Michigan Golf Journal November 2020

Pilgrimage to the Home of American Golf By Brad King The Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen area in North Carolina boasts a storied golf legacy unlike any other place in the country Michigan Golf Journal Pilgrimage to Pinehurst For those who love the game of golf, one bucket-list item is surely a pilgrimage to the “Home of American Golf.” For more than a century, the North Carolina Sandhills region — Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen and other quaint, surrounding communities — has delivered not only some of the country’s best golf, but also world-class dining, shopping, entertainment and more. The destination offers almos t 40 golf courses within a 15- mile radius. The most storied of these, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s No. 2 Course is currently prepping for the 2024 U.S. Open Championship — the fourth U.S. Open and 11th USGA championship contested at the famed Resort which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year along with the Village of Pinehurst. And it was recently announced that the USGA would establish “Golf House Pinehurst” — which will include, by 2023, a new equipment-testing facility, innovation hub, and a museum and visitor center. The $25-million investment includes the construction of a pair of buildings that will house 50 full-time USGA staff members near the clubhouse on the historic Pinehurst Resort property. Most exciting for golf fans, the USGA also announced four additional U.S. Open Championships to be contested on Pinehurst No. 2 – in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 – joining the previously scheduled 2024 national championship. The historic news means Pinehurst and the Sandhills of North Carolina will serve as the USGA’s first anchor Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club will host the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open