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Writer's pictureLucian@going2paris.net

Pinehurst Resort And Its Owner


Charlottesville

June 21, 2022


Discover the Pinehurst Resort with wide verandas, afternoon tea, woth meandering bucolic pathways through the quaint New England-style resort village.

Pinehurst Resort, a member of Historic Hotels of America since 1991, dates back to 1895. Pinehurst: A History

From its humble beginnings as a pasture in 1895 to one of the premier golf courses in the country, Pinehurst is steeped in history, tradition, and southern hospitality. Join us for this quick history lesson.



WATCH NOW From its humble beginnings as a pasture to one of the premier golf courses in the country, Pinehurst Resort – designated a National Historic Landmark District by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior – is steeped in the sport’s history. Historians today celebrate Pinehurst Resort for its role in popularizing the sport of golf throughout the United States during the Gilded Age. Pinehurst’s founder, James Walker Tufts, endeavored to make his fledgling resort the epicenter for American golfers, hiring the renowned Donald Ross to oversee the day-to-day operations of its golfing services. Ross was a Scottish-born immigrant who trained as a young man with the great Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews in the 1890s. He then spent most of his career and life in America, where he designed many of the world’s championship courses amid the “Golden Age of Golf.” Ross specifically built dozens of iconic fairways throughout the country, including Aronimink Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, and the Oak Hill Country Club. His influence on the game continues to this day. While Tufts had originally intended for Ross to serve as a manager, the former soda magnate soon assigned him the important task of developing the resort’s fairways. Once settled in at Pinehurst, Ross started developing four of the resort’s championship golf courses, with the first one—Pinehurst No. 1— appearing in 1898. On Pinehurst No. 1, Dr. Leroy Culver originally built the first nine holes (and John Dunn Tucker added the next nine), but it was Donald Ross’s touch that players still feel on the course today. Pinehurst’s most famous course—Pinehurst No. 2— was constructed in 1907. Designed by Ross, it would serve as the site for more championship tournaments than any other golf course in America. Among the many well-known competitions held at Pinehurst No. 2 are the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the U.S. Open, as well as the now defunct North and South Open Championship. Dozens of famous professional golfers have graced its fairways, including Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus. (It is the first U.S. Open anchor site and will host championships over the next two decades.) Ross’ third course, Pinehurst No. 3, opened in 1910. (It was also renovated recently in 2017 as part of a plan to preserve many of Ross’s original design flourishes and characteristics throughout the classic layout.) Pinehurst No. 4 was originally designed by Donald Ross, too, and opened in 1919. It was subsequently restored over the years by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Robert Jones’ son Rees Jones, and Tom Fazio. In 2018, the course opened after a redesign by Gil Hanse, who used the natural topography and native sandscapes to create dramatic vistas and a stunning test of golf. Pinehurst No. 5 was designed in 1961 by Ellis Maples, a protégé of Donald Ross and part of North Carolina’s “First Family” of golf course design. Like Ross, Maples believed that it was the designer’s job to find the golf course that resided in the land’s structure. One of Pinehurst’s most picturesque holes, Number 14, is here. Known as the “Cathedral Hole,” it is fronted by a pond and encircled by a stand of ancient pines, the tops of which resemble the pipes of an organ. Pinehurst No. 6 was designed by George and Tom Fazio in 1979. Tom and his uncle George, a famed designer who inspired Tom as a young man, began work on No. 6 in 1975. The result was a more rugged, undulating track that demands bigger drives and more aggressive approaches. Pinehurst No. 7 was designed by Rees Jones in 1986. It was built on the site of a nine-hole employee course designed by Donald Ross. Tiger Woods won his lone Pinehurst title here in the 1992 Big I Junior Classic. Pinehurst No. 8 was designed by Tom Fazio in 1995. It opened a year later to commemorate Pinehurst’s centennial. On the Centennial Course, Fazio took full advantage of the 420 acres of rolling terrain and natural wetlands to fashion a course that is visually enthralling and challenging yet fun to play. No. 8 combines classic Donald Ross concepts with the whimsical snarls that have become Tom Fazio’s calling card.


