Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club

Pine Needles is part of the new trio of Mid Pines, Southern Pines, and itself. This is the championship course amongst those. You can tell. Fairways are wider. Greens are slightly more severe than Mid Pines. Conditions are top notch. You can tell the club house has kept its older feel, but had money put into it to keep the quality better than Mid Pines. 5 star course. Management could be better if trying to compare this place with other top 100s. I want to explain this more thoroughly. Staff friendliness isn’t bad when comparing to other facilities. But, if you are going to compare to a top 100 this has got to be without question. No GPS on carts. Starter didn’t arrive until 9:15 and was more occupied with trying to get his non-correct tee sheet right than customer service. When going to a top 75 in America. These things are ran flawlessly. The course itself, could not be any better. Greens rolled perfect. Runoffs expected if a Donald Ross. Just an absolute gem. Hard to pick between this and Mid Pines. Go play both and compare.

Kicked off our yearly golf trip with a practice round at Pine Needles. It's a very welcoming place nestled in the pines (accurate name). The staff was super friendly, and the facility had good food and good practice areas.

Then it was time for golf... we were all excited for our first taste of NC golf on a Donald Ross course that has hosted multiple major events.

After getting greenside in two on the opening par 5, I was feeling great about where my day was going... and then I learned the importance of being in the right spots. True to reputation, the greens and surrounding areas here are complex. Lots of undulation, lots of collection areas, lots of raised greens. I humbly walked off the first green with a double, but even more excited to see what the day would bring.

It didn't disappoint. In addition to being a beautiful course, it had all the things you look for in a good round: strategy, creativity, and variety. Certainly a worthy host for any tournament, big or small.

It's a pretty course and very challenging, but not in great shape that you would expect especially if you are flying in from out of town. I would compare the conditions to Lonnie Poole in Raleigh which also only costs $85. I'd rather play Tobacco Road or any Pinehurst course.

On top of that, there was a rain delay which is fine, but the pro shop originally told us we would be delayed until 11:30, we were very early so we left to get coffee, we got back and the bag guy said we were delayed until noon so we took our team getting ready. When we checked in around 10:45 the pro shop said it was actually 11:10 so by that time we barely had time to warm up and scattered to get ready. The blonde guy in the pro shop was very rude. I was standing there checking in and he took a call from Mid Pines to schedule someone else and made me wait.

We played this course in early-December and what a treat it was. Pine Needles, and it’s sister course mid-Pines, are stuck in time, and I mean that as a high compliment. Playing a Donald Ross course is something every passionate golfer needs to experience and Pine Needles didn’t disappoint. Pace of play was fantastic as we finished in under 4 hours. Course condition was pristine and off-course amenities and service were impeccable. They even offer a 4 hole practice course that is gratis when playing the big boy. Get there early and enjoy that too. We’ll be back.

Super nice place with a very nice staff but the greens were extremely slow and grainy. Not sure if it was because they had been aerated a week or two before or not. Of all the courses we played in Pinehurst that week these were the worst by far. Would have been nice if they let us know about that ahead or had provide a bigger price break for that issue. Rest of the course was in very good shape and amenities were nice.

Played here as a father's day gift with my dad. They'd just punched the greens, so we had a surprise $50 18-hole rate. The course is awesome - probably the best I've played on, even with aerated greens. If anything, it slowed the greens down a bit and made them easier to putt on and hold approaches. It really is a beautiful golf course - Donald Ross / sandhills golf at its best. Top-notch practice facilities, too. If you live within driving distance or are looking to fit one last course into a pinehurst trip, this one's perfect.

What a great course. And it pairs well with Mid Pines across the street if you want an epic day of 36 holes. I prefer Mid Pines, but that's sllitting hairs. Both are fantastic courses.

If you're in Southern Pines for more than the goal of playing #2 at Pinehurst, then put these two course on your list.

I can’t say enough about how great this course is. I had the pleasure of playing pine needles during a recent buddies trip to pinehurst. To be honest, with other pinehurst resort courses and Tobacco Road on the itinerary, expectations were low for this course. This course far exceeded my highest expectations and was quite possibly the highlight of the trip. Conditions were immaculate even in rainy conditions. The layout is classic Donald Ross with sandy waste areas and unforgiving greens. Do yourself a favor and play this gem when in and around pinehurst, you will not be disappointed.

