Where Is Pinehurst Golf Course? Location, Directions, and What You Will Find There

Pinehurst Golf Course is located in the Village of Pinehurst in Moore County, North Carolina, 70 miles south of Raleigh, NC. The primary location of the resort is at 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374, and is located within the sandy pine landscape called the North Carolina Sandhills.

Those who wonder where is pinehurst golf course most likely plan a visit, and so, here is not only a map pin but an extensive overview. Below you will find the exact location, the nearest airports, and drive times, all about ten courses and their locations, the way you can play on the courses without being a member, and what other amenities the property offers,  including the USGA campus and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The Short Version

Detail	What to know
Where it is	The Village of Pinehurst, Moore County, North Carolina
Address	80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374
Coordinates	About 35.1895 degrees north, 79.4678 degrees west
Region	The North Carolina Sandhills, in the middle of the state
Nearest large city	Raleigh, roughly 70 miles northeast
Closest airport	Moore County Airport in Southern Pines, about 12 minutes away
Main airport most visitors use	Raleigh-Durham International, about an hour and fifteen minutes away
Number of golf courses	Ten 18-hole courses, plus a 9-hole short course and an 18-hole putting course
Founded	1895
Can anyone play?	Yes. It is a public resort, so no membership is needed

The Exact Location of Pinehurst

Pinehurst is located at the geographic center of North Carolina, in a zone known as the Sandhills. This is a fitting description because the soil is sandy and well-drained, characteristics that make the playing conditions at Pinehurst tough and speedy and account for its appeal as a golf destination in the first place.

The Village of Pinehurst is a town with a population of approximately 17,000 residents located in Moore County, North Carolina. The resort is located in the south of the village just a stone’s throw away from its center and features golf courses located in the forests of pine trees that surround it. Nearby communities include the town of Southern Pines in the northeast and Aberdeen to the south; together, these towns are the center of the zone which is home to more than 40 golf courses.

The Village of Pinehurst itself was founded in 1895 when James Walker Tufts, an entrepreneur from Boston purchased it as a sanitarium. Its unique pattern of winding streets and greens came from Frederick Law Olmsted, a landscape architect responsible for designing Central Park, New York. Pinehurst has become a nickname of the Village of American Golf.

How to Get to Pinehurst

Pinehurst is an easy drive from several North Carolina cities and airports. Most visitors fly into Raleigh-Durham and drive down.

Starting point	Distance	Drive time	Good to know
Moore County Airport, Southern Pines	About 7 miles	About 12 minutes	The closest airport, used mainly by private and charter flights
Fayetteville Regional Airport	About 45 miles	About 50 minutes	A smaller commercial airport with fewer connections
Raleigh-Durham International Airport	About 70 miles	About 1 hour 15 minutes	The main choice for most visitors, with resort shuttle and private transfer options
Piedmont Triad International, Greensboro	About 70 miles	About 1 hour 20 minutes	A good alternative if the fares work out better
Charlotte Douglas International Airport	About 110 miles	About 2 hours	Worth considering for international arrivals
Downtown Raleigh	About 70 miles	About 1 hour 15 minutes	A straightforward drive on US 1 and NC 211

If you are planning to drive yourself, enter the resort address in the GPS because all the courses have the same club house premises. After arriving at the village, you will see signs leading you to the Carolina Hotel and the club house.

The resort provides shuttle service on the property that connects the hotels, the club house and the courses.

Which Pinehurst Course Are You Looking For

Pinehurst does not contain just one golf course. There are actually ten full courses here, numbered 1 to 10. The reason why so many people become puzzled by this place is because most of the courses are located in the same area of Carolina Vista Drive.

The courses numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 all start from the main clubhouse within the village, and that’s why they come to mind when thinking about Pinehurst. The courses numbered 6, 7, 8 and 9 are located a bit outside in the country area, each with their own clubhouse. And No. 10 is even further.

Course	Designer	Par	Where it is and what it is like
No. 1	Leroy Culver and John Dunn Tucker	70	At the main clubhouse. The original course, short and walkable
No. 2	Donald Ross, restored by Coore and Crenshaw	70	At the main clubhouse. The famous one, host of four U.S. Opens, with crowned greens and sandy waste areas
No. 3	Donald Ross	68	At the main clubhouse. Short and charming, a favorite for a quick round
No. 4	Gil Hanse	72	At the main clubhouse. Rugged and sandy, sitting right alongside No. 2
No. 5	Ellis Maples	72	At the main clubhouse. More rolling terrain and a little more water
No. 6	George and Tom Fazio	72	A few miles from the village, hilly and demanding
No. 7	Rees Jones	72	Away from the main clubhouse, often called the toughest of the ten
No. 8	Tom Fazio	72	Built on separate land for the resort’s centennial, with wetlands and sandhills
No. 9	Jack Nicklaus	72	Formerly a separate club, added to the resort in 2014
No. 10	Tom Doak with Angela Moser	70	In Aberdeen, about five miles from the main resort, on the old Pit Golf Links site. Opened in 2024 with big elevation change and no houses in sight

The final two venues where golf can be played are neither 18 nor 9 holes. The Cradle is a 9 hole course located close to the clubhouse, which was designed for fast-paced rounds of golf accompanied by music and no dress code. Thistle Dhu is the 18 hole putting course located on the lawn next to the clubhouse, and it is a favorite way to end the day.

