PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA · EST. 1895
7 courses · 4 days · 1 legendary trip — October 21–25, 2026
TWO TEE TIMES PER SLOT · SPLIT INTO TWO GROUPS OF FOUR
| Date | Time | What's Happening |
|---|---|---|
| WED 10/21 | by 6:00 PM | Wheels down at RDUEveryone In By 6 |
| THU 10/22 | 8:08 / 8:16⏱ ~11:38 / 11:46 | Pinehurst No. 32-Man Scramble |
| 12:50 / 1:00⏱ ~5:50 / 6:00 PM | Pinehurst No. 8Serious RoundShared Caddie | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner — Carolina Dining RoomCarolina HotelProposed | |
| FRI 10/23 | 9:30 / 9:40⏱ ~2:30 / 2:40 PM | Pinehurst No. 2Serious RoundCart Path Only |
| 3:50 / 4:00⏱ ~5:50 / 6:00 PM | The CradleWalking · Par 3Shoes Off — Mandatory3–4 Clubs Max | |
| ~6:00 PM | Thistle Dhu18-Hole Putting CourseFree | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner — The 1895 GrilleHolly InnProposed | |
| SAT 10/24 | 9:36 / 9:48⏱ ~2:36 / 2:48 PM | Pinehurst No. 10Serious RoundWalking · Shared Caddie |
| 3:04 / 3:12 | Pinehurst No. 5Optional / TBC | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner in the VillaGames Night 🃏Last Full Night | |
| SUN 10/25 | morning | Pack & Check Out |
| 10:10 / 10:20⏱ ~3:10 / 3:20 PM | Pinehurst No. 4Serious RoundCart Path · Shared Caddie | |
| 4:00 PM | Van to RDUFlights 7 PM+ |
Serious Round = 10, 2, 8, 4 — scores count. Chips = format & logistics notes. Pace plan: ~3.5 hrs on No. 3 · ~5 hrs on 2, 8, 10 & 4 · ~2 hrs at the Cradle. Walking total for the week: ~22–24 miles. Break in your shoes now.
| Premier Golf Package (Wednesday night taken care of ✓) | $3,820.00 |
| Tax* | $348.91 |
| Resort fee | $447.00 |
| Shared caddie budget (No. 4, 8 & 10) | ~ $200.00 |
| Drinks, merch & misc allowance | ~ $500.00 |
| Balance per person | ~ $5,000 |
4 nights in a Carolina Villa (Wednesday night's covered) · three-course dinner nightly — good at any resort restaurant · Southern buffet breakfast daily · carts & practice facilities · all golf: No. 2, 4, 8, 10 & The Cradle.
The ~$500 allowance covers on-course & 19th-hole drinks, pro-shop merch, and misc. No cash on property — cards only.
All-in: ~$5,000
*Tax subject to change per local & state laws. Your $300 deposit is already credited in the number above. Resort balance is due at checkout; caddie tips & drinks settle as you go.
Fly into RDU (Raleigh-Durham). Land by 6:00 PM Wednesday 10/21 — van leaves ~6:30.
Target 4:00–5:30 PM landings for a buffer.
Sunday: van leaves the resort at 4:00 PM, RDU by ~5:30.
Book departures 7:00 PM or later — or fly Monday and nobody rushes.
Clubs will be on property — tee off straight from