Pinehurst No. 4 Adds to Resort's Greatness

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

PINEHURST, NC – If you think that things can't get any better at one of the world's greatest golf resorts, think again. Pinehurst's newest golf course, No. 4, was recently revamped by Tom Fazio, one of the nation's most renowned golf course designers, in an effort to recapture the classic Scottish style and tradition of golf that tests the body and the mind with lush terrain and stimulating shot options.

Dubbed Fazio's "Tribute to Pinehurst," No. 4 re-joins the family of courses at Pinehurst already considered the crown jewels of Carolina golf by generations of players, writers, and critics. Under construction for a year, the course incorporates Pinehurst's signature rolling terrain with the designer's strategic layout.

"Our challenge from Pinehurst in designing a premium golf course at the main clubhouse was two-fold," Fazio said. "We wanted to nurture the classical characteristics that distinguish Pinehurst - the crowned greens, the soft but bold contouring. And we wanted to create an experience like that of famed No. 2."

"We called on Tom Fazio, one of the greatest architects of our time, to ensure a complementary design with the adjacent No. 2 while simultaneously providing a unique golf experience," said Patrick Corso, President and Chief Operating Officer of Pinehurst, Inc. "Tom accomplished this feat on No. 4, understanding the innate historicity of the Pinehurst experience."

Even in its early conception, No. 4 was compared to No. 2, site of the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens. Like No. 2, the new No. 4 is a thinking-person's course, requiring strategy from all levels of golfers, from beginners to professionals.

The visual impact of a five-acre lake, the dramatic centerpiece of the property, and Fazio's use of British-style pot bunkers throughout No. 4 contribute to the course's challenging play. No. 4 has expanses of sand and Pinehurst's familiar wire grass and pine straw, as well as an extraordinary landscape of long leaf pines, American hollies, magnolias, dogwoods and azaleas.

"No. 4 creates an opportunity to provide contemporary championship golf in a traditional setting at the very core of Pinehurst," said Corso. "Whereas recently we have expanded golf at the perimeter of the resort, No. 4 brings back the fundamental focus to the historic site of the original golf experience."