(WXYZ) — Tom Doak, a Michigan-based golf architect who is one of the most respected in the country, is designing a new course at Pinehurst Resort, expected to open in 2024.
The resort made the announcement, saying this will be the first new golf course in nearly three decades with a groundbreaking scheduled for later this month.
Doak lives in Traverse City and is the architect of some of the best courses in the world, including The Loop at Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Mich., a reversible golf course.
According to Pinehurst, the new course will be located four miles south of the main resort clubhouse
and is expected to open in late spring 2024, which will coincide with the return of the U.S. Open to the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course.
“The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst,” Doak said, according to Pinehurst. “It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we’ll work our way up to it around the mid-point of the layout. You’ll have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course. It will be an unforgettable experience for golfers.”
Doak is familiar with working with sand to build golf courses, like much of the courses in the Pinehurst region. He also designed two courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, and designed Sedge Valley, the newest course at Sand Valley in Wisconsin, expected to open in 2024.
“The number one thing that excited us about the project is working with the beautiful sand that’s native to this region … the sand, the wiregrass, the bluestem and other native grasses that grow around the Sandhills create a fabulous texture for golf. It’s something most places just don’t have," he said.
“Tom Doak builds incredible golf courses on sand and we’re excited to see what he’ll create in the North Carolina Sandhills,” Pinehurst Resort President Tom Pashley said in a statement. “We’ve worked with some amazing golf architects who’ve embraced our natural aesthetic and believe Tom will do something fantastic on this site.”
Pinehurst is home to nine different courses – including the famed No. 2 designed by Donald Ross, and No. 4 with was redesigned by Gil Hanse. There's also the 9-hole short course – The Cradle – and an 18-hole putting course called Thistle Dhu.
