Pinehurst No. 8 eliminated a whole bunch of timber to reinforce sight traces, renovated all of its bunkers and extra within the 5 months it was closed.
Andrew Penner
Call it minor surgical procedure. A beauty enhancement. Just a little quest to get its “mojo” again. But, Austin Powers jokes apart (“throw me a frickin’ bone here”), Pinehurst No. 8 simply wanted just a little tweak. And, after my recent spherical on this 25-year-old Tom Fazio gem, I’d say the brief wait — the course was closed between May and September this yr whereas the work was accomplished — was definitely value it.
Opened in 1996 and constructed to commemorate Pinehurst’s centennial, Pinehurst No. 8 incorporates all the things that’s particular about this {golfing} Mecca. That was the aim. And that’s what was completed.
Courtesy of Pinehurst
Exquisite sandy terrain peppered with pine. Wetlands. Subtle elevation adjustments. Natural taking part in corridors that are perfect for golf holes. Extensive waste areas. Exposed rock. Wild contours. Perfect ponds. It’s all there. And architect Tom Fazio took full benefit.
However, as time ticked away, sure issues — particularly while you’re coping with Pinehurst’s terribly excessive bar — wanted to be addressed. And, within the case of Pinehurst No. 8, just a little therapeutic massage to retain the “mojo” was so as.
“Believe me, we deliberated long and hard on this one,” says Pinehurst’s Head of Golf Course Maintenance, Bob Farren. “It’s a special course. We wanted to get it right. However, at the end of the day, we all agreed that Pinehurst No. 8 did not need any architectural or routing changes. The design is solid from start to finish and it remains that way.”
So, with out query, the most important adjustments golfers will discover are the visuals. Hundreds of timber have been eliminated and this has considerably enhanced sight traces and opened up the attractive, long-range views from the clubhouse.
Andrew Penner
“The bunkers were also a key factor in the facelift,” says Farren. “Pinehurst No. 8 is unique in that multiple bunker styles are incorporated in the design. There are ragged waste areas that blend into turf, rectangular sod-wall bunkers, and artistically shaped bunkers with the type of clean and contemporary edges that many Fazio courses are known for. We renovated all of them. The course looks crisper to the eye.”
In phrases of the way it performs, there are a few further adjustments that won’t possible go unnoticed by Pinehurst’s discerning clientele. The greens have all been resurfaced with TifEagle bermuda, a pressure of grass that’s gaining traction within the average North Carolina local weather. And, final however definitely not least, due to Fraze-mowing the fairways (a deep and aggressive mowing software that fully removes thatch), in depth drainage work, in addition to sand topdressing, a a lot firmer, faster No. 8 is now the fact. It was how the course was initially designed to play.
While the “in nature” setting of No. 8 is usually touted as its most interesting advantage, this recent re-calibration is, at the moment, the discuss of the city in Pinehurst. And that’s honest. After all, it’s not usually you play a course with this a lot mojo.
Andrew Penner is a contract author and photographer primarily based in Calgary, Alberta. You can observe him on Instagram at @andrewpennerphotography.