Pinehurst No. 9 was designed by professional golfer and major championship-winner Jack Nicklaus in 1988, and he returned to renovate it in 2005. This 18-hole championship layout highlights classic Nicklaus architecture: wide fairways, lush course conditions and undulating putting surfaces that test players’ minds and abilities. The nine Pinehurst courses feature a total of 144 golf holes and some of the best golf facilities in the world. Along with the nine championship courses, there is The Cradle, a nine-hole short course (designed by Gil Hanse in 2017), and an 18-hole miniature golf course, Thistle Dhu, which opened in 2012. The miniature golf course is an homage to the first mini golf course built in the United States. It was originally designed for a nearby, private Pinehurst home owned by James Barber in the late 1910s. (The new Thistle Dhu is free to resort guests.)



Iconic golfers from around the world have played round after round on the resort’s fairways, such as Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Glenna Collett, Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, and Louise Suggs. The legendary Ben Hogan started his meteoric ascent into the annals of golfing lore, with his stunning victory at the North and South Open in 1940. In 1951, two teams of British and American professional golfers faced off in one of the most dramatic Ryder Cup Matches to date. Composed of a group that featured Ben Snead, Jimmy Demaret, and Skip Alexander, the American team managed to edge out their British rivals in a dramatic upset that occurred during the final day of matches. The historic greens of Pinehurst No. 2 saw the legendary duel between Payne Stewart and Phil Mickelson during the closing round of the 1999 U.S. Open. The two were neck-and-neck heading into the last two holes of the tournament. Stewart stuck his approach to four feet on 17 for birdie, then holed a dramatic 15-foot putt on the 72nd hole to win the championship, beating Mickelson by one shot. The history of Pinehurst began in 1895, when Bostonian James Walker Tufts, wealthy owner of the American Soda Fountain Company, purchased 5,800 acres of ravaged timberland in the sand- hills of central North Carolina. This land once held a flourishing pine forest that had been cut and deforested for its turpentine and building supplies. Tufts originally developed Pinehurst as a health resort for patients recovering from tuberculosis. After much of the construction had been completed, Tufts learned that tuberculosis was contagious and was forced to turn his new community into a leisure resort instead. Tufts hired the land planning firm headed by Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. By the end of 1895, Tufts had completed a general store, dairy, boarding house, more than 20 cottages and the Holly Inn. The Pinehurst Hotel opened in 1901 and became the center of such activities as riding, hunting, polo, lawn bowling, archery, bicycling, and tennis. Golf came to Pinehurst when Dr. D. Leroy Culver designed a rudimentary nine-hole course. In 1899, Pinehurst's first golf professional, John Dunn Tucker, was hired to add an additional nine holes to create Pinehurst's first 18-hole layout. Then, in 1900, Tufts hired Donald J. Ross, a young Scottish golf professional, who remained at Pinehurst until his death in 1948. Ross built a reputation as one of the foremost golf professionals and course architects who ultimately designed more than 400 golf courses throughout the North American continent. Over the years, many other sports have hosted championships at Pinehurst including the U.S. Tennis Clay Court Championships, the U.S. Croquet Championship and the World Lawn Bowling Championship. Today, Pinehurst is a quintessential resort encompassing three historic hotels, a wealth of recreational activities, and 2,000 beautiful North Carolina acres. Set in one of America's only National Landmark Districts, Pinehurst's wide verandas, walking trails, and bucolic pathways wind through a scenic New England-style village. In 2002, the new Spa at Pinehurst was one of the first spas in the South to receive the Mobil Four-Star spa designation. The eight Pinehurst golf courses feature 144 golf holes and some of the best golf facilities in the world. Most of the greatest players have played Pinehurst: Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Glenna Collett Vare, Babe Didrickson, Patty Berg, and Louise Suggs. Pinehurst's No. 2 has been the site of the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup Matches, the 1962 and 2008 U.S. Amateur Championships; the 1989 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, the 1991 and 1992 TOUR Championships, the 1994 U.S. Senior Open, and the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open Championship.


Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in the United States, located in Pinehurst, North Carolina. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including three U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, three U.S. Amateur Championships, one PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.

Pinehurst consists of nine 18-hole golf courses, each named simply by a number, and a 9-hole short course. Pinehurst No. 2 has consistently been ranked as one of the top courses in North Carolina and among the best in the United States. In addition to the golf courses, Pinehurst has three hotels, as well as many villas, condos, restaurants, and other leisure facilities.


