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 rail car 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.
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.
