No. 1
Pinehurst - No. 2
Approach: The Sand Hills drew Donald Ross to North Carolina. The Scots masterpiece woos the rest of us. Forget power, the rolling gem resists modern equipment advances and demands creativity and patience. Like most classics, the locker room is a snapshot of golf history in the United States. Be sure to budget for a post-round tour.
No. 2
Tom Stewarts Old Sport Gallery
Approach: Located in the Village of Pinehurst, the golfiana there is every bit as good as anything youll find in any shop in St. Andrews.
No. 3
Beyond No. 2
Approach: No. 2 gets all the attention, but Pinehurst enjoys an embarrassment of golf riches. Tom Fazios remake of Ross No. 4 course is considered the best 1B option, while the North and South layouts at nearby Forest Creek are included in many national rankings.
No. 4
James Dodson
Approach: Noted golf author James (Final Rounds) Dodsons columns appear regularly in the local newspaper, simply named, The Pilot.
No. 5
Breakfast at The Carolina
Approach: The most important meal of the day is a cant-miss staple complete with live piano music and perhaps the most extensive buffet known to man. The fare includes contemporary favorites like Pinehurst French toast and Belgian waffles, but for the real experience stay with the classics ' eggs, ham, red-eye gravy and the establishments famous biscuits and sausage gravy.
No. 6
Pine Crest Inn
Approach: Every great golf destination has its signature watering hole. St. Andrews, Scotland, has the Dunvegan Hotel. Pebble Beach has Jack Londons Bar & Grill. And Pinehurst has the Pine Crest Inn, just across Palmetto Road in the Village center. No round at Pinehurst is complete without a trip to Mr. Bs Lounge.
No. 7
Photo ops
Approach: There are three Kodak moments that must be put on film to complete any golf vacation to Pinehurst ' Payne Stewarts one-legged celebration on the 18th green during the 1999 U.S. Open, the statue that was built to honor the former champion following his tragic death and the signature putter boy statue.
No. 8
Historic home
Approach: Until 1970, when the resort installed air conditioning, the No. 2 course would close each May and Ross, who lived on a house adjacent the third fairway, would use the summer to endlessly tweak. The two-story house about halfway down the left side of the fairway still watches over what many called Ross playground.
No. 9
Dinner at the Magnolia Inn
Approach: There are no shortage of dining options either at the resort or in the village, but the Magnolia Inn may have the best shrimp grits west of the Lowcountry.
No. 10
Dugans Pub
Approach: The best of both worlds, with a formal dining area upstairs and a soft spike friendly bar downstairs that is a good spot to pay up on the days bets.
Brian Hewitt also contributed to this story.