Courses in Pinehurst and the Sandhills, Pinehurst Resort golf course
Ranked · 10 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf Courses in Pinehurst and the Sandhills

The North Carolina Sandhills is the densest cluster of great golf in America, a quiet stretch of pine and wiregrass where Donald Ross built his masterpiece and a new generation has restored the rest. Here are the ten we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Pinehurst Resort, Ralph Daniels, via Google

How we chose them

Pinehurst calls itself the cradle of American golf, and the claim holds up. The sandy, fast draining soil here drinks rain and firms up like a links, the routing options are endless, and Donald Ross spent four decades perfecting No. 2 a short walk from his house. What makes the Sandhills extraordinary is not one course but the depth: a resort with ten layouts, two grand old inns either side of Southern Pines, and a clutch of independent designs from Mike Strantz and Tom Doak within a half hour drive. We weighed design quality, conditioning, championship pedigree and how easily a visiting golfer can actually get a tee time, and we leaned toward the courses most worth crossing the country for.

Every fact here, from designers and founding years to host championships and recent restorations, was verified at the time of writing. Most of these courses are public or resort access, which is a large part of the appeal: unlike the great private clubs elsewhere, you can build a Sandhills trip almost entirely from courses anyone can book. The verdicts are ours and reasonable people will reorder the top five. If you want any of these built into a costed buddies trip or a stay at the resort, that is exactly what our concierge does.

The ranking

01

Pinehurst No. 2

Donald Ross, 1907 · Coore and Crenshaw restoration 2011 · US Open anchor site

The most important course in American golf and the reason the rest of the Sandhills exists. Donald Ross opened No. 2 in 1907 and refined it until his death in 1948, and its crowned, turtleback greens remain the truest test of approach play and short game nerve in the country. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw stripped out the rough in 2011 and restored the sandy, wiregrass waste areas, returning the course to its lean original character. It has hosted the US Open in 1999, 2005, 2014 and 2024, and the USGA has named it a permanent anchor site for the championship.

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02

Tobacco Road

Mike Strantz, 1998 · Sanford · public

The wildest, most thrilling round in the Sandhills and one of the most divisive designs in America. Mike Strantz carved Tobacco Road out of an old sand quarry in 1998, framing blind shots and vast waste areas with towering dunes and narrow, terrifying sightlines. Some golfers loathe it and many adore it, but nobody forgets it, and over the years its sheer audacity has earned a cult following and a place on most serious public course lists. A short drive from the village and an essential counterpoint to the classical Ross courses.

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03

Mid Pines

Donald Ross, 1921 · Kyle Franz restoration 2013 · resort access

A compact, walkable Ross gem that many visitors leave rating above the famous resort courses. Mid Pines opened in 1921 across the road from its sister inn, and Kyle Franz's 2013 restoration reinstated the sandy native areas and firm, tilted greens that make it play far bigger than its modest yardage. There is barely a wasted yard on the property, the routing flows beautifully through pine and longleaf, and the on site inn makes it one of the most relaxed stay and play options in the region. Pure, old fashioned strategic golf.

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04

Pine Needles

Donald Ross, 1928 · Kyle Franz restoration 2018 · four US Women's Opens

The Ross course with the deepest championship resume in the Sandhills after No. 2, and the first in the country to host four US Women's Opens, in 1996, 2001, 2007 and 2022. Pine Needles sits a stone's throw from Mid Pines under the same ownership, and Kyle Franz completed its restoration in 2018, widening corridors and exposing the sandy native ground. The greens are bold and beautifully sited, the par 3s are a highlight, and the lodge on the property makes a comfortable, golf first base for a multi day trip.

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05

Pinehurst No. 4

Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner rebuild, 2018 · resort access

The boldest of the resort courses after a top to bottom reimagining by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner in 2018. Working over earlier Ross and Fazio ground, they blew up the old layout and rebuilt it around sweeping sand, native grasses and confident, modern green complexes that still nod to the Sandhills vernacular. It pairs naturally with No. 2 on a resort itinerary, sharing the same clubhouse and finishing area, and gives a trip a second genuinely world class test with a more dramatic, contemporary look.