Pinehurst No. 2, the Course Most People Mean

When referring to Pinehurst, it usually means Pinehurst No. 2, which was created by Donald Ross. The designer owned the land and continually modified the layout during decades. It was restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2010; rough was removed, the edges became sandy again, and wiregrass returned to them.

The course features par of 70 and exceeds 7,500 yards when played from back tees. Its distinctive feature is a series of greens shaped in a manner of an upside-down plate which pushes weaker shots away into collection areas. Chip shots around those greens differentiate low and high scores.

Pinehurst No. 2 hosted four U.S. Opens – victories of Payne Stewart in 1999, Michael Campbell in 2005, Martin Kaymer in 2014 and Bryson DeChambeau in 2024. It even hosted both men’s and women’s U.S. Open tournaments in 2014 consecutively in consecutive weeks – Michelle Wie West won the women’s championship that year. There is a statue of Payne Stewart commemorating his winning shot behind the 18th green.

Now, Pinehurst is the permanent site of U.S. Open championship, returning every six years. Next events are scheduled for 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.

The USGA Campus and World Golf Hall of Fame

Golf House Pinehurst, the second home of the USGA, opened its doors in 2024 at a seven-acre site that lies between the Carolina Hotel and the clubhouse. The address is 3 Carolina Vista Drive, which is just two minutes away from the golf.

This site includes the USGA’s equipment testing and research laboratory, offices for USGA staff, the USGA Experience which is an attraction for visitors, and the World Golf Hall of Fame which moved to this place in 2024. Visiting the site does not require you to play golf. There are tickets for the general public and the galleries are usually open everyday.

Can Anyone Play at Pinehurst

Yes. Pinehurst is a resort and not a private club, so no membership or invitation is necessary. Tee times may be purchased both by resort guests and the general public, though of course resort guests will always have priority, particularly at No. 2 during the peak seasons.

The easiest method is a stay-and-play package at the resort, which includes room accommodation, meals and golf. The spring and fall are the busiest seasons because the weather is ideal, so it is important to make reservations well in advance for those times. The summer will be hot and humid, but relatively quiet. The winter will also provide great value due to mild weather.

Green fee prices vary dramatically depending upon which course and what time of year, with No. 2 being by far the most expensive and the shorter courses significantly less expensive.

Where to Stay at Pinehurst

The resort has numerous accommodation options, all conveniently located near the golf course. Carolina Hotel, built in 1901 and called “Queen of the South,” is the large white building with the veranda, and it is located right next to the USGA campus. Holly Inn, located in the village, is the oldest hotel in Pinehurst and the most cozy one. Manor Inn is a more compact and relaxed choice; it is favored by golfing groups. Resort also rents out villas and condominiums close to the golf courses, which are convenient for families and large parties.

Other than that, there are numerous hotels and inns located in the villages of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen, just a ten-minute drive away from the first tee.

Other Golf Courses Near Pinehurst

Part of the appeal of the area is how much golf sits within a short drive. Pine Needles and Mid Pines, both Donald Ross designs, are in Southern Pines just minutes away, and Pine Needles has hosted multiple U.S. Women’s Opens. The Country Club of North Carolina is also in the village, and Tobacco Road, a bold modern design, is about half an hour north near Sanford.

Add in the many other public courses across Moore County, and a golf trip here can easily fill a week without repeating a layout.

Is There More Than One Pinehurst Golf Course

That is right, and here’s why that may confuse some of you. There are a few other clubs in the country that go by the name “Pinehurst” but have nothing to do with Pinehurst, North Carolina. The renowned club with the numbered courses and its connection to the U.S. Open is the Pinehurst located in North Carolina.

Final Take

Well, where is Pinehurst golf course? Pinehurst golf course is located in the Village of Pinehurst in the Moore County of North Carolina at 80 Carolina Vista Drive and is approximately 70 miles to the southwest of Raleigh in the Sandhills of the state. This resort features ten 18-hole courses including the famous one designed by Donald Ross – No. 2 course, a short course, a putting course, and the USGA campus featuring the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Frequently Asked Questions

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