Pinehurst No. 2
The fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed.
Pinehurst No. 2 is the most famous course at Pinehurst Resort, first opened in 1907 and designed by Donald Ross. It has hosted numerous major tournaments including the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup, the 1999, 2005, 2014, and 2024 U.S. Opens, and the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. The course underwent a restoration in 2010 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to revert to its original Ross design.
Lore & Background
Pinehurst No. 2 was completed in 1907. Donald Ross said it was 'the fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed.' The course hosted the first PGA Tour major at Pinehurst, the 1936 PGA Championship, won by Denny Shute. In 1951, it hosted the Ryder Cup. The 1999 U.S. Open was won by Payne Stewart, and a statue of his victory pose stands behind the 18th hole. In 2014, the USGA brought both the men's U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open to the course in consecutive weeks.
Reader's Guide
The course is known for its difficult crowned greens, which Johnny Miller compared to 'trying to hit a ball on top of a VW Beetle.' After the 2010 restoration, rough was removed and replaced with hardpan sand and native scrub. The course is grassed with Tifway Bermuda tees and fairways and Champion Ultradwarf greens. It has been ranked by Golf Digest as the 29th best course in the U.S. and 6th best public course, and by Golf Magazine as the 11th best in the country and best in North Carolina.
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