Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club
Southern Pines, NC • Public

Courtesy of Mid-Pines GC/kevinmurraygolfphotography.com
Overview
What began as a private retreat called Knollwood, funded by Roaring Twenties millionaires like James Barber, Horace Rackham and Henry Ford, is now a charming public Donald Ross design, revitalized by young first-time designer Kyle Franz in the style of Pinehurst No. 2, where Franz had worked on the restoration. Mid Pines is pure elegance and beauty. The routing is spellbinding, with holes that stretch out into corners at the property’s high points, then fall back down to intersect at junctions across the calmer interior. Franz’s 2013 work expanding greens and restoring the perimeter sandscapes has greatly enhanced one of Pinehurst’s most refined golf presentations.
About
Awards


Ranking history:
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since 2017.
Highest Ranking: 86th, 2023-'24.
2023-'24 ranking: 86th.
Best in State: Ranked Top 25 in North Carolina since 2019.
2023-'24 ranking: 24th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“A classic Donald Ross design, renovated not that long ago, that was both a challenge and a pleasure to play. In the renovated course, the views are spectacular and the walk for golf, it's like nothing else. It has a very typical Pinehurst feel with the bunkering, greens and pine trees. But it is distinct from it to sister courses at Southern Pines and Pine Needles in many ways."
Read More2024
Review
“A classic Donald Ross design with wonderful topography changes and variety in hole movement and direction throughout the course. That variety kept this player on this toes and facilitated an entertaining day. The use of the terrain in filtering or rejecting shots around the greens was magnificent. When you scored a green in regulation, the player is challenged to use their creativity in navigating the subtle undulations on the greens. Though there is a hotel on property, the golf course with its rich character and outstanding design is the crown jewel of this site."
Read More2024
Review
“A classic Donald Ross design with wonderful topography changes and variety in hole movement and direction throughout the course. By my count, more than half of the holes went one direction from the tee and an opposite direction into the green. That variety kept this player on this toes and facilitated an entertaining day. The use of the terrain in filtering or rejecting shots around the greens was magnificent. When you scored a green in regulation, the player is challenged to use their creativity in navigating the subtle undulations on the greens. Winding through the Carolina pines, the aesthetics at Mid Pines are top notch. During our round, the fairways ran like the dickens and yet the greens accepted shots, if played to the proper place and shape. Though there is a hotel on property, the golf course with its rich character and outstanding design is the crown jewel of this site."
Read More2024
Review
“A good lay of the land course that ends with two of the strongest holes, 16 and 18. Nice lodge, too."
Read More2023
Review
“A fun Ross course through the Carolina pines"
Read More2023
Review
“With so much good and great golf in the area, Mid Pines might be easily overlooked. If you are on a bit tighter budget and looking to tick off your DR box, MP is a worthy option. Nothing like the big-ticket options down the road for quality, but good golf in the famed Ross tradition, humpy, slopey greens, sandy waste areas, gently rolling terrain and fairways lined with tall pines."
Read More2022
Review
“Shot options: One of the things I like to do is compare my analysis of the course via GD's criteria to mine own, emotional, views soon after having played the course. This one suffered relative to it, as the tightness of the course didn't make for as many options as others during this trip. ; Challenge: Other than tight fairways with the trees, it wasn't overly hard, esp since the greens weren't that fast. ; Layout variety: A lot of straight holes, but otherwise good variety in most ways that matter. ; Aesthetics: I enjoyed the semi-solitude between the trees, mostly hiding us from others on the course and houses near by, although not as secluded as Pine Needles. ; Conditioning: The greens were kind of slow, but putted reasonably true. ; Character: I am not sure how profound or unique the characteristics are, but it has good character; Fun: we all had fun on this course"
Read More2022
Review
“The restoration of the course back to it's roots with no rough, sandy waste areas, and space to swing between the pines has dramatically improved the playability of this historic Southern Pines course. A very enjoyable 18 holes to walk with greens and tees in close proximity and not many hazards to eat up ball after ball. 18th hole approach up to the huge historic hotel is a cool finish to a fun round."
Read More2022
Review
“A fun and challenging course to play. A must when visiting the Sandhills."
Read More2022
Review
“Beautiful Ross design cut through the pine woods, very little appears to have changed since the original but conditioning is outstanding. Beautiful property "
Read More2022
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