Pinehurst

Ross's masterpiece, restored by Coore and Crenshaw to the sandy, native-edged version that hosts U.S. Opens. The runoff greens are the test — miss in the wrong spot and you're chipping from a quarter-acre of trouble. Take the caddie. Anyone who tells you they read these greens without one is lying.

Gil Hanse tore up the old Fazio version in 2018 and built something that actually feels like it belongs on the property. Wider corridors than No. 2, more visible trouble, and bunkering that looks like it's been there a hundred years. A lot of people walk off arguing it's the better round.

Tom Fazio's centennial course, set on rolling land away from the main clubhouse — and the one that gets shrugged off by groups chasing the No. 2 sticker. Don't. The natural wetlands and elevation give it variety the other resort courses don't have, and on a quiet morning it's the most pleasant walk on property.

Pure 1921 Ross, lovingly restored by Kyle Franz, and arguably the truest expression of his routing philosophy you can play in America. Tight corridors, crowned greens, and short par 4s that ask better questions than half the modern stuff. Ten minutes from the village and a fraction of the green fee — the locals' pick for a reason.

Sister property to Mid Pines, also Ross, also Franz-restored, and a four-time U.S. Women's Open host for good reason. The greens here are firmer and the bunkering more dramatic than its sister across the road. Stay at the lodge, walk it twice in a day, and you'll understand why people skip a No. resort round to do it.

A nine-hole Hanse short course built on the original site of Pinehurst golf, with a bluegrass speaker on the porch and beer cans in the cart. Holes run 56 to 127 yards. It's the best second-round-of-the-day on the property, and the right way to end a long week before the flight home.

A 1906 Ross design that the Pine Needles ownership group bought in 2020 and let Kyle Franz restore — and it's now arguably the best value Ross course in the country. Greens that play like the cousin of No. 2's, fees that won't make you flinch. Slot it in the rotation when you want a fourth Ross day without the resort markup.

Thirty minutes from the village in Sanford and unlike anything else in the area — Mike Strantz's most theatrical work, full of blind shots, framed corridors, and elevation changes that look photoshopped. You'll either love it or hate it by the third hole. Go in with an open mind and a rangefinder.

The big white wedding-cake hotel at the center of the resort — and the default base for anyone playing the numbered courses. Walk to the village, walk to the practice range, eat in the Carolina Dining Room. Rooms are dated in the charming way, not the bad way. If your group wants the full Pinehurst-postcard experience, this is the answer.

Smaller, older, and more atmospheric than the Carolina, right in the village. Built in 1895 and the first hotel in Pinehurst — feels like staying in someone's very tasteful inheritance. Right call for a smaller group that wants character over amenities.

1921 inn attached to the Mid Pines course, ten minutes from the village. If you'd rather sleep where Ross actually walked than pay the resort premium, this is it. Rooms are simple, the porch is the point, and you can roll out of bed onto the first tee.

Cabin-style lodging across the road from Mid Pines, attached to the Pine Needles course. More golf-trip clubhouse than hotel, which is exactly what most groups want. Book the multi-night Donald Ross package and play both courses unlimited.

The third and least formal of the resort's three hotels, a short walk from the village. Cheapest way to stay on property and still get full resort access — golf privileges, dining plans, the whole deal. Right call if the budget's going to the green fees, not the pillows.

For groups of six or more, a rented house in the village or on a fairway is usually the smarter math — bigger common space, full kitchen, and you can host a card game without a noise complaint. Plenty of inventory on VRBO; book early for peak season.

The big formal dining room in the Carolina Hotel — jacket suggested, breakfast buffet legendary, and the place most groups end up for at least one dinner. Service skews old-school in the right way. Get the shrimp and grits at breakfast, you'll thank yourself on the back nine.

Bar and grill behind the 18th green of No. 2 — the obvious move for a beer and a burger after a round. Patio overlooks the green so you can watch later groups suffer. Not a destination dinner, but the right call after golf.

Village pub with a long bar, a serious whiskey list, and the kind of crowd that's been arguing about Ross greens since the Tufts era. Burgers, fish and chips, late hours by Pinehurst standards. The default post-dinner drinking spot.

Inside the Holly Inn, hand-carved Scottish pub bar shipped over from the UK, low light and a fireplace. Better food than it has any right to be — the trout and the lamb chops both deliver. Right move for the nicer dinner that isn't quite Carolina Dining Room formal.

Donald Ross actually owned this place. Old-school bar, prime rib night on Saturdays, and a regulars' crowd that'll talk your ear off about the courses. Walk in expecting white tablecloths from 1970 — it's part of the appeal.

The most contemporary food in the village — sushi, small plates, a wine list that takes itself seriously. Right call when the group's tired of comfort food and wants something sharper. Reservations on weekends.

Greek and Mediterranean in the village, family-run, generous portions. The lamb gyros and moussaka are the hits. Lighter, friendlier, and a third the price of a resort dinner — book it for a casual night off.

Best breakfast in the area that isn't a hotel buffet. Country-style plates, biscuits the size of your fist, coffee that keeps coming. Get there early on weekends or expect a wait.

The serious dinner in the village — chef-driven, seasonal menu, the kind of plates that make you forget you're at a golf resort. Tight room, book ahead. Best non-resort meal in town if the group will sit still for two hours.

Irish pub on the village green, dark wood and Guinness on tap. Decent food, better beer, and the right place for a quick lunch between rounds or a low-key drink before bed. Locals' room more than tourists'.