History


Pinehurst was founded by Boston soda fountain magnate James Walker Tufts. He purchased 5,500 acres (22 km2) for approximately $1.25 per acre in 1895, and opened the Holly Inn New Year's Eve of that year. The first golf course was laid out in 1897-98, and the first championship held at Pinehurst was the United North and South Amateur Championship of 1901. Pinehurst's best known course, "Pinehurst No. 2," was completed in 1907 to designs by Donald Ross, who became associated with Pinehurst for nearly half a century. After Pinehurst No. 2 was opened in 1907, Donald Ross said that the course was, "The fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed."[1]

From 1902-51, Pinehurst was the home of the North and South Open, which was one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the United States at that time. Pinehurst is still home to the annual North and South Amateur Golf Championships, a series of tournaments which includes a Men's Championship, inaugurated in 1901, and the Women's Championship that began two years later.

Pinehurst in 1901. The No. 1 course had square sand greens at that time. The No. 2 course was converted from oiled sand greens to Bermuda turf in 1935.


The first PGA Tour major staged at Pinehurst was the PGA Championship in 1936, won by Denny Shute. In 1951, the resort hosted the Ryder Cup, and, in 1991 and 1992, it was the venue for The Tour Championship.


In 1999, Pinehurst staged its second major, the U.S. Open, won by Payne Stewart at the No. 2 course. There is currently a statue behind the 18th hole at Pinehurst No. 2 showing Stewart's famous victory pose after making a putt on the 18th hole to defeat Phil Mickelson.[2] The U.S. Open returned in 2005, won by New Zealand's Michael Campbell. In 2011, Pinehurst No. 2 completed a $2.5 million, year-long renovation led by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The goal was to revert the course back to the original Donald Ross design.


In an unprecedented move, the USGA brought both the men's U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open to Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. The U.S. Open was scheduled at its normal time, ending on the third Sunday in June (Father's Day), and the women played the following week.


The resort now has nine golf courses, three hotels, a spa and extensive sports and leisure facilities. It was ranked as the world's largest golf resort by the Guinness World Records before it was surpassed by Mission Hills Golf Club in China. The property’s old-growth longleaf pine trees are home to the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker.[4]

The No. 2 course is included in the Links and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game series; the No. 8 course is also available for the Links game. Both Pinehurst No. 2 and Pinehurst No. 8 are available to play on E6 software.


Pinehurst was owned by the Tufts family until 1970, when it was sold to Malcom McLean. After the property was acquired by a set of banks in 1982, it was sold to Robert H. Dedman, Sr., founder of ClubCorp. When the Dedman family sold ClubCorp, they retained Pinehurst.


In June 1999, National Public Radio reported that the Pinehurst Resort was using threats of trademark infringement lawsuits to prevent any businesses located in the area of Pinehurst village from using the term "Pinehurst" in their business names.



Golf courses


Pinehurst Resort operates nine golf courses; the best known, Course No. 2, opened in 1907. Designed by Donald Ross, it has hosted several major tournaments. Several notable golf course architects have designed courses for the resort. These architects include Donald Ross, Ellis Maples, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, and Gil Hanse. Houses border most of the courses but only one course was created specifically as a housing development: Pinehurst #7.

Pinehurst No. 1

The first nine of what would become Pinehurst No. 1 was designed by Leroy Culver in 1897 and the second nine by John Dunn Tucker in 1898. Donald Ross however came in 1901 to tie it all together into a full 18-hole course, beginning a long career at what would become Pinehurst Resort. While there have been many changes to No. 1 over the years, many to accommodate the construction and renovation of the other courses, the original design is still there. The course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Mini Verde ultradwarf greens.
























