Review: Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club (Part 1)

When it comes to championship pedigree in the Sandhills, you obviously can't beat the 800-pound gorilla that is Pinehurst No. 2. But Pine Needles, host of four US Women's Opens, is certainly no slouch in that regard. The biggest tournament in women's golf has come to Pine Needles four times (1996, 2001, 2007, and 2022); no golf course has hosted more US Women's Opens. (Fun fact, only two courses have hosted the women more than twice — Pine Needles and Atlantic City Country Club, which held the event in 1948, 1965, and 1975.)

Pine Needles opened in 1927 as yet another option for hungry golfers coming to the Sandhills on vacation, and is the last big Ross design in the area, at least that still exists in something resembling its original form. The course has actually undergone a pair of restorations: the first in 2006 brought the greens back to Ross's originals (mostly) and cleared out large numbers of trees, while the second in 2017 focused on restoring the Sandhills character, removing rough in favor of exposed sand. 

One might imagine that Pine Needles and Mid Pines, being Donald Ross courses quite literally across the street from each other, might have a lot in common. Ross had a core design philosophy and both courses share it. But do they play too similarly? Does Pine Needles have its own identity, or is this a case of "if you play one, you've played them both?" Let's find out.

The first hole is a fairly short par 5, playing just over 500 yards. To bring the green into reach in two, you need to challenge the corner of this dogleg right, flirting with a large bunker and sandy waste areas. A good drive will reach the top of the ridge, bringing the green fully into view. If you're laying up, two bunkers are staggered between 100 and 50 yards short of the green, complicating matters greatly and demanding a fairly precise shot. Precision is also required around the green; there's a bunker left and a small one right, but the green also runs away right and behind. It's a pretty gentle opener that does present a good chance at birdie, but you also can't take it for granted. 

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole represents the abrupt end of the easy opener; at 480 yards this is a long and difficult par 4 that crests the top of a hill about 250-300 yards out. Doesn't sound too bad, but a line of bunkers along the right side eat into the fairway, narrowing the space you have to hit driver and get that clear view on the second shot. The green here is quite large, very open in front, and slopes from front to back, all encouraging you to hit a lower, running approach. There's a steep bank behind the green, so if you do go long, getting up and down is a tough task. 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a photogenic little par 3, playing 145 yards across a small pond to a narrow green that slopes gently but definitively right to left squeezed between three bunkers, one short and two left and right. Unusually for a restoration, this green was actually reduced in size, further emphasizing the need for precision. Shots that leak a little left are easily shrugged away into either the left-hand bunker or down the slope several feet, leaving a delicate uphill chip. 

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a mid-length par 4 with a tee shot that plays over a pond (don't worry, it's not really in play) to a fairway that's initially quite wide but narrows significantly as it climbs up the hill. You can play safely to the bottom of the hill with a long iron or fairway wood, but that will leave a short or mid iron up over a pair of bunkers (with another larger bunker left) to a narrow green with a noticeably false front. Hitting driver up the left is of course more challenging, but you can get yourself a better angle and leave just a wedge for the second shot. The approach is also more uphill than you think, and will require at least one extra club.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green. Left is not the place to miss.

The fifth hole is a long 220-yard par 3 with a big green protected by a bunker left and a very large bunker front right. The green itself is domed, with the middle back being highest and everything else falling away from it. Beyond those two bunkers the green is surrounded by large quantities of fairway, which serves to catch wayward tee shots (since this is a long par 3, I'm sure there are plenty) and provide options for getting up and down. This is a tough hole, but one where you shouldn't rack up too large a number. It's still fun.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The sixth hole is 460 yards and plays to a wide fairway, tilted from left to right, that heads up and over a ridge about 250 yards out. A good drive will reach the top and provide a clear view of the green; however, long drivers should be wary, as some sandy waste cuts in from the right about 300 yards out and narrows the fairway considerably. Not something too many people need to worry about, but it is there. The second shot is a mid iron down the hill to a medium-sized green sloped significantly from back left to front right toward a deep right-hand bunker.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is about the same length as the previous hole and plays parallel to it. This hole does have some notable right-to-left bend to it, particularly on the tee shot. It's also a much narrower playing corridor than the previous hole, making driver more uncomfortable. But you need to hit driver, challenging the gate of bunkers flanking the fairway, to reach the top of the hill and reveal the green. The second shot plays to a green that's open in front with a single bunker left, however the front-quarter is dominated by a false front. 

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is nearly a hundred yards shorter than the previous two holes, playing 360 yards as the fairway sweeps left to right as it follows a wide valley. The fairway narrows the further you go, and since the hole is of modest length, driver really doesn't give you much benefit. A solid 3 wood will leave a wedge second shot into the green, which is tilted from back right to front left and is well protected by three bunkers. After three holes requiring a fair amount of brute force, having a shorter par 4 that calls for a lighter touch is greatly appreciated.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a mid-length par 4 that doesn't appear to have too much going for it on the tee shot. The fairway is quite wide, and while the sandy wastes on both sides are omnipresent, there is no more threat from sand here than any other hole. However, it is very important to find the fairway here, as the green is on the smaller side, subtly angled to favor a shot from the left, and flanked by a bunker left and a deep hollow cut at fairway height to the right. Recovery from that little hollow is of course quite difficult, as the tight lie presents both opportunity (you can use whatever club you like) and challenge (the standard flop shot you might want to hit with little green to work with is much more difficult to pull off without a couple inches of rough grass underneath your ball). Replace that hollow with a more standard bunker, and the hole becomes much less interesting.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.