The flagship hotel at the Cradle of American Golf is undergoing a stylish and luxurious transformation
Since the turn of the 20th century, Pinehurst Resort has attracted the country’s most discerning golf travelers to its bevy of world-class courses. Yet despite the now nine full-length layouts (with a 10th in the works), the resort’s centerpiece has always been the 120-plus-year-old Carolina Hotel.
During the middle of the last decade, a multi-phase transformation of the Carolina began, starting with the redesign of the hotel’s public spaces and emphasizing the displays of artifacts and ephemera that convey the resort’s grand history. The second of three phases is now underway—full makeovers of each of its 230 guestrooms, brightening those accommodations with new fixtures, finishes, and bespoke furniture.
“For over a century, The Carolina has stood as a storied landmark in our area,” says Tom Pashley, the resort’s president, who explains that the reimagined guest rooms will serve the needs of the modern traveler while still reflecting the hotel’s grand history. “It is important to us that its original charm can be felt at every turn.”
With many of the hotel’s guestrooms already refurbished and ready to welcome guests, 2023 is the ideal time to experience America’s first great golf resort—especially as the property makes the final preparations to host the 124th U.S. Open next June.
1. All Fired Up
The Carolina Hotel’s new Ryder Cup Terrace is an expanded outdoor area with soft seating and cozy fire pits. It’s the perfect complement to the hotel’s sweeping verandas, which offer plenty of rocking chairs for late-afternoon relaxation.
2. A Bone To Pick
Pinehurst Brewing Co. may not be a hidden gem, but insiders know the best times to go—Mondays and Tuesdays when the craft-beer-and-barbecue joint offers Railroad Ribs. You’ve likely never had ribs this meaty: Trust us, half a rack is all you’ll need.
3. Blast from the Past
Want to experience Pinehurst as Donald Ross did? Then swing by the golf shop inside the main clubhouse and rent a set of hickories. The resort’s modern hickory-shafted clubs (built by Tad Moore) pair perfectly with the 5,155-yard No. 3 course, which opened in 1910.
4. Stirring Developments
If you’ve got a thing for whiskey, the North & South Bar at The Manor Inn is your happy place. The mixologists at this lobby bar are adept at whipping up something memorable, from smoked old fashioneds to pre-prohibition classics. Or if you like your whiskey neat, try the Bobby Jones Clover Club 10-Year bourbon.
5. Origin Point
They say you always remember your first, which is ironic, since Pinehurst’s original layout too often gets overlooked by golfers longing to test their skills on the resort’s more famous courses. Don’t make that mistake. A round on No. 1—originally built in 1897 and renovated by Ross in 1901—will surprise you with an eclectic mix of memorable and fun-to-play holes.
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