This course was an absolute blast. The pin locations were tough, so if you made the putt...a fist pump was warranted. We also were provided with a walking tour. I was VERY impressed with Kyle Franz who explained how the course was rehabed to bring out the natural flora and beauty of the area. I was amazed at how much work and Intel goes into designing a course. Bradley Klein is a wealth of information on anything to do with golf, golf history, etc. I don't know how he does, but I'm glad he does. We had lunch at Pine Needles twice. Both times the food and staff were both excellent.

We had been advised that the greens here were tricky, and while they were indeed, they were also in great shape. We really want to come back here next year and play this one again.

I love playing this course but it can eat me up. The sloping greens on all sides and false fronts make club selection and approach shots key. There are a few blind shots on some holes. Starting with hole 10 there is a beautiful stretch of holes that wander through the tall pines and it's vintage Carolina sandhills. Very pretty! The course is always in great shape and the greens are always fast. The food is excellent and the course history documented on the walls throughout the clubhouse is legendary.

Another absolute gem. The course requires razor sharp precision as the greens are mounded and quick. False fronts await around every corner. Host site to a US Senior Women’s Open, and I can see why. The day we played it was soft in front of the greens from the tropical storm that rolled through. Would like to play it again when firm time get the true feel of the course.

Long flowing lines to the place, contrasting with Mid Pines or Pinehurst No. 2. Much more sensible, uncluttered, straightforward in presentation.

Recently took a group of 12 to the Pinehurst area for a 6 day golf trip. We ended up playing a total of 3 rounds at Pine Needles. I can't say enough about this course. It was in absolutely immaculate condition. All aspects of the course were spot on!! Everyone from the bar, the starter to the pro shop staff were wonderful. This is a must play if you are in the Pinehurst area. We will definitely be back next year!!

Staff might have been the friendliest at any course I have ever played, and the golf course is a treat. Hands down the best track I have played in the Pinehurst area (haven’t played 2 or 4).

In a week full of Pinehurst and Southern Pines Courses, this one was one of my favorite. It is truly a championship course offering plenty of distance, variety and difficulty for any player.
We played the week after USGA Womens Sr Open and the conditions were pristine. Greens were perfect and fast The lodge is also very cool and has a well appointed Pro Shop and great bar for after round drinks.

This is a can't miss course in the area.

Pine Needles was a terrific golf experience. The condition of the course was great despite the wet weather. The Ross green complexes were really fun to negotiate and the strategy and shotmaking that the course required was all I could hope for out of my first Ross sandhills golf experience. Just a wonderful golf course

Pine needles is beautiful setting for a golf course. The course is a great design cut through the woods with lots of up and down and some of the fastest greens around.

The course itself is a test of your golfing skills that is for sure. Like most courses in area there is little rough and just tons of waste area and pine straw. Better make sure your driver is on point (mine was not). Front nine has some gorgeous holes like hole 3 and 4 and hole 16, 17, 18 are fantastic finishing holes. Had caddies the other courses we played on the trip and struggled here with not knowing where to hit. I really suggest study everything because we had multiple shots hit greens as good shots and roll off to collection areas. Just need that local knowledge. Great place check it and make sure to get hot dog in the restaurant they are DYNAMITE !!

This is my favorite course in the Pinehurst area. The combination of an outstanding course at a price that is a third of #2 makes this one you can't miss.

You can see right away the course layout is a key reason they have hosted the most Women's US Opens. It is an old Donald Ross with all the best features. The greens aren't as tricked up as #2 and is much more playable day in and day out.

The staff was extremely friendly. Spent time talking to us on and off the course about what can be done to enhance our experience. They walked us through the course and the history before we went out, which helped us enjoy it even more.

Conditions were great. Fairways and greens were pristine. Saw the maintenance crew throughout the course working on bunkers and trees too, so no resting on their laurels.

I could not recommend playing Pine Needles enough. The course is the star here, but the staff helped set the right stage to enjoy it all.

I'm not sure where all of these 5-star reviews come from. Maybe I just hit a really bad day for the course, but I was pretty unimpressed. This place obviously caters to an older crowd, and the pace of play was miserably slow. We ended up quitting and just going to our next destination because we were just sitting in the cart for an extraordinary time between shots. It was horrible. There was nobody pushing pace-of-play and those who refuse to keep up with the group in front of them were allowed to do as they please. The course was in great shape, the staff was nice as can be, but if you expect a 4 hour round, find somewhere else. The combination of oblivious hackers and elderly make a pace-of-play here a disaster.