Tar Heel Travels

Pinehurst
Tee off early in the day so you 
can enjoy a traditional afternoon tea


By Bill F. Hensley

There is a certain magic, a deep feeling about going to Pinehurst. For old-timers, it’s one of those spine-tingling things that create a warm nostalgia of past trips, memorable golf exploits, successful meetings and time with friends. For the newcomer, it’s the aura of being a part of a hundred years of the history and the legends that made Pinehurst one of the nation’s premier resorts.

Whether it’s a mystic state of mind or a dream to be savored, the Pinehurst experience is something to be treasured. Of course, it’s best known for golf — and for good reason. There are eight championship courses spanning 900 acres. At this pristine resort, it’s a carefree round on a peaceful course or it’s a major tournament such as the U.S. Open, the North and South, or the Ryder Cup.

Pinehurst’s prized attraction is its renowned No. 2 course, a Donald Ross masterpiece that the world’s best players couldn’t bring to its knees during the 1999 U.S. Open won by the late Payne Stewart. The Open returns in 2005. All of the courses here are challenging and available to the public, but No. 2 is the ultimate.

Yet Pinehurst is much more than golf. There is plenty to see and do in this versatile family vacation environment, located in a gracious mid-South setting of immense beauty and favorable year-round climate. There is an incredible menu of recreational opportunities, including 24 tennis courts, carriage rides, marina, swimming, boating, fishing, cycling, hiking, lawn bowling and croquet.

There is a seasonal children’s program, too, that will keep the young ones busy and happy while the parents play. New this year is a spacious 31,000-square-foot spa adjoining the Carolina Hotel, where guests are pampered and pleased. A complete line of spa services, including most body and salon treatments, are available in this state-of-the art facility that has quickly become one of Pinehurst’s most popular amenities.

The village alone is a major attraction and a focal point of the community. It resembles a typical small New England town of yesteryear, quiet and quaint, with gardens, parks and a variety of interesting stores, restaurants and inns. It’s the hub of surrounding neighborhoods, the post office, a chapel and the library. Its streets and walkways are tree-lined and offer casual strolls to the historic Carolina Hotel, just a par-5 length away.

The Carolina is a strikingly handsome four-story structure that was built in 1901. Its history is rich and colorful, and the hostelry is plush and comfortable, ranking with the nation’s elite hotels. For more than a century, the stately 217-room hotel has housed the rich and famous along with a steady everyday clientele of guests.

A walk down the picture-lined hallways off the main lobby brings to life the many celebrities who have been here: the DuPonts, Rockefellers and Morgans, Annie Oakley, Edgar Guest, John Phillip Sousa, Will Rogers, Amelia Earhart, Yogi Berra, Bing Crosby, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan, to name a few.

If there’s one thing the hotel is noted for it’s a lavish breakfast buffet that is second to none. You name it — fruit, omelets, waffles, bacon, ham, and pastries — and it’s available at this sumptuous, down-home spread of Southern cuisine.

A traditional afternoon tea is served daily at the Carolina, the Holly Inn in the village, and the Manor, the three inns owned by the resort. There are nine resort-owned restaurants, including the prestigious Four-Diamond 1895 Room at the Holly Inn, a fine dining facility that offers a gourmet menu. In addition, there are several small, privately owned inns and restaurants in the village that are highly regarded.

The resort has a wall full of plaques and trophies that were given for excellence of accommodations, food, service and meeting facilities and has been highly publicized over the years in countless magazines and newspapers. Each year the hotel hosts many small meeting as well as large conventions in it 23 meeting and banquet rooms. There is a 14,000-square-foot exhibition hall in the hotel, and the Grand Ballroom will seat 1,000 for a banquet.

Pinehurst was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996 and was cited as an American treasure. The area, in the heart of the Sandhills, has come a long way since Bostonian James W. Tufts bought 5,000 acres for $1 an acre and planned a health-centered winter retreat in this spectacular land of long leaf pines, magnolias, dogwood trees and azaleas. The first golf course was built in 1898.

Today the village has a resort, a residential community, a retirement area, a unique lifestyle, and is an island in time. There are churches, cafes, golf schools, grade schools, hotels, hospitals, medical clinics, memorabilia shops, antique stores, an ABC store, and a lot of friendly people who are in no hurry to do anything.

If you haven’t enjoyed the Pinehurst experience, move it to the top of your list. To learn more, call 800-487-4653 or visit www.Pinehurst.com. 

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