Changes To Be Made To PineHurst No.2
March 10th, 2010- By Bryan Cross
One of the most famous golf courses in the world is going to undergo some alterations.
The Pinehurst Resort has hired Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to spearhead the newest restoration outline. Pinehurst No.2 last hosted the U.S Open in 2005 and will again in 2014. It is widely considered one of the most difficult golf courses in the world.
Donald Ross is the original course designer and architect. He implemented his signature look combined with difficult greens in creating his masterpiece. Crenshaw and Coore will not make significant changes to the course to alter the character of the course, they are simply considering this a touch-up project.
The overall goal of the campaign is to restore a more natural look, and take advantage of the North Carolina environment in shaping the signature course of the area.
“It is not our intent to radically change this golf course,” Coore remarked. “We’re trying to uncover it, not recover it. We’re trying to take what Ross left and perhaps bring it back to the character and definition of what was once here. In short, we’ll bring the strategy back and reinstate its character.”
Currently, the course sits a 7, 335 yards in length and is a par-70 for the PGA Tour during the U.S Open. There are actually eight golf courses situated at the Pinehurst resort. Ross is the architect for No.2 and No.3.
Some of the changes that Crenshaw and Coore intend to make include the addition of sand-waste areas, which will line several fairways, enhancing the natural look to the holes. Additionally, the group will reshape bunkers and implement wiregrass.
The golf course is slated to close on November 15th of this year, and will remained closed until March 2nd, 2011.
“We’re not doing this for purely environmental reasons, nor are we doing this project as preparation for the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships,” remarked Don Padgett II, who is the president of Pinehurst. “We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do, as stewards of this historic course.”
In total, Pinehurst No.2 has hosted three major championships on the PGA Tour that include two U.S Opens and a PGA Championship. The course also held the 1951 Ryder Cup, which was won by the United States.
The course is not limited to the PGA Tour however, as the LPGA will their U.S Open in 2014 as well, making Pinehurst No.2 the first course in history to host both U.S Open tournaments in the same year.
The 2010 Crop of Major Tournaments also features some of the great golf courses in the world, including St. Andrews and Pebble Beach. With Tiger Woods’ status still unknown, Phil Mickelson headlines the betting favorites to claim the Masters according to PGA Tour Sportsbooks.
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