast buffet, from custom omelets
to biscuits with red-eye gravy.
The second Pinehurst is everything else
in the area beyond the confines of the
resort. Fans of Ross’ work can tee it up
on two of the master’s classic layouts at
Pine Needles, a three-time site of the
U.S. Women’s Open and a flawless test of
golf where Ross himself liked to play. Its
kissing cousin, Mid Pines, which features
more undulations than most courses in the
neighborhood, was restored to its original
1921 design last year.
For the region’s best value, visit Southern
Pines Golf Club, a Ross-designed gem
that opened as a nine-holer in 1906 and
was later expanded to 18 holes. Distancewise, this subtle layout is petite by modern
standards (6,268 yards and par 71), but the
intricately contoured greens are the great
equalizer.
The Dormie Club, a semiprivate facility
charted by Coore and Crenshaw through
the trademark sandhills and longleaf pines,
has become a favorite among connoisseurs
since its debut in 2010. This retro-style
design has broad fairway corridors, multiple
angles of play and large wavy greens.
Walking is encouraged and caddies are
available.
Adventurous players can journey to
Tobacco Road Golf Club in nearby Sanford,
a raw-boned design by Mike Strantz hacked
from the spoils of an abandoned sand quarry.
With its outlandish features and peek-a-boo
greens, it’s a love-it-or-hate-it track that
has a 150 slope rating from the Ripper tees
while measuring at 6,532 yards. Bring a
sense of humor and a few extra balls.
Author Brian McCallen is a writer from
Stonington, Conn., and a regular contributor
to Virginia Golfer.
The revamped Pinehurst
No. 2 has been restored to
its original character.
Pinehurst, N.C.
CLASSICS REMADE
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the events, says he got to know Schmitz
last year and was delighted to see him
every time he showed up. Booker and the
VSGA staff organize and conduct the events.
“I’ve been following his bout with cancer,”
Booker says, “and he just keeps bouncing
back. Golf is a real motivator for him. I’ve
tried to be especially attentive to him when
he comes out. I really admire what he’s doing.
I talk to him. I try to encourage him. The
events are designed for people who love to
play and love to compete. And he certainly
fits right in there.”
Schmitz plays most of his recreational golf
these days at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton,
where he also volunteers one day a week as a
greeter or a course ranger. He says he can
feel himself getting stronger all the time and
particularly enjoys experiencing public and
private courses around the commonwealth as
a part of VSGA One-Days. There are more
than 100 events on the schedule for 2014.
“If you’re not a member of a country club,
there’s not a lot of real formalized stuff out
there. I like to play new courses. I like the
fellowship,” Schmitz says of the program.
“I’ve met some really terrific people, and
I give a lot of credit to T
om Booker and
the VSGA staff. They do a great job of
organizing the events.”
Most of