August 2025 - Bucket List Addition

Pinehurst No. 10's well-deserved accolades harken even more great golf at the Sandmines
Photographs courtesy of Pinehurst Resort
This article appeared in the August 2025 edition of Chicago District Golfer.
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The eighth hole at Pinehurst No. 10 might be the most dramatic of the course. Players are asked to hit a blind tee shot over a 30-foot mound dubbed the "Matterhorn" - spoils from the local sand mines of the early-to-mid 20th century. A tee shot well-placed directly over the Matterhorn gives the player a great look into a tucked, bowl-shaped green. But bailout left, and the approach shot is blinded by other sandy mounds left over from the mines.

Because nine courses at Pinehurst just wasn’t enough. Say hello to Pinehurst No. 10, which opened last year, and get ready to welcome Pinehurst No. 11, which will debut in 2027. For the first time in more than 30 years, Pinehurst is adding to its already world-class portfolio by building two new courses on a 900-acre piece of property that once was used to mine sand. Suitably, the new area is being dubbed the Sandmines.

Located three miles from the main Pinehurst resort in the town of Aberdeen, the Sandmines venue almost feels like its own entity. A new 6,000-square-foot clubhouse stands near the first tee of No. 10. In addition to constructing No. 11, there are plans to build guest cottages on the property, and possibly a short course. Indeed, rather than sporting Pinehurst’s iconic “Putter Boy” image, the Sandmines has its own logo, featuring a railcar carrying sand.

“Pinehurst’s past, present and future is right here in the sand,” says Tom Pashley, Pinehurst Resort president. “We look forward to seeing what more can be mined in this area.”

The first dig could not have gone much better with No. 10. The Tom Doak design was named by Golf Digest as the Best New Public Course in 2024. Golf.com has Pinehurst No. 10 ranked 15th on its list of Top 100 Courses You Can Play.

Featuring dunes and 75 feet of elevation changes, No. 10 has a different feel than Pinehurst’s other courses, including its fabled No. 2, which is on the U.S. Open rota. The company that owned the land closed in the mid-‘70s, allowing nature to do its thing. It created a landscape that features native wiregrass, large sand mounds and rolling hills.

 The par-3 second hole on No. 10 features all that Pinehurst and Tom Doak are known for - sandscape and a challenging green protected by natural bunkers framed by towering decades-old longleaf pines.

In many respects, it will remind Midwest golfers of playing at Sand Valley, the golf resort where Doak has designed three courses in the Wisconsin dunes.

In his review of No. 10, Golf Digest’s Derek Duncan wrote, “Tom Doak’s new course at Pinehurst possesses all the elements that define golf in the Carolina sand hills, but it’s arranged in ways that make No. 10 seem fresh and explorative.”

Even Doak was somewhat surprised with the final product, saying “It’s a dramatic golf course; more than I originally thought.

“The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst,” Doak added. “It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we worked our way up to it around the midpoint of the layout. You have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course.”

Indeed, after a somewhat taxing climb up to the par-5 10th hole, golfers will see a sign that implores them to “Rest and be thankful.” Then they will look and see the challenge of a 634-yard par 5.

Perhaps the most memorable hole is No. 8. The 385-yard par 4 calls for a blind shot off the tee over a 30-foot mound dubbed “The Matterhorn” by Doak’s crew. The hole features other bumps that surround the green.

We found the greens extremely challenging during our round in April. They have a lot of undulation and other features that make a two-putt feel like an unnerving task if you are above the hole. I joked to my caddie that golfers should play No. 10 first before playing No. 2, because it will make those notorious greens feel less daunting. He did not disagree.

No. 10 features more than 75 feet of elevation change as players navigate the course, more than any other course at Pinehurst Resort.

All in all, playing No. 10 was an exhilarating golf experience, definitely deserving of the rave reviews.

And there is more fun to come at the Sandmines. In April, Pinehurst announced that the design team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore will construct No. 11, which is slated to open in 2027.

Coore marveled over the unique qualities of the property.

“We’re far, far from the sea, but we have these contours and features and landforms that remind you of spots in Ireland or Scotland,” Coore said. “And yet here it is, in Pinehurst.”

While situated next to No. 10, the two courses will be very different. Part of that is the land, as the terrain for No. 11 is “choppy, ridgey ground,” says Coore, with much less elevation change and a more intimate scale.

“I don’t think I have ever seen two more physically different sites that are contiguous, literally touching each other, than the sites for No. 10 and No. 11,” Coore said. “The two courses will be massively different in terms of their characteristics.”

When No. 11 is completed, it will push Pinehurst’s total to a whopping 207 holes, more than any other U.S. resort. The demand is there, as golfers continue to flock to this mecca of golf in North Carolina. In addition to Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, and now No. 10, the other nearby venues, Pine Needles, Mid Pines, Southern Pines and Tobacco Road, are all considered among the top 100 public courses in the country.

Golfers will find the Sandmines to be a terrific addition to Pinehurst’s portfolio. It is another case of the rich getting richer.

A former golf writer at the Chicago Tribune, Ed Sherman is a frequent contributor to Chicago District Golfer.