Pinehurst No. 7 to
Reopen in December with
Rees Jones Revamping

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

PINEHURST, N.C. (October 8, 2002) - Golf course architect Rees Jones says it seems like yesterday when he and the folks from Pinehurst Resort were cutting the ribbon on the No. 7 course. Actually, it was 1986, and the son of legendary course designer Robert Trent Jones was just starting to make a name for himself in the business.

"Getting to do that course at that resort with that piece of land was a boost at that stage of my career," Jones says via phone from his office in New Jersey.

Looking back, Jones says he was surprised, but not shocked to have been tapped to design No. 7. Gigs at Pinehurst aren't easy to come by, but Jones had earned a reputation as an up-and-comer while working for his father, the late Robert Trent Jones. George Fazio and his nephew Tom designed the No. 6 course in 1978, but prior to that it had been almost 20 years since Ellis Maples put the finishing touches on No. 5.

So on April Fools Day, 1986, Jones struck the ceremonial tee shot down the center of the first fairway, gathered up his commemorative Putter Boy statue, and walked away with the satisfaction of someone who'd just pulled off something special.

"It is the favorite of a lot of people who play in Pinehurst," Jones says. "It has more elevation changes than the other courses. Not everyone likes the same color shirt, and that is the beauty of Pinehurst. Every course has something different."

And now, following a major renovation project, it's the No. 7 course that has something different to offer golfers. All 18 greens have been rebuilt, Donald Ross style chipping areas were added around the green complexes, tee boxes were squared in the classic look, and a number of the original back tees were brought back into play. Jones and his crew also went beyond the scope of a garden-variety renovation by re-grading fairways, lowering greens, and moving the eighth green back closer to the creek.

"We brought in my own crew this time, my shapers and contractors," Jones says. "Last time we didn't get to use our people, so this has been special."

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Jones and Pinehurst officials hope it's special enough to push No. 7 back into the national rankings, such as Golf Magazine's Top 100 Course You Can Play. Due to the influx of new courses on the list (24 in all), the resurgence of the No. 4 course following a Tom Fazio revamping three years ago, and the popularity of Fazio's design at No. 8, No. 7 did not make the cut in 2002.

"Maybe they can only take so many courses from the resort," Jones says laughing. "I think it was already there (before the remodeling) and it should make a comeback. But you know how those lists are. There are so many good golf courses that have been built in the past five years."

Number 7 is one of Pinehurst Resort's two "off campus" courses, meaning you have to hop the shuttle over to the first tee rather than walking out the back door of the stately old clubhouse. At 7,152 yards from the tips, the course was the second longest of the eight Pinehurst tracks before Jones pushed some of the tees back. As far as the setting goes, it's about as good as it gets in the Sandhills - rolling hills, long leaf pines and water in play on six holes.

Unlike its siblings, however, No. 7 is unmistakably modern. Because Jones didn't have to rely on mule plows and manual labor, he was able to move more earth than Ross and Maples. Some traditionalists complained that there were too many uphill and blind shots to contend with on the course. Other more rational players pointed out that for every uphill, there's a downhill and that a blind shot was only blind the first time around.

Jones, whose bread and butter of late has been remodeling U.S. Open host courses, keeps an open mind to criticism and appeased the course's detractors by lowering a few greens and re-grading a few fairways.

The course is scheduled to reopen in early December, slightly ahead of schedule. Jones has also been retained by the Resort to design the new No. 9 course. Jones says he and his crew cleared the land and completed the grading plan, but the project has been shelved due to the downturn in the economy.

"It is a great piece of land with rolling hills and lakes," Jones says. "My father used to own the land and he always wanted to build a golf course on it."

Did You Know

Beside the tee on the 4th hole at the No. 7 course are some old bunkers that were part of an old employees course built by Donald Ross … You can still use caddies at Pinehurst Resort and using a looper is actually recommended when playing No. 2. The most popular is Willie McRae, a third-generation Pinehurst caddie. John Ross, Robert Lockley and Eddie McKenzie, known as "Eddie Mac" are close seconds. Pick the right man for the job and you'll easily save yourself five to ten strokes on No. 2.

Shane Sharp is a Contributing Writer with TravelGolf.com. Reach him at sharp@travelgolf.com.