A Story of Golf, Going Home, and Sharing Life's Lessons.
In Stores Now:
"'This is where I learned to play the game -- or at least to respect it,' I admitted, thinking of the venerable Mid Pines Golf Club where I'd learned to quit throwing my clubs."(Page 19)
The Mid Pines and Pine Needles golf resorts feature classic Donald Ross layouts located in quaint Southern Pines in the heart of the North Carolina Sandhills. Pine Needles features rustic lodge-style buildings while the historic Mid Pines Inn is a stately Georgian-style inn built in 1921. Each has its own distinct personality, yet both offer the same friendly staff, impeccable service and all the modern comforts.
Donald Ross’s affection for North Carolina’s sandhills is well-documented -- the area reminded him of his Scottish homeland, where he studied at the arm of Old Tom Morris. The topography here spoke to him and Ross listened, letting the land’s contours dictate the routing and holes. It was with the green complexes that he made his statement. To play at Pine Needles and Mid Pines is to live and breath Donald Ross golf.
Pine Needles stands as one of Donald Ross’s most praiseworthy creations, and with its 2005 renovation, Pine Needles has been restored to Ross’s original intent. “Time had softened some of the challenges of Pine Needles,” said John Fought who led the renovation. “We tried to bring those subtleties back, especially around the greens.” Aided by aerial photography from last century, Fought was able to match Ross’s original vision.
A half-dozen USGA championships have played out spectacularly on the fairways of Pine Needles. In 2007, Pine Needles hosted its third US Women’s Open since 1996. Past champions include Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb.
Mid Pines measures a bit shorter than Pine Needles. With a character that’s a tad more hilly, Mid Pines remains exactly as Donald Ross numbered and routed the course in 1921. Impeccably manicured to modern standards, Mid Pines is a classic gem, a rarity among Ross’s masterpieces because it is exactly as he crafted it more than 85 years ago. Mid Pines has played home to many national competitions including the 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.