The List

Bob Carney, Creative Director and overall Heart & Soul of Golf Digest, and I have talked many times about how guys like us choose the places we play golf.

In the category of Have Some Room On Your American Express Card there is Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes, and Kiawah.

1. The golf course

2. The service

3. My personal favorite, the food

4. Reputation

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While #1 should be enough for a course to succeed and stay on “the list” it’s not. How do I know? Because I just played a place that used to be on everybody’s Top 10  List but has recently fallen off the golf-dar.

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I’m speaking of the recently renovated Pine Needles in Southern Pines.

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While # 2 over at Pinehurst Resort, our version of “The Home of Golf”, is rightly thought of as Donald Ross’ masterpiece, as well as my personal favorite, the second best Ross is three drivers and a 4-wood down Midland Road. I know that’s big talk, believe me.

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Seminole, Oak Hill, Oakland Hills, all great…been there…and so was The Great One.

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Why?

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Here’s my theory…he was on site…you see it’s not possible that he was at any course, other than #2, more or for longer periods of time than at Pine Needles.

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Pinehurst, the town, was his home. If you have ever had the Thursday night special at The Pine Crest Inn (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, the works) before chipping balls into the fireplace, you were eating at Ross’ house. He never planned on Scotty or Carl, the Pine Crest’s long time bartenders, but they are part of the, shall we say, “fabric” of the place

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Back to Pine Needles. It’s a place run by a family and it feels like it. Some times your little brother forgot to take out the trash or tell you that your girlfriend called but in the end it’s all OK.

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Pine Needles, you see, is in my DNA. My Dad was an Old Pro…see definition here. He worked in New York state in the summer and spent the winter on the west coast of Florida…those were the days when his profession was honored and irritating a rich guy or two didn’t mean you were down the road…you, your family, the dog, and your dreams.

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On his way south in the fall, he would often stop in Southern Pines to see his friends Peggy Kirk and “Bullet” Bell. Mrs Bell is not only alive and well, but still giving lessons at 80 something.

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In November of 1976 Dad and my brother Ned were heading to Florida from Chicago where Ned was at Onwentsia Club…but first a stop at Pine Needles. Retired by this point, Dad would fly up to Chicago and drive with Ned…It always made Dad feel good to be back on the road headed south for the winter…a few days of golf and a few beers after a long summer of fixing weak fades and looking for lost headcovers.

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So it was November, it was Election Night 1976…and a peanut farmer from Jaw-ja was running for president of the United States.

To say my dad was a Republican is akin to saying Pine Valley has some pretty decent par 4s on it.

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Here’s how Ned tells the story…

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“It’s 12:00 at night, we’re in our room. I am fast asleep when I feel a sharp pain in my back. I wake up and there’s Dad poking me from the other bed with his golf umbrella…I say Dad, what the hell!??? What time is it???

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He looks at me, dead serious, and says ‘Neddy, go down to the bar and get your old man a double Dewars’

What? I ask.

With a look on his face both deadpan and desperate Dad says “Holy Shit, Jimmy Carter’s going to be our next President, now go get me  the Scotch”

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Pine Needles belongs back on the list…I’m just telling you. It’s not the Best In Golf…but it’s one of ‘em.