A new nine-hole short course is to open at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina later this month.

Designed by golf course architect Gil Hanse, The Cradle is set to open for play on 30 September.

The Cradle is located on the same plot of land that Dr Leroy Culver created the first nine holes out of sand at Pinehurst in 1898.

The course is 789 yards in length, with holes ranging from 56 to 127 yards.

Hanse, who was brought in for the project last November, has incorporated native sandscape areas and wiregrass into the design. The bunkering has a rough-hewn style, and the architect has looked to give a distinctly ‘Pinehurst look’ to The Cradle.

“The beauty of golf at Pinehurst is that it is very natural, traditional and classic, especially architecturally,” said Hanse. “That Pinehurst character, we believe, permeates through The Cradle. These nine little golf holes are on a historic piece of land, and we feel like each hole has its own identity that fosters the creativity golfers have enjoyed here for more than a century.”

As well as designing and creating the new short course, Hanse has also been hired by the resort to carry out a redesign of Pinehurst No 4. Ground is set to be broken on this project in October 2017.

Pinehurst’s putting course, Thistle Dhu, has also been expanded and is now four times the size of the original putting course built in 2012. Thistle Dhu will open in early October.