Pinehurst Resort & Country Club - The Cradle

The greens are tricky (especially on hole 2) and the layout is interesting. Pinehurst made the most of an area that could be just sitting there, and created a short shot playground for golf lovers of all backgrounds.

If you can't have fun at the Cradle then you may want to just quit the game. Grab some drinks, pick a game, and go hit some shots. Look forward to laughter and high fives as you work your way around 700 yards of enjoyment.

The Cradle is a great play any time of day.

Perhaps the most fun laid-back Par 3 course out there as it is a bundle of short shots and tons of fun. If you are in the area or at the resort, unwind with a putter and a wedge in the Cradle.

I played the Cradle Par 3 short course at Pinehurst Country Club for the first time last week.

Walked on and was joined by a nice threesome.

The starter Curt is helpful, friendly, and professional. He exchanged my bag for a Sunday bag. I brought a few clubs.

The longest hole is 110 yards. You tee from mats. The rest of the Cradle is manicured turf just like the others at Pinehurst Country Club.

This is the most fun you'll ever have on a par 3 course! Greens are fast and undulating . Bunkers are deep. I hit 9 iron successfully out of 2.

There is a bar at the 9th hole (yes, I had a beer) and piped in music to create a fun party atmosphere.

On the 9th green, people sit in Adirondack chairs, booing bad shots, cheering good ones.

I hit a 5 wood to 15 feet on the fringe. I asked one of the "gallery" how the putt broke. Took their advice and sank the putt for birdie. They cheered!

Great course for $50 that I would play every time in Pinehurst!

For all levels, beginners, and families!

You'll have fun!

Pitch & putt 9 hole par 3 course. Distances range from 56 to 127 yards. Relaxed atmosphere with speakers playing music. Great undulating holes. #1 only flat hole. A mini version of Pinehurst holes with bunkers and native grasses. Very pleasing to the eye. Didn't like the fact you had to hit off mats, but I understand why....lots of people playing and tees would be constantly tore up. So while it's $50/person for all day play...based on availability (unless you're 17 and younger...then you're free) we were only able to play once as it was totally booked up for the day. We played on a Saturday afternoon so maybe it's less busy during the week. I think they should give you the option of playing just 9 holes and charging $20-$25. For the price they should throw in a complimentary divot tool to fix the ball marks on the green. Greens were in great shape considering the amount of play. For me it wasn't worth $50 to play 9 holes. I had more fun at Thistle Dhu....the free 18 hole undulating putting course next to the Cradle.

It used to be a pair of holes on Pinehurst #3. Then it was the driving range for the 2014 US Opens. Now it may be the best par three course this side of Augusta.

Gil Hanse built an awesome 9-hole course at Pinehurst just steps from the iconic clubhouse and 18th green on #2. It seemed genuinely designed for fun - hidden speakers played country music, cold drinks at the bar on the 8th green, and Adirondack chairs all over the course to sit and watch other groups play.

The course itself is a fun par 3 course with elevation changes and tricky Pinehurst greens. Holes range from 60 yards to 125 yards, so it's easy to walk with just a few clubs. And at $50 for unlimited all-day play, it's the best value at the resort. Each round takes about an hour to play, and we played three rounds with no problem.

Definitely worth it if you want Pinehurst but don't have a million dollars to put a deposit on a tee time at #2.

OVERALL: 8.5/10

Traveled from CT for a 5-day Pine Hurst trip Dec 4-8th. We played the Cradle on two different days after our rounds. The Cradle is $50 for all you can play. It’s a fun 9-hole pitch and putt course on property at the main club house. For me the disappointment was that we had to play from mats, the greens had hundreds of deep unfixed ball marks and the price did not match the conditions. If you’ve been to Pine Hurst you know the staff is fantastic! They let all 8 of us play together as long as we let others play through. It was fun to play but just don’t have the same expectations for conditions as you would for the championship courses.

Was able to squeeze in a round at The Cradle after meetings and before heading to the airport. Everything you've heard about The Cradle is absolutely true.

This 9-hole track was designed by renowned course architect Gil Hanse and intended to provide golfers of all ages and skill levels a wonderful way to experience Pinehurst. The location is literally at the epicenter of the entire Pinehurst Resort experience.

Having played a number of courses at Pinehurst about 10 yrs ago, in addition to The Cradle, the resort has made some amazing upgrades including:
- Full renovations/retrovations of No's 2 and 4
- New Thistle Dhu putting course,
- New food and bev options called The Deuce and the Pinehurst Brewing Company.

Though The Cradle definitely falls on the shorter end of the 'short course' spectrum, the architecture provides for a ton of different shots to test your short game. Pinehurst has the ability to vary the tees significantly and for our round the longest hole was 120 yds and the shortest was 56 yds.

The course is great fun with a vibe to match. There's music playing on outdoor speakers throughout, people are allowed to play in bare feet and the routing shrewdly runs you by "The Pinecone" refreshment station on three occasions in 9 holes!

I was a huge fan of The Cradle (who wouldn't be) and regret we didn't have time for another round. This track would make a fantastic addition to any afternoon Pinehurst itinerary,

This might be one of the best hours you can spend on a golf course. Conditioning like the championship layouts at Pinehurst, but playable by all levels, including expert players. That's right, you'll enjoy it if you're a good player and if you're not. It'd be pretty difficult to lose a ball on The Cradle, and there's nothing boring about it, despite the holes ranging from 50 yards or so to about 120 yards. And if you''ve never had a hole in one, this might be the course for you since there will undoubtedly be a pin position or two set up to catch a tee shot off a slope. Oh, and did I mention the course is beautiful. It's $50, but you can play it as many times as you want for the day (based on tee time availability).