72 HOL I NG OUT And then there were ten Tom Doak is designing the first new layout at Pinehurst Resort for nearly 30 years When the US Open returns to Pinehurst No. 2 in spring 2024, the renowned resort will also have celebrated the opening of its tenth course. According to some, the site for the new Tom Doak design is arguably the most dramatic at the resort. Pinehurst No. 10 will be built four miles south of the resort’s main clubhouse on a parcel of land that was until 2010 the site of Pit Golf Links, a design by local architect Dan Maples built on an abandoned sand mine. Construction is starting in late January 2023 with the aim of the course being completely rough-shaped by May. “The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst,” says Doak. “It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we’ll work our way up to it around the mid-point of the layout. You’ll have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course. It will be an unforgettable experience for golfers.” The new course will incorporate rugged dunes mined at the turn of the 20th century accented by native sand and wiregrass. With natural ridgelines, intriguing landforms, longleaf pines, streams and ponds, Doak envisions a course that complements the resort’s other courses through its contrasts. German designer and shaper Angela Moser will serve as Doak’s lead design associate for this project. Moser has worked with Doak on many projects, including the acclaimed new St Patrick’s course at Rosapenna in Ireland and the forthcoming Te Arai in New Zealand. “The number one thing that excited us about the project is working with the beautiful sand that’s native to this region,” Doak says. “The sand, the wiregrass, the bluestem grass, and other native grasses that grow around the Sandhills create a fabulous texture for golf. It’s something most places just don’t have.” GCA Photo: Pinehurst Resort “ The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst”
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