Pinehurst No. 2


Pinehurst No. 2, the most famous course at Pinehurst Resort, was first opened in 1907 and designed by Donald Ross. Pinehurst is considered to be Ross' best work and he continued to perfect it until his death in 1948. The course is famous for its exceptionally difficult green complexes which were a signature of Ross designs and many of the greens are crowned causing shots that are short to roll off the green, leaving a difficult chip shot. Johnny Miller once famously compared trying to land a shot on a Pinehurst green as "like trying to hit a ball on top of a VW Beetle. Pinehurst, like many Sandhills courses, was without long rough for much of its early history but in 1974 a redesign by RT Jones led to the installation of thick bermuda rough throughout the course, which lasted until a restoration in 2010 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, who removed all of the rough and reshaped the fairways and bunkers to restore the course to its original Ross design. In lieu of rough, golfers now find hardpan sand and native scrub bordering the fairways. The course since its inception has been host to many significant tournaments including 4 men's majors (1936 PGA Championship, and 1999, 2005, 2014 U.S. Opens). Additional U.S. Opens are scheduled in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047 under a partnership with the USGA announced in September of 2020 naming Pinehurst as the USGA's first "anchor site". It also hosted the 1951 Ryder Cup and the 2014 U.S. Women's Open played the week after the men's. Not only has the course hosted numerous professional events, but it has also hosted the U.S. Amateur three times (1962, 2008, and 2019). The course is currently grassed with Tifway Bermuda tees and fairways and Champion Ultradwarf greens. For its 2019-2020 course rankings, Golf Digest ranked No. 2 as the 29th best golf course in the United States and the 6th best public course in the country. Golf Magazine for its 2020-2021 rankings named No. 2 as the 11th best course in the country and the best in North Carolina.


The North Carolina Golf Panel has consistently ranked it as the best course in the state, both public and private. A statue of Payne Stewart is beside the 18th green, showing him celebrating his winning putt from the 1999 U.S. Open – his second and final U.S. Open and third and final major championship before he died in an airplane crash that October at the age of 42.


Pinehurst No. 3


Pinehurst No. 3, which is by far the shortest 18-hole course at the Resort, was designed by Donald Ross in 1910. The course is known for its very small greens placing a premium on accuracy and ball position, a hallmark of Ross courses. No. 3 underwent minor renovations in 2017 to make room for the new short course "The Cradle," and return the course to a more traditional Pinehurst appearance of sandscape and native scrub with minimal rough. These renovations led by Kye Goalby lowered the par to 68 from 70 and shortened the length of the course. The course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Champion Ultradwarf greens.



Pinehurst No. 4

Pinehurst No. 4, debatable as the second best course at the Resort was originally laid out by Donald Ross in 1919 but has undergone many significant changes in the years since, so significant that Ross is not credited by the Resort as the course's architect. The course was redesigned in 1973 by Robert Trent Jones, in 1982 by Rees Jones and in 1999 by Tom Fazio. Most recently the course reopened in 2018 after a major redesign by Gil Hanse which saw the course stripped of its rough much like No. 2 replacing it instead with native sandscapes. Also removed by Hanse were Fazio's numerous pot bunkers which some considered to be out of place at Pinehurst. No. 4 assisted its sister course No. 2 during the 2008 and 2019 US Amateurs by hosting several rounds in addition to those played on No. 2. Golf Magazine in its 2020-2021 rankings named No. 4 the 92nd best course in the country and the 4th best in North Carolina.



Pinehurst No. 5


Pinehurst No. 5, which opened in 1961 was designed by Ellis Maples, an understudy of Donald Ross and one of the leading figures in North Carolina golf course architecture. The course differs from the four courses that predate it in that it takes on a more classic parkland style than the traditional rugged courses the Sandhills region is known for. The course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Champion Ultradwarf greens.




Pinehurst No. 6

Pinehurst No. 6, designed by George Fazio and his nephew Tom Fazio, opened in 1979 and much like No. 5 before it, deviated from the earlier courses in that it took on a more typical parkland style with numerous lakes and more traditional bunker shapes. Additionally No. 6 was different from the five before it in that it was the first course at the Resort to not play out of the main clubhouse. With the Resort out of room for a new course on the same site as the five other, No. 6 was built several miles away. Tom Fazio made some minor renovations in 2005, including the addition of new bunkers and installing faster greens. The course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Champion Ultradwarf greens.



Pinehurst No. 7


Pinehurst No. 7 which opened in 1986 was designed by Rees Jones. This course, which was built on the site of a forgotten 9-hole employee course designed by Donald Ross, was the second at the Resort to play from a clubhouse other than the main one, even though No. 7 backs up to several holes on No. 2. The course features some of the most uneven topography of any course at the Resort and is as such a unique experience. Tiger Woods won the Big I Junior Classic in 1992 on No. 7. In 2002 the course underwent minor renovations by its original designer Rees Jones to keep it modern and in premium shape.The course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Champion Bermuda greens.

