Pinehurst No. 8 reopened Friday, Sept. 2nd, and staff from Golf Aficionado just couldn’t resist learning more about the agronomic remastering performed at Pinehurst No. 8. What is agronomic remastering, you might ask? In simple terms, they kept the course architecture in place but re-did the fairways, tee boxes, bunkers, and greens. The agronomic and infrastructure enhancements are highlighted by new TifEagle greens and improved drainage throughout the course. The biggest visual change you’ll notice is the removal of invasive trees that used to limit views and inhibit sunlight taking a toll on the golf course maintenance and performance.
The most astonishing part of this remastering is that Pinehurst completed the effort in only three months. The quick turnaround was largely possible because of the “fraise” technique used to remove old turf. The pre-existing Bermudagrass turf on tees and fairways was “fraise” mowed to remove thatch throughout the course, tighten up lies and foster more rollout on tee shots. Fraise mowing is a highly disruptive mowing technique developed in the North Carolina Piedmont that effectively removes thatch, organic matter, and soil from Bermudagrass in a single pass.
“No. 8 now appears crisper to the eye and plays firmer and faster the way Tom Fazio originally intended it,” says Pinehurst Resort Director of Agronomy Bob Farren. “Fazio, [Pinehurst Resort Owner] Bob Dedman, and [Pinehurst Resort President] Tom Pashley all agreed that No. 8 should retain its original, commemorative design. These changes are aesthetic and agronomic with no alterations to the course’s architecture.”
Opened in 1996 to celebrate the resort’s centennial, No. 8 seamlessly synthesizes the North Carolina Sandhills aesthetic with Fazio’s timeless design elements. The layout gently spills over 450 acres of rolling terrain dotted with natural wetlands and native grasses. It’s located five minutes from the main clubhouse and courses one through five with its own clubhouse and practice facilities. The new state-of-the-art Golf Pride Retail Lab opened late June and is co-located near No. 8’s entry.
Before the reimagination of Pinehurst No 4., most visitors to Pinehurst Resort always considered Pinehurst No. 8 the second best 18-hole golf course at the resort. Gil Hanse sprinkled his pixie dust and breathed new life into No. 4, leaving No. 8 far behind in popularity.
With the agronomic remastering now complete at Pinehurst No. 8, the course takes a firm grip on being known as the 3rd best golf course at Pinehurst Resort and is sure to become a favorite of both guests and Pinehurst Country Club members. Having played during the grand re-opening, I was shocked by the work done in such a short time period. I’m still questioning how they got everything done so quickly. Work is still ongoing at Pinehurst No. 8. The clubhouse is getting a complete remodel, which won’t be complete for several months; a temporary one is currently being utilized. The golf course is fabulous, and conditions will only improve as everything settles in and the new grasses mature. My personal Pinehurst playlist is below, in order of awesomeness.
- Pinehurst No. 2
- Pinehurst No. 4
- The Cradle
- Pinehurst No. 8
For more information, visit www.pinehurst.com.