Having spent the better part of a week in Pinehurst this summer, I had enough time to take a walk on the other side of the tracks. The other side of the tracks? What most people don’t realize is that Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway Company operate a railroad that runs through the heart of Pinehurst, creating two sides of the tracks. The east side (if viewing from Google Maps) is home to Pinehurst No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and The Cradle. The other side of the tracks is home to Pinehurst No. 3 and No. 5.
There is no denying that if you had to pick one side of the tracks over the other, it would be the east side. We talk at lengths about the east side and how great No 2, No 4, and The Cradle are in our recent article, Beyond Pinehurst No. 2. But what about the other side of the tracks? Nobody ever talks about Pinehurst No. 3 or No. 5.
Pinehurst No. 5
We’re going to change that right now! I had the unique experience of providing my services as a caddy for three days during the 2020 US Kids Teen World Championships hosted on Pinehurst No. 5. My daughter was in the field, so I enjoyed carrying the bag and getting an up-close look at every nook and cranny.
Pinehurst No. 5 is a hybrid between a resort course and a championship golf course. Residing in the shadows of Pinehurst No. 2, it’s hard to call Pinehurst No. 5 a proper championship golf course. Still, it’s more than capable of hosting golf’s best amateur and junior players. Pinehurst No. 5 was designed in 1961 by Ellis Maples, a protégé of Donald Ross, and part of North Carolina’s first family of golf course design and construction.
Maples did an excellent job finding the golf course amongst the hills and pines. Pinehurst No. 5 features a variety of golf holes meandering up and down, left and right, and over water. The combination of water carries, elevated greens, and overall, more significant yardage favors longer hitters that can position themselves well off the tee.
While No. 5 doesn’t have a reputation of No. 2 or 4, it needs to be part of any trip to Pinehurst. If you plan your schedule correctly, you can take advantage of the fact that you can play 3 or 5 for cart fee only, the same day after playing No. 2, 4, or 8.
Like most courses at Pinehurst Resort, putting takes skill; you need to pay attention to the grain of the greens, in particular on No.5. With the grain, putts can be twice as fast with grain than against the grain. Insider tip, when you get to the 12th tee, say hello to the turtles and geese. They love to snack, so come prepared.
Pinehurst No. 3
The team at Pinehurst completely redesigned No. 3 during a major renovation in 2017 that allocated land needed for The Cradle and restored much of the original charm of Donald Ross’s original design. The best way to explain Pinehurst No. 3 is as a miniature version of Pinehurst No. 2.
Before playing Pinehurst No. 3, I had a good laugh looking at the scorecard, par 68 playing at only 5,155 yards from the tips! Upon looking at the scorecard and seeing the yardages, I instantly had thoughts of shooting in the 70s running thru my head. Little did I know that playing No. 3 would be much harder than No. 2! The course will remind you of Pinehurst No. 2. The greens are equally contoured and just as challenging to read, but MUCH smaller!
Smaller greens are, as you can imagine, more challenging to hit! Chipping and putting on these greens are very difficult, and unless you have pinpoint accuracy, you’ll have several extra strokes from your short game. I only had the chance to play one round on Pinehurst No. 3, but I was very impressed with the layout and the challenge that the course presented. Pinehurst No. 3 crushed my dreams of shooting in the 70s, and I was shocked at just how much I underestimated the course; don’t judge a golf course by the scorecard!
The Best Way to Cross the Tracks
I already mentioned that when you play Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, or No. 8 that you can play No. 3 or No. 5 for only a cart fee. I recommend walking 18 holes at either No. 2 or No. 4 in the morning and then playing an afternoon/evening 18 on either No. 3 or No. 5 with a cart. You could easily walk both courses, but they are on the other side of the tracks, and the walk from the resort to the 1st tee is a lengthy one.
The Bottom Line
Pinehurst No. 3 and No. 5 are both excellent courses worthy of playing, and the fact you can arrange it so that you only pay a cart fee makes them a no-brainer to play. I highly suggest an afternoon round on the west side of Pinehurst Resort rolling around in a cart while playing two excellent golf courses!