Pinehurst No. 8


Pinehurst No. 8, No. 4's contender for second best at the Resort, was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1996 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Pinehurst. The course is a classic Fazio design which puts a premium on playability with a nod to the tradition of Ross' signatures including many difficult green complexes. The course has the least amount of housing bordering it of any course at the Resort and as such is a more tranquil round, winding through wetlands and forests, earning it a Signature Sanctuary designation from the Audubon Society in 1996. No. 8 has played host to the PGA Club Pro Championship twice and hosted the 2017 US Amateur Four Ball with No. 2. The course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Champion Ultradwarf greens. Golf Digest ranks No. 8 as the 64th best public course in the United States.


Pinehurst No. 9

Pinehurst No. 9 which opened in 1988 and was designed by Jack Nicklaus was originally a private club known as "National Golf Club" separate from the Resort but was purchased by Pinehurst in 2014 and became No. 9, available just like all the other courses to Resort guests. The course is a true Nicklaus original with all the hallmarks, including lush playing conditions and tricky greens. As with the others newer than No. 5, No. 9 plays out of its own clubhouse but is not far from the main resort, sitting just across the road from No. 7. The course underwent minor renovations in 2012 to keep it up to date and the course is currently grassed with Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda tees, fairways, and rough and Penn A-1/A-4 creeping bentgrass greens, the only course at the resort with bentgrass greens.


The Cradle

Pinehurst's newest and shortest course opened in 2017 and was designed by Gil Hanse. The Cradle is a 9 hole par 3 course with greens as tricky as any on the bigger courses, and at $50 with free replays is the cheapest way to play golf at Pinehurst. The course is currently grassed with Tifway Bermuda tees and fairways and Champion Bermuda greens.





The Cradle[44]Tee123456789TotalYardage113856612756589280112789Par33333333327



Croquet[edit]

Pinehurst is also the home of three championship croquet courts and a lawn bowling court. Players from around the country are attracted to this resort to play six wicket championship croquet. Mack Penwell is a US national champion, member of the United States Croquet Association hall of fame and, now retired, croquet professional at Pinehurst resort. Ron Lloyd took over as the croquet professional in 2004.

In May 2015 Pinehurst hosted the Solomon Trophy, the international match between teams representing the USA and Great Britain.[45]

The Pinehurst Resort is a Four-Star, Four-Diamond full-service destination that includes valet parking, bell staff, concierge, business center, and meeting facilities. *excerpted from his book Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi




Robert H. Dedman Jr. is an American heir, businessman and philanthropist.


Biography


Early life


Robert Henry Dedman Jr., was born on June 26, 1957, in Dallas, Texas.[4] His late father was Robert H. Dedman Sr., founder of ClubCorp. His sister, Patty Dedman Dietz, sits on its board of directors. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Economics in 1979. While at UT, he was a member of the Tejas Club. He received an M.B.A. from the Cox School of Business in 1980 and a J.D. from the Dedman School of Law in 1984, both at Southern Methodist University.

Career[edit]

He joined ClubCorp in 1980 and worked as Director of Corporate Planning from 1980 to 1984. From 1984 to 1987, he was Associate at Salomon Brothers, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions. He served as Chief Financial Officer of ClubCorp in 1987, President from 1989 to August 2002, Chief Operating Officer from 1989 to 1997, and Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to August 2004. He served on the board of directors of Home Interiors and Gifts, JPMorgan Chase Dallas Region and the Stewart Information Services Corporation.

Philanthropy


He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Region of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the Dallas Museum of Art, Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Austin Development Board.[2][7] He is past chairman of the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He chairs the 21st Century Council at SMU, where he is also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization and the Dallas Citizens Council.


Golf


As Chairman of ClubCorp, he was named one of the most influential people in golf. As a player, he has a twelve handicap, and plays twenty to twenty-five rounds a year. He serves on the President's Council of the United States Golf Association and the advisory board of The Environmental Institute for Golf. He also sits on the boards of the National Golf Foundation and Golf 20/20.


Personal life


He is married to Rachael Redecker Dedman, who earned a Master of Liberal Arts from SMU. They have two daughters, Catherine and Nancy.

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dsmithuva75
Jun 22, 2022

Those first two videos were excellent! Have now added the town to my Road Trip list!

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tommasopacelli
Jun 21, 2022

yeah! You and Clucian bought Pinehurst.

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Lucian@going2paris.net
Lucian@going2paris.net
Jun 21, 2022
Replying to

That place must print money. No recession there!

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