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06

Pinehurst No. 10

Tom Doak, 2024 · resort access

The resort's newest 18 and its first original opening since No. 8 in 1996. Tom Doak routed No. 10 in 2024 across rolling, sandy ground a few miles south of the village, with the kind of wide playing corridors, short grass run offs and natural sand scrapes that have made his work so admired. Early visitor reaction has been strong, and it has quickly become a must play on a modern Sandhills itinerary, giving the resort yet another distinct architectural voice alongside Ross, Fazio and Hanse.

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07

Southern Pines Golf Club

Donald Ross, circa 1906 · Kyle Franz restoration 2021 · public

A long underrated Ross routing on a dramatic, plunging piece of ground that vaulted onto every list after Kyle Franz's 2021 restoration. Now owned by the Pine Needles and Mid Pines family, Southern Pines reopened with widened fairways, restored sand barrens and rumpled new greens that capture the spirit of a Ross original. The elevation changes are the most pronounced in the area, the price stays friendly, and it rounds out the trio of restored public Ross courses that anchor a value packed Sandhills trip.

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08

Dormie Club

Coore and Crenshaw, 2010 · private

A Coore and Crenshaw design from 2010 routed through rugged, sandy hills on the edge of the area, widely considered one of the most natural courses in the region. It opened to the public, later turned private as part of a national club portfolio, and remains a connoisseur's favorite for its minimalist shaping, generous width and quiet, remote feel. Access now runs through membership and affiliated reciprocity, so we flag it as private, but on design merit alone it belongs in any honest Sandhills ranking.

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09

Pinehurst No. 8

Tom Fazio, 1996 · resort access · the Centennial course

Built to mark Pinehurst's centennial in 1996, Tom Fazio's No. 8 sits on its own parcel of former dairy and farmland north of the village, away from the main course corridor. The wetlands, native grasses and broad, strategic holes give it a quieter, more naturalistic feel than the older resort courses, and it has long been a favorite of returning guests who want a change of scenery. A strong, accessible championship test that adds real variety to a multi round resort stay.

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10

The Cradle

Gil Hanse, 2017 · nine hole short course · resort access

Not a championship course and gloriously proud of it. Gil Hanse built The Cradle in 2017 on the most historic patch of ground at the resort, nine short holes ranging from roughly 60 to 130 yards, with music drifting over the wiregrass and a bar a wedge away. It has become the most copied idea in modern resort golf and the happiest hour of any Sandhills trip, equally fun for scratch players and beginners. We include it because a great golf destination is about joy as much as scorecards.

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Designers, founding years, restorations and host championships verified June 2026. Most of these are public or resort access; Dormie Club is now private. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Green fees vary widely by season; always confirm access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability. For where to stay, see our partner hotel rates.

Play the best of the Sandhills

Tell us which of these are on your list and roughly when, and whether you want a resort stay or an independent base around Southern Pines. One concierge arranges the tee times, the lodging and the order of play, and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.

Pinehurst and Sandhills golf questions

What is the best golf course in Pinehurst?

Pinehurst No. 2, Donald Ross's 1907 masterpiece restored by Coore and Crenshaw in 2011, is our pick and a permanent US Open anchor site. Among the independents, Mike Strantz's Tobacco Road is the most thrilling, and the restored Ross trio of Mid Pines, Pine Needles and Southern Pines offers exceptional value.

Can you play Pinehurst courses without being a member?

Yes. This is the great appeal of the Sandhills: most of the top courses are public or resort access. Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, No. 8 and No. 10 are bookable through the resort, while Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Pine Needles and Southern Pines take visitors directly. Dormie Club is the main exception, now private. Always confirm access before booking.

How many days do you need in the Sandhills?

Three to five days is the sweet spot. A long weekend covers No. 2, one other resort course and Tobacco Road, while four or five days lets you add the restored Ross trio and a Doak round at No. 10. Many buddies trips play 36 holes a day given how walkable and close together the courses are.

When is the best time to play golf in Pinehurst?

Spring, from March to May, and fall, from September to November, give the best mix of firm conditions, comfortable temperatures and color. Summer is hot and humid but quieter and cheaper, while winter golf is very playable on the fast draining sandy soil. The shoulder seasons are when the courses look and play their best.

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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, founding years and host events verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.