Jeff Marsh
Matt Gibson/Pinehurst Resort
Jeff Marsh
Jeff Marsh
Jeff Marsh
Matt Gibson/Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst #10
Pinehurst, NC • Private
Overview
Sand is the defining character of Pinehurst, and Pinehurst #10 goes right to the source: a former sand mining site south of the resort, on a site known as the Sandmines, portions of which used to be a golf course called The Pit that closed in 2010. Several holes of this Tom Doak design, opened in 2024, plunge through the old quarries, including the turbulent eighth where players will want to pop Dramamine before tackling fairway swells that would pitch and toss a fishing vessel. Pinehurst Resort is also characterized by the tight cluster of its primary courses and synchronous relationship with the surrounding village, but #10 is a world apart. The grandeur of the isolated holes roller coasting through the quiet sand barrens creates tension between the sublimity of the environment and the heroism of the architecture, demonstrated most intensely in the uninhibited green shapes, many of which are bowl-shaped and heavily segmented.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Debut appearance.
2025-'26 ranking: 173rd.
100 Greatest Public: Debut appearance.
2025-'26 ranking: 30th.
Best in State: Debut appearance.
Current ranking: 8th.
Best New: Winner of our 2024 Best New Public award.
Watch our exclusive drone tour
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
“This new Tom Doak addition to the Pinehurst Stable will rank among the best offerings in the Pinehurst area. It is built on hilly terrain, and Doak skillfully routed the course to enhance its natural features."
Read More2026
Review
“Sandmines is a top tier blend of intrigue, variety, challenge, and fun that enjoyably tests the golfer at their respective ability. The design's character is honest and true to the land's historical uses, naturally leading to a truly unique blend of design features that would feel out of place anywhere else. This course will be fondly claimed as yet another crown jewel of today's design era."
Read More2026
Review
“Magnificent....one of Tom Doak's best courses. Great variety in holes and required strategy. Great use of the land and choices of tees. Go!"
Read More2026
Review
“Pinehurst No. 10 is a bold, expansive, and terrain-driven design that fully embraces the wild scale and character of its Sandmines property. Tom Doak moves a significant amount of earth to open up the site, ensuring playability for all levels, while the opening holes ease you into a round defined by dramatic elevation changes, wide corridors, and strategic optionality. The course rewards imagination and commitment as much as execution, with large, expressive greens that favor ground play; however, their scale can make it easy to miss some of the subtleties on a first visit. Around the greens, Doak consistently presents risk-reward decisions, often with one side feeding shots in and the other falling away. While No. 10 lacks some of the refinement and polish of Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4, it delivers a distinctly modern and highly social golf experience. The property’s scale and routing make it ideal for a memorable day with friends, and its willingness to challenge traditional resort expectations, favoring variety, strategy, and fun over symmetry, signals a refreshing new chapter for architecture at Pinehurst."
Read More2026
Review
“10 highlights shots that you're likely not going to find on any other course on Pinehurst's property. The takeaway from me is how many of these greens were designed by Tom Doak, they had a very different feel than most of his other courses."
Read More2026
Review
“Wonderful new course in the Pinehurst collection. Firm and fast. Built on old sand mine (hence the name) with sandy areas defining the fairway boundaries. Excellent collection of par 3 holes from short uphill 7th to the very long 14th. Par 3 17th is a nice one shorter over water. Almost all holes have option of flying ball onto the green or running the ball onto the green and can use slopes on green to attack hole locations, but play to wrong side of slopes will repel ball away from the hole. Ground game is strong here. Par 4 8th was my favorite hole. Blind drive to undulating fairway brings in element of luck, but favoring right side gives clearer view of the short iron shot into the green. You could play here every day and not get tired of the course trying different ways to position you ball for best approach shot or how to attack pins."
Read More2025
Review
“Pinehurst 10 is remarkable...so many exciting holes and design features. Doak used the bold land forms to create really neat green complexes and surrounds throughout the golf course. One standout is number 8, which is littered with old sand mines that really dictate the strategy and visuals of the hole. The other standout is the par 5 12th. The tee shot plays up to a plateau, which requires some precision and thought, and then the green features an enormous backstop which can come into play both on approach shots and around the green. It's an incredible feature that creates some really fun options, especially for back hole locations. One of the most memorable holes I played in 2025."
Read More2025
Review
“Memorable Doak routing, continuous fun and interest throughout the 18 holes. Bouncy turf!!"
Read More2025
Review
“Nice design with good views. The greens aren't as severe as some Doak courses. Good condition."
Read More2025
Review
“No. 10 features some of the most unique, undulating greens I’ve played in recent memory. Tom Doak and his team have built a gem. The course feels vast—long and wide open from any set of tees—yet filled with character. Standout design elements include canted fairways on 9 and 15, forced carries on 10 and 16, and blind tee shots on 6 and 8. Together, they create a layout that feels expansive but boldly unique—thoughtful, challenging, and fun to play."
Read More2025
