Travels of an Itinerant Golfer

Pinehurst — Part One

I returned from my seventh trip to Pinehurst in late April. In my quest to play as many new courses as possible, I usually avoid returning to previous golf destinations but Pinehurst is different. Unlike Myrtle Beach or even Hilton Head, Pinehurst offers a much more relaxed, dare I say genteel, atmosphere. (At least I didn’t say ambiance!) The Village of Pinehurst is tiny and has the feel of an old New England Town. And the courses in the area are terrific.

My golfing buddy Gary R. and I arrived in Raleigh on Sunday, April 24, grabbed our rented Chevy Impala with the oversized trunk and headed straight to Durham for a go at the Duke University Golf Club. As a UConn fan, this is enemy territory but a new course is a new course, so loyalty had to take a back seat. (However, if I did happen to spot Christian Laettner on the course. I was ready to run him over with a golf cart. Husky fans never forget …. or forgive.) Being a classy duo, we changed in the parking lot and headed for the pro shop. I decided to use a pull cart, despite the 90+ degree weather, a welcome change from the endless winter back in Connecticut.

We weren’t scheduled to go off for an hour but were able to hook up with a single and get out early. He was a Taiwanese gentleman named Ling in his mid-60s, an itinerant engineer who had just returned from an 18-month job in China and was again unemployed. He didn’t seem particularly concerned about his job situation, especially as it gave him more time to play. We had a wonderful four hours of conversation as we strolled the course and I learned all about his life and family. (Another nine holes, and I probably could have wheedled an invitation to his younger son’s upcoming wedding.) Sometimes the best thing about golf is the people you meet.

The course is a Robert Trent Jones, Sr. layout dating from 1957 with a makeover by Rees Jones in 1993. It’s a parkland course, heavily treed though they rarely come into play. The rolling, wide fairways and lack of homes lining the course made for a visually appealing layout. I was slightly disappointed after the front nine with the somewhat pedestrian design but the second half was a vast improvement. The final nine was much more interesting with more water features and forced carries. Unfortunately, the greens had recently been aerated and top-dressed so the putting was less than satisfactory, putting being the strongest and most enjoyable part of my game. However, Ling was on fire, sinking every putt within 15 feet for most of the round. We enjoyed not only his stellar accuracy but his amazed reaction with each made putt as he assured us this was an unusual occurrence. I was satisfied with my game as I recorded identical 44s and barely missed an ace at the short par three 12th hole.

After the round, we headed south to our rented house located on Pinehurst #6. It is a privately owned home we had stayed in previously and the owner gave us a break — only $500 for the week, total. Our friends Bonnie and Paul, who had flown into Charlotte later that morning, were already there to greet us, having done most of the food shopping and Bonnie, who loves to cook, had even prepared dinner. How great is that! The house is a spacious two bedroom with all the amenities, except for a third bedroom, so I slept on the fold-out couch.

The next morning, we stuffed all our gear into the trunk of the Impala and headed for Mid Pines, an old Donald Ross layout. It was Bonnie and Paul’s first trip to Pinehurst so I was glad they had the proper introduction. Mid Pines is beautiful — a spacious, tree lined course meticulously groomed, in full bloom with colorful flowers and shrubs everywhere. As with most Ross courses, the concave greens pose the biggest challenge and the dreaded three-putts are hard to avoid. This was the most expensive of the courses we played, at a somewhat steep $150 but worth the money. It was a gorgeous day and we had a ball traversing this Ross gem.

I had a solid front nine with seven bogeys and two pars for a 43. Looking to break 90, my goal each time out, I went into choke mode after the turn, double bogeying holes 10 thru 13. I turned that around with three straight pars but then doubled again and finished with a back nine 47. Still, we all enjoyed the first-class layout, the superb maintenance and the presence of relatively few golfers. After a great lunch in the clubhouse (despite the ditsy waitress), we headed back to our home for a shower, change of clothes and spent the evening at Theo’s, a wonderful Greek-Italian restaurant in the Village of Pinehurst. The weather was balmy and we sat in the outdoor courtyard, enjoying the beautiful setting and outstanding food.

Next blog – the final four courses, including the amazing Tobacco Road.