VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (March 20, 2007) – When the famed Pinehurst No. 2 golf course was opened a hundred years ago in 1907, the local Pinehurst Outlook newspaper reported, "Pinehurst is now watched by the entire world in the affairs of golf."
A few months ago, Tiger Woods proclaimed to reporters, "I play golf courses on tour and we all see it, miss the green, automatic lob wedge, hack it out of the rough. That to me is not fun golf. Fun golf is Pinehurst."
A century after famed course architect Donald Ross opened his "fairest test of golf I ever designed," Pinehurst No. 2 remains at the top of its class, a top-10 golf course on any international list. Stronger players, state-of-the-art club technology, and longer-flying balls haven’t been able to break Ross’ masterpiece, as it has withstood the toughest test of all – time.
Pinehurst Resort will celebrate the Centennial of its most famed golf course, site of the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship, with a year-long fete touting the masters that have played here, and the stories that mark significant milestones in the game of golf.
It kicks off in April, when each guest playing No. 2 will sign the archival registry and receive a commemorative gift of the course’s greatest stories. They include Ben Hogan’s first professional golf victory, Walter Hagen’s win at Pinehurst after an all-night soiree, and the break in play at the 1951 Ryder Cup, as both teams attended a University of North Carolina football game.
"I once believed Pinehurst No. 2 was the course of golf greats like Snead, Nelson and Hogan," said Pinehurst President Don Padgett III, once a professional Tour player himself. "I realized when I came back here as president, that its history went much deeper, to the times of Ouimet, Travis and Hagen. The roots of American golf have been planted on No. 2 – and they grew from the legends who have played it. We’re honored to celebrate 100 years of great golf this year."
A Centennial golf package can be found on Pinehurst.com, inviting golfers to play the famed course with a caddie, learn how to tackle its greens at a clinic by Pinehurst professionals and enjoy Pinehurst’s upscale amenities. It also includes additional rounds of golf, two nights’ stay, a golfer’s massage, and dining, starting at $1499. During their No. 2 round, guests can also attempt Payne Stewart’s "shot heard ’round the world" — a 15-footer that won him the 1999 U.S. Open Championship on the 18th green.
Historic displays of the course’s evolution will be placed at the N.C. Museum of History, the Pinehurst Clubhouse and the Tufts Archives. They include photography from the course’s inception, showing square sand greens, whisker mounds – and women in corsets driving into its wide fairways in its earliest years. It follows golf history with photos of Maureen Orcutt, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller and course record holders Tom Watson, Gibby Gilbert and Hale Irwin.
"Creativity is what has made Pinehurst No. 2 separate itself from a lot of other places. I look at it and see what it is now, and it must have really been something back in those days, because it’s truly something special now," Irwin said in a recent interview.
With a passion for amateur golf, Pinehurst will also open a blog for those who have played the course to submit online stories and their favorite moments, at http://pinehurst2.blogspot.com. A series of online videos and podcasts will be posted on the blog, including a video of Arnold Palmer, telling viewers of his memories on No. 2 with his father.
A complete timeline on the evolution of Pinehurst No. 2 can be found at http://www.pinehurstmedia.com as well as downloadable video ready for online streaming, photography and other press materials. A wealth of historic photography dating back to 1907 can be requested by the Tufts Archives at 910.295.3642. Media may request a tee time by calling 910.235.8710, based on availability, with letter of assignment.
Located in the North Carolina heartland, world-renowned Pinehurst Resort is a 2,000-acre property featuring golf, spa, tennis, family, events and leisure recreation. Built in 1895, it has hosted such international golf events as the U.S. Open Golf Championship in 1999 and 2005, the PGA Championship in 1936, the Ryder Cup Matches in 1951, the Tour Championship in 1991 and 1992, U.S. Senior Open in 1994, the U.S. Amateur in 1962, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in 1989, and its famed North and South Championships held at Pinehurst since 1901.
Contact:
Janeen Driscoll, 910.235.8710 ÌâåÊ ÌâåÊ
janeen.driscoll@pinehurst.com ÌâåÊ
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