Great Courses of Britain & Ireland: Royal Dornoch Golf Club
History and mystique distinguish the most natural links in the world Dornoch is a supernatural place. It was here in the 18th century that Janet Horne, “the last witch in Scotland,” was summarily executed. Ever since, Royal Dornoch has cast a spell over golfers. Situated in the far north of Scotland, Dornoch is 600 miles […]
Classic Courses: Essex County Club
For well more than a century, this Donald Ross gem has required having the full repertoire of shotmaking skills When Essex County Club hosted the 1938 Curtis Cup match, it represented a homecoming of sorts. Harriot and Margaret Curtis began their golfing lives at Essex, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., about 30 miles north of Boston. The […]
Legends: Richard Tufts
This scion of the family that owned Pinehurst dedicated his life to the game he loved Credit 18th-century Boston businessman James W. Tufts—who made a fortune inventing the automatic soda fountain—with two significant contributions to American golf. First, the creation of Pinehurst, widely acknowledged as the first golf resort, which he founded in 1895. Second, […]
The Legacy of Sand Greens
Donald Ross’s original greens for Pinehurst No. 2 lacked one critical component—grass Only a dozen years old yet already a burgeoning golf mecca, the Pinehurst Resort saw its reputation soar soon after Donald Ross expanded and redesigned Pinehurst No. 2 in 1907. Dozens of golf ’s most influential figures praised the layout in reverential terms. […]
Characters: Pinehurst Caddie Thomas Trinchitella
After a tumultuous introduction to golf, Thomas Trinchitella has carved out an unlikely career as Pinehurst Resort’s most trusted caddie Few people would develop into avid swimmers if their introductory lessons included being thrown into the deep end of a pool and being told to figure it out. But that was how Thomas Trinchitella learned […]
Best Public Golf Around Pinehurst
Come for one of the country’s premier golf resorts—but stay (or come back) for the incredible collection of public courses around Pinehurst Let’s cut to the chase. There’s one reason every golfer wants to haul their sticks to the middle of North Carolina: taking on Donald Ross’s “Mona Lisa,” Course No. 2, and the rest […]
13 Years Later: Bill Coore Reflects on the Restoration of Pinehurst No. 2
Of course they were honored—which golf course architect wouldn’t be? Of course they were humbled—again, would anyone whose vocation in life was to build, renovate, and revive great golf courses not question if they were up to the task, if only for a moment? And yes, of course they were a little nervous about the […]
Q&A: Golf Course Architect Kyle Franz
He won’t qualify as early 40s for very much longer and has been a part of the golf design business for more than 20 years now. So, it’s fair to say Kyle Franz probably isn’t the new/young kid on the block anymore. Actually, thanks to an extensive resume that includes working for the world’s best […]
The Best Lesser-Known Courses at Pinehurst
Pinehurst Resort is one of the biggest golf properties in the world with 11 courses, including one of the game’s most iconic layouts in course No. 2. For many golfers, that storied course defines Pinehurst itself, the site of multiple U.S. Opens as well as the 1936 PGA Championship and 1951 Ryder Cup. Payne Stewart’s […]
The Conundrum of Centerline Bunkers
Redundant and poorly managed trees cop most of the criticism aimed at golf courses these days, but another feature many don’t care for is the bunker located in the middle of the fairway, known nowadays as “centerline” bunkers. Professionals regard them with total disdain because they swallow apparently good shots. Architect Bill Coore remembers the […]
