Pinehurst No. 2 is a highly regarded golf course known for its challenging greens. The course is a favorite among GOLF’s Top 100 course panelists, who are experts in evaluating golf courses. The greens at Pinehurst No. 2 are particularly challenging due to the fall-offs on all four sides, making positioning crucial for approach shots. The narrowness of some greens adds another level of difficulty, especially with firm and fast conditions that make it hard to control tee shots.
One interesting aspect of the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 is that they appear larger from the fairway than they actually are. The usable square footage to keep a shot on the green is much smaller due to the fall-offs, leading to tricky approaches, pitches, and putts. Players often find themselves putting a ball off the green as they try to navigate the slopes. To succeed on this course, players must play strategically and plan their shots carefully to avoid ending up with difficult putts or chips.
The effective size of the green is also reduced by the runoffs on all four sides, requiring tightly managed trajectory and pace for shots from greenside. The course’s firm and fast conditions, combined with pronounced turns on many holes, can challenge players who struggle to control their shots. Unlike other traditional U.S. Open venues, Pinehurst No. 2 does not have thick rough surrounding the greens. Instead, balls may roll off into waste areas or deep surrounds with tight lies, offering players a variety of options for their next shots.
One unique feature of Pinehurst No. 2 is the mowing strategy for the course. During tournament play, the mowers only cut two heights – fairways and greens. This means that native sand and wiregrass areas require attention, but there is no intermediate cut to slow down balls from entering unpredictable lies off the fairway. This strategy adds an element of unpredictability to the course, requiring players to adapt to different lies and conditions throughout their rounds.
Overall, Pinehurst No. 2 offers a challenging and unique golfing experience for players at all levels. The course’s greens, with their fall-offs and reduced effective size, present a significant challenge for approach shots and putting. Strategic play is essential to navigating the course successfully, especially with the firm and fast conditions that can make controlling shots more difficult. Despite these challenges, Pinehurst No. 2 remains a favorite among golfers and course evaluators for its combination of history, beauty, and difficulty.
