Pinehurst Resort, the biggest golf destination in the U.S., went nearly three decades without adding a new 18-hole course. The next wait will be less than three years.
Just over a year after the debut of the Tom Doak and Angela Moser-designed No. 10 course, Pinehurst has unveiled its plans for course No. 11.
Here are 11 things to know about the next 18-holer at the “Cradle of American Golf” in the Sandhills of North Carolina.
Coore & Crenshaw Are Back
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are the architect team behind Pinehurst No. 11, which will be the first original design from the heralded duo at the resort. Coore & Crenshaw, who count four of their designs in The LINKS 100, have made a major contribution at Pinehurst before, however, overseeing the restoration of its acclaimed No. 2 course about 15 years ago.
Sandmines Grows
The new course will be located at Pinehurst Sandmines, the sprawling 900-acre site about four miles south of the resort’s main clubhouse that is also home to No. 10. The land, once home to a long-closed course named The Pit, was a former sand mine that was acquired by Pinehurst in 2011. It sat untouched for well over a decade before construction began on No. 10 in 2023.
2027 Debut is Planned
Construction on the new course will begin later this year, with the opening expected in the fall of 2027. Pinehurst No. 10 took just 15 months to build—from its groundbreaking in January 2023 to its spring debut in April 2024. It helps that the land at Sandmines (and throughout Pinehurst) is just about perfect for golf, with a sandy base that offers excellent drainage and is easy to mold and sculpt for distinctive features.
Complement and Contrast
While situated next to No. 10, the two courses will be very different. Part of that is the land, as the terrain for No. 11 is “choppy, ridgey ground,” says Coore, with much less elevation change and a more intimate scale. “I don’t think I have ever seen two more physically different sites that are contiguous, literally touching each other, than the sites for No. 10 and No. 11,” says Coore. “They’re monumentally different in terms of their character. (And) the two courses will be massively different in terms of their characteristics.”
“Spoil Piles” in Play
Among the distinctive features at No. 11 will be the giant spoil piles left behind by years of mining that started almost a century ago. These remnants are where the mining operation would strip sand and other material off to get the sand and gravel they were looking for. While the dunes aren’t natural, they are landforms that Coore says “have now matured into a very natural appearance” and are surrounded by tall pines.
Winds and Twists
While No. 10 has garnered early accolades for expansive vistas and elevation changes up to 75 feet, Coore & Crenshaw envision No. 11 as a lower-profile layout that winds and twists while still having drama of its own. There will be jutting ridges and massive mounds to play over and around—quirky landforms that Coore, who has visited the area since he was a kid, says are unlike anything he’s seen around Pinehurst. “You’re winding your way through trees and over old piles and across ridges. We’re far, far from the sea, but we have these contours and features and landforms that remind you of spots in Ireland or Scotland.”
C&C’s Previous Routing
Coore & Crenshaw drew up an earlier routing years ago for the property that used to be The Pit, a polarizing curiosity of a course designed by Dan Maples that operated from 1985 to 2010. The duo finished their year-long renovation of No. 2 in 2011, and Pinehurst instead focused on other efforts afterward, including its nearly two-acre Thistle Dhu putting course in 2012, its hugely popular Cradle par-3 course in 2017, a Gil Hanse redesign of No. 4, and, more recently, a makeover of No. 8.
“Field of Dreams”
Pinehurst President Tom Pashley has said he’s thankful the Sandmines property wasn’t immediately developed when it was acquired in 2012. Since then, there’s been significant evolution (and learnings) when it comes to the world of destination golf. If the focus had been building the new Coore & Crenshaw course back then, Pashley says it’s possible that The Cradle wouldn’t have come to be… and the learnings from the success of Pinehurst’s short course wouldn’t have carried over to the Sandmines “Field of Dreams” area that Pashley envisions as a melting pot of getaway golf experiences.
Other Elements
As construction begins on the No. 11 course, other elements will also get underway at Sandmines this summer. A 6,000-square-foot pro shop and locker room will open in June, while in August, Sandmines’s restaurant and bar will open to guests. Plans for guest cottages or other potential lodging are ongoing and could be in place by the end of 2027 when No. 11 debuts.
More to Come?
With 900 acres to work with at Sandmines, Pashley has referred to the property as Pinehurst’s past, present, and future. With one 18-hole course completed and another one about to begin construction, the likelihood is—at least from a golf perspective—that another putting course and short course might be in the cards next. The Cradle, situated just outside Pinehurst’s main clubhouse, has created an even more casual vibe at the resort with its music and open-air bar while delivering a fun, shorter experience that’s become a template for many other destination golf properties.
200-Plus Holes
When No. 11 is completed, it will push Pinehurst’s total to a whopping 207 holes of golf, more than any other U.S. resort. The 10th 18-hole course was built in large part to meet surging demand, as the combination of heightened interest in golf travel and Pinehurst members playing more created a need for more golf. And again, more will soon be on the way.
