Motorists will notice something new when they cross into Moore County, N.C., coming from the north or the south along U.S. Highway 1. NCDOT has erected signs that still read “Welcome to Moore County,” but those signs have added the phrase, “The Home of American Golf,” which is the official and trademarked description for the destination as marketed by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). The secondary sign below the main one still recognizes Moore County as the home of U.S. Open golf championships.
“Thank you to Sen. (Tom) McInnis who serves on the state transportation committee and Pat Molanphy from the NCDOT board for fulfilling our sign request,” said Phil Werz, president and CEO of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). “Golf defines the destination for residents and for visitors from around the world, and with the addition of Golf House Pinehurst, the World Golf Hall of Fame, five future U.S. Opens and other USGA championships scheduled here through 2047, this only reinforces our claim as the home of American golf.”
Pinehurst Resort will host the 2024 U.S. Open, June 13-16 on its fabled, Donald Ross-designed No. 2 course. Additional U.S. Open championships are scheduled in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. The destination is home to nearly 40 golf courses within a 15-mile radius, with 16 of them are currently ranked among the Top 100 in the state by the North Carolina Golf Panel.
Pinehurst Resort earlier this week unveiled the name of its highly-anticipated No. 10 course – Sandmines. The Tom Doak-designed course is scheduled to open April 3.
The Pinehurst Southern Pines Aberdeen Convention & Visitors Bureau is the economic development agency responsible for travel and tourism promotion, product development, and visitor services for Moore County, NC. The CVB devises strategies to enhance the County’s tourism brand value and product to accommodate the next generation of visitors, thereby stimulating the local economy and enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. In 2022,
Moore County ranked as the tenth largest tourism economy in North Carolina, generating $750 million annually in visitor spending, which supports the second largest employment sector in the county.
Photo Courtesy of Pinehurst Southern Pines Aberdeen Convention & Visitors Bureau