Golf clubs � Pinehurst's history

There may be older courses in America , but Pinehurst has a rich a varied history

There are older golf courses in the United States than those in Pinehurst, but this charming little village and its surroundings in the sandhills of North Carolina has such a rich history and golf heritage that it's easy to see why it is recognized as the Home of American Golf.

Here, in 1895, Bostonian James Tufts, searching for a place to establish an affordable health spa for New Englanders, found ideal conditions in the area's fresh pine air, fecund soil and clean aquifer.

Tufts bought 5,000 barren acres for $1 an acre and hired famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who planned New York 's Central park among other notable sites, to lay out a New England-style village that was named Pinehurst. Guests enjoyed produce and dairy products from the Tufts' nurseries, orchards and dairy farm.

By 1897, visitors had begun to bring their golf clubs and use the open fields for practice. As the story goes, golf balls frequently strayed into the pastures, disturbing the cows and stunting milk production. This resulted in the decision to build a golf course. Tufts saw an opportunity in the budding popularity of golf. In 1900 he convinced Donald Ross to oversee the development of golf at the resort.

In a few short years, the Scottish architect designed three resort courses, including his most famous achievement, Pinehurst #2, which subsequently hosted dozens of major tournaments, including the North-South Amateur Open, the US Amateur, and the US Opens of 1999 and 2005. Every legendary golfer including Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have competed here, calling #2 one of the finest tests of golf in the world. Ross continued to live at Pinehurst until his death in 1948, after designing more than 300 courses nationwide.

As for Pinehurst's atmosphere, it can perhaps be summed up by white cotton, a mint julep on the verandah, a fabulous round of golf, a stroll along a shady lane or a drive through spectacular horse country. With the exception of a few signs in Aberdeen , the region is entirely without neon signs. Instead, you will encounter a southern charm and slow pace reminiscent of a time gone by. Thanks to wise growth policies where development is compatible with environmental preservation, Pinehurst today is not much different from when Tufts arrived here over 100 years ago. In this land of fresh air, Tufts' dream lives on at the Home of American Golf.

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