The Loop
8 things you must do when visiting Pinehurst (beyond the obvious stuff, like playing No. 2)
By Peter Finch
Inspired by the U.S. Open(s) to make your own trip to Pinehurst? Great idea. Golf Digest consistently ranks the resort among the very best in North America. But you should know there's much more to Pinehurst than its famous No. 2 course. There are many other very good courses -- I count 927 golf holes within 30 miles of the resort entrance -- and endless other diversions worth considering. Here are eight things you really ought to do while there.
Start your day right with breakfast at the Carolina Hotel: biscuits and gravy, omelets made to order, waffles, all accompanied by live music.
Fine-tune your game at nearby Pine Needles Resort & Lodge (below). It has an expansive practice area, and there's a chance you'll meet the, LPGA legend Peggy Kirk Bell, on the range.
Make time for two lesser-known Donald Ross courses: the wonderfully restored Mid Pines and the fun, not-insanely difficult Southern Pines Golf Club.
Drive 15 minutes to Carthage for genuine North Carolina barbecue at Pik-N-Pig. Get there by 11:45 a.m. or expect a long wait for lunch.
Visit the King Fisher Society, a 3,000-acre playground for world-class bass and bluegill fishing, quail hunting, sporting clays, falconry and more.
Hop on a fat-tire bike, free for guests of the Pinehurst Resort, and wheel through the surrounding village at your leisure.
Drop some cash at Tom Stewart's Old Sport & Gallery, home to one of the world's biggest collections of golf art, books and antique clubs.
Close out the night with a drink or three at the boisterous Pine Crest Inn. See Payne Stewart's signature in the men's room, try chipping a ball at the fireplace.