The Venue
Southern Pines, North Carolina· Donald Ross (rest. Kyle Franz, 2013)
Mid Pines is one of the most authentic surviving examples of Donald Ross architecture, a 1921 Sandhills design routed naturally over rolling terrain that serves up uphill, downhill, and sidehill shots throughout. Sensitively restored by Kyle Franz in 2013, it recaptured lost putting surface and the original sandy, native-fringed aesthetic. Compact at just over 6,700 yards, it's celebrated for its strategy, crowned greens, and a standout collection of par 4s rather than raw length.
| Out | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| Yds | 401 | 190 | 437 | 330 | 484 | 537 | 383 | 179 | 340 | 3,281 |
| In | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
| Yds | 514 | 180 | 380 | 232 | 361 | 542 | 440 | 391 | 411 | 3,451 |
Par 4 · 401 yds
An elevated tee frames a broad fairway dropping into a valley before climbing to a deep, rolling green on a distant hillock; note the pin position from the tee before descending.
Par 3 · 190 yds
A demanding mid-length par 3 to a crowned green that falls away on all sides, so favor the center and treat par as a solid score.
Par 4 · 437 yds
The longest two-shotter on the front nine; take enough club off the tee and accept a longer approach into a green guarded in true Ross fashion.
Par 4 · 330 yds
Deceptively short but home to the course's most severe green, a narrow plateau angling right that demands a surgically precise approach from a comfortable wedge distance.
Par 5 · 484 yds
A reachable short par 5; a good drive opens a go-for-it second, but the angled green and surrounding contours reward a controlled approach over a reckless one.
Par 5 · 537 yds
Tree removal opened the right side, creating options: attack down the left or lay up right for a better angle into the green.
Par 4 · 383 yds
Full of subtle angles despite a straight routing; stay on the left side of the fairway for the best visibility into the restored front-right hole locations.
Par 3 · 179 yds
A mid-iron par 3 where green contour and pin position dictate club; play to the fat of the green and let Ross's slopes do the rest.
Par 4 · 340 yds
A short par 4 to close the front; position over power off the tee leaves a simple wedge, but missing in the wrong spot brings the crowned green into play.
Par 5 · 514 yds
A reachable par 5 to open the back; a solid drive and clean second can set up an eagle look, but respect the bunkering short of the green.
Par 3 · 180 yds
A high, narrow green with a kicker knob front-right; a draw that uses the slope produces one of the most rewarding shots on the course.
Par 4 · 380 yds
A long, sliver-shaped green angling front-left to back-right; flirt with the left fairway bunker for the ideal angle into a target only about fifteen paces wide.
Par 3 · 232 yds
A monstrously long par 3 usually requiring a wood; the open front lets you run the ball on, and a right-to-left slope near the green helps feed shots onto the surface.
Par 4 · 361 yds
A medium par 4 where keeping the ball in the fairway is paramount; favor position for the best line into a typically firm, contoured green.
Par 5 · 542 yds
Broadly sloping terrain rewards a drawn tee ball that uses the fairway slope for distance, bringing the green within reach in two for longer hitters.
Par 4 · 440 yds
Considered one of the best holes in the Southeast: from an elevated rim it plays downhill into a valley to a domed green whose high middle section is where strokes are lost.
Par 4 · 391 yds
A relatively flat dogleg right where a power fade is handsomely rewarded; bunkers at the left-front of the green punish overly conservative left-side play.
Par 4 · 411 yds
A majestic downhill finisher from an elevated tee with views of the Mid Pines Inn; the back-to-front green adds drama, so keep the approach below the hole.
