Course of the Week: Pinehurst’s No. 8 course reopens following agronomic remastering

Pinehurst’s No. 8 course reopened Sept. 2, following agronomic and infrastructure enhancements, including new Tifeagle greens, fully restored bunkers with new sand, improved drainage and the removal of invasive trees.

Photo: Pinehurst Resort & Country Club

Additionally, the existing Bermudagrass turf on tees and fairways was “fraise” mowed to remove thatch throughout the course, tighten up lies and foster more rollout on tee shots. Fraise mowing is a highly disruptive mowing technique developed in the North Carolina Piedmont that effectively removes thatch, organic matter and soil from Bermudagrass in a single pass.

“No. 8 now appears crisper to the eye and plays firmer and faster the way Tom Fazio originally intended it,” Bob Farren,  Pinehurst Resort director of agronomy, said. “Fazio, [Pinehurst Resort Owner] Bob Dedman and [Pinehurst Resort President] Tom Pashley all agreed that No. 8 should retain its original, commemorative design. As such, these changes are aesthetic and agronomic with no alterations to the course’s architecture.”

Photo: Pinehurst Resort & Country Club

The No. 8 course opened in 1996 to celebrate the resort’s centennial. The layout gently spills over 450 acres of rolling terrain dotted with natural wetlands and native grasses. It’s located five minutes from the main clubhouse and courses one through five with its own clubhouse and practice facilities. The new state-of-the-art Golf Pride Retail Lab opened in late June and is co-located near No. 8’s entry.

Established in 1895 in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst is a 2,200-acre property featuring nine golf courses, The Cradle nine-hole par-3 short course, 75,000 square-foot putting course (Thistle Dhu), 16 clay tennis courts, an award-winning spa, other recreation and social activities for families and elegant accommodations across one hotel, two inns, villas and condos.

In concert with the United States Golf Association (USGA), Pinehurst Resort was recently selected as the first U.S. Open Anchor Site and will host the championship in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.