Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club

Southern Pines, NC Public

Overview

Pine Needles used to lurk quietly in the Pinehurst background before the USGA chose to put it in their regular women’s championship rotation. It got another big boost in 2017 after Kyle Franz reworked portions of the course, putting the Pinehurst touch on the borders, cross hazards and bunkers. Though it lacks the intimacy and connectivity of its sister course, Mid Pines, with the holes wandering far afield due to a being part of a 1920s residential development, it’s grown into a big, championship worthy course (most recently hosting the 2019 Senior Women’s Open and 2022 U.S. Women’s Open) with arguably the best set of greens after No. 2.

About

Holes 18
Length 7015
Slope 135
Price $265
Facility Type Public
Designer Donald J. Ross, ASGCA/(R) John Fought, ASGCA

Awards

100 Greatest
100 Greatest the Second 100
100 Greatest Public
Best Courses in Every State

100 Greatest: The course was part of our original 200 Toughest Courses list in 1966.

Second 100 Greatest: Ranked from 2013-2014.
Highest Ranking: 173rd, 2013-2014.

100 Greatest Public: Ranked from 2003-2004 & since 2007.
Highest ranking: 43rd, 2007-2008.
Previouus ranking: 73rd.
2023-'24 ranking: No. 63.

Best in State: Ranked Top 20 in North Carolina from 2011-2016 & since 2021; Top 25 from 2017-2020.
Current Ranking: 20th.

Golf Digest Logo Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.3

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options
7.0944
Character
7.1951
Challenge
7.033
Layout Variety
7.1051
Fun
7.1872
Aesthetics
7.0022
Conditioning
6.9723

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