Pinehurst Sandmines is adding a second course. Pinehurst (N.C) Resort today announced that Pinehurst No. 11, to be designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, will begin construction at Pinehurst Sandmines later this year and is expected to open in Fall 2027. No. 11 joins Tom Doak’s design of Pinehurst No. 10 at the 900-acre site that for decades was mined for its deep reservoirs of sand.
Interestingly, Coore and Cresnshaw drew up plans for what now will be No. 11 more than 15 years when the duo was in the midst of renovating Pinehurst No. 2. But the time wasn’t right on the duo’s side and resort’s side, so the project was shelved. Thwn along came Doak, who created No. 10 on another side of the property – formerly “The Pitt Golf Linkst,’’ to great acclaim in 2024. So 2027 the time will be right to add No. 11 to the Cradle of Amercan Golf.
Thee past mining operations on the property that holds Nos. 11 are still evident within the contours of the site of Coore & Crenshaw’s routing. They are among the features that attracted them to the site 15 years ago.
“It’s such a wonderful site, just because of its inherent character,” said Coore, who marvels at the mixture of native elements and man-made remnants, some of which still remain from when The Pit Golf Links – designed by Dan Maples – was open. “That character was essentially created, not all of it is natural, but it has all been reclaimed by nature. This land is left over from all that mining from the 1930s. The spoil piles are here, and Mother Nature provided the trees, and it’s all incredible. It’s not too often you get that kind of combination, and it creates a site that is extraordinarily interesting for golf.”
Bill Coore at Pinehurst No. 11 (Pinehurst Resort)
While Doak’s No. 10 commands attention for its elevation changes and expansive vistas, Coore & Crenshaw see something unique in No. 11. They envision a golf course that winds and twists while still being dramatic in shape and style, with jutting ridges and massive mounds to be played over and around.
“The two courses really couldn’t be more different, and we love that,” said Tom Pashley, President of Pinehurst Resort. “The designs of No. 10 and No. 11 complement each other so well by contrasting so much. Golf in the North Carolina Sandhills can be an experience unlike any other, and we believe the golf at Pinehurst Sandmines will be a great representation of that.”
For someone like Coore, who grew up in North Carolina and ventured to Pinehurst on numerous occasions in his youth to play the famed designs in this area, the landforms for No. 11 are unlike anything he has seen around Pinehurst.
“It’s this choppy, ridgey ground,” he said. “It’s not as much elevation change, but it’s so quirky with the ridges and the piles and the trees and the angles. This is going to be so intimate in scale. You’re winding your way through trees and over old piles and across ridges. 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. And yet here it is, in Pinehurst.”
No. 11’s building marks another milestone in a short amount of time for Pinehurst Sandmines. As No. 10 has earned numerous accolades since its opening a year ago, other elements of Sandmines are also coming together this summer. The 6,000-square-foot pro shop and locker room will open in June, and in August, Sandmines’ restaurant and bar will be open for business. Plans for lodging for guests staying on property are ongoing and could be in place by the end of 2027.
“We want Pinehurst Sandmines to be a special place not just in Pinehurst, but in the game of golf that will stand the test of time and enhance the soul of American golf,” says Bob Dedman Jr., owner and CEO of Pinehurst Resort. “The vision Coore & Crenshaw have for No. 11 coupled with what Tom Doak has already done at No. 10 makes that hope more of a possibility, and we couldn’t be more excited about what the future has in store.”
pinehurst.com.
Feature Photo: Aerial View of Pinehurst No. 11 at Sandmines (Pineurst Resort)