In 1895, James Walker Tufts had a dream. As a philanthropist and a shrewd businessman, he felt there was a market for the development of an affordable health resort for the working class. With the help of the esteemed landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmstead, the designer of New York City’s Central Park, it took just seven months to create the Village of Pinehurst, in North Carolina, located about 60 miles southwest of Raleigh, the state capital, and about 75 miles east of Charlotte.
When guests began arriving with golf clubs and invading nearby cow pastures to practice, Tufts made the decision to incorporate golf into the area’s offerings. Shortly afterwards in 1900, Tufts hired Donald Ross to design courses for the new facility. After thoughtful planning and the creation of a Ross design that infused Scottish links golf with the topography of the Sandhills, the legendary Pinehurst No. 2 was born. Since that time, Pinehurst No. 2 has been designated as a National Landmark and hosted numerous golf championships, including two U.S. Open Golf Championships.
Pinehurst enjoys international recognition as a golf resort, with the well-known Pinehurst Resort located in the heart of the village. There are more than 40 golf courses within minutes of Pinehurst with the list of designers being a Who’s Who of golf course design including Donald Ross, Ellis Maples, Tom Fazio, Dan Maples, Gene Hamm, Robert Trent Jones, Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and many others.
In addition to the legendary golf that can be found at the Village of Pinehurst, it is also home to many charming shops, boutiques and restaurants. Check out the North Carolina LocalGuide for more things to do and also visit the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for more information.
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