Pinehurst Number 2

There are reason golf courses become US Open venues.  Pinehurst number 2 is brilliant.  It was coming out of a poor winter, so the fairways were still a little patchy, but the greens were hard and fast.

Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw "renovated" the course in 2011 and have done a brilliant job.  The lush thick bermuda grass roughs are gone, and the sandy soil is now able to shine through.

Over 650 sprinkler heads have been removed, with sprinklers now only down the centre of the fairways, watering only the fairways and not roughs.  This enables the native wire grass and sandy waste areas to be the prominent hazard off the now wider fairways.

Pinehurst 2 has the feel of a sandbelt course, with the addition of the pine tree and pines straw rather than ti tree. Flowering Dogwood trees create a nice contrast.

The key here is the ability to control the golf ball.  The greens are not small, but they drop away at all edges meaning that many great shots finish 20 feet off the green.  The usable area on the green is quite small.  They would have been running at about 10 today, and they were difficult.  I can't wait to see what they play like at US Open speed in 2014.  They will be impossible.

More generous fairways, and less penal rough gives the confidence to go for more off the tee.  The downside is that if you do miss the fairway, the control you have from the waste areas, or the pine straw is limited, causing challenges at the putting surface.

I loved Pinehurst 2.  I would have loved to play it in 6 weeks time when the grasses have come out of dormancy and it is really shining, but it was brilliant nonetheless.  What a great way to finish an amazing tour.



Tour participants next to the famous "putting boy" sundial at Pinehurst.
From L to R: Peter Lucas, Alan Mance, Joe Dason, Pam MacKenzie, Jenny Lucas, Anne Ryan, John MacKenzie, Lorraine Mance, Jeff Faure, Nola Faure, Laurie Ryan, Coralie Cazaly, Katryna Economou & myself Justin Burrage.
Absent Janice & Dick Kirby, Mark Lucas.

 Tonight we had our farewell dinner.  The final tour presentations were made, and memories of the past fortnight were revisited.


Participants enjoying pre dinner drinks at our final dinner.

 Congratulations to Pam MacKenzie for proving that consistency is the key, winning the overall prize.  Joe Dason was runner up, with Jeff Faure third. 


Participants enjoying the farewell dinner.

What an amazing fortnight.  It was very special to be at the Masters where Adam Scott became the first Australian winner.  It was also amazing the feel the atmosphere in the Ryder Cup bar at Pinehurst as the Aussies took over the place.  Cheers of excitement, roars of joy, bitten nails, closed eyes, and eventually arms raised and high fives everywhere.  A very very special day.  Thanks to all who participated, and to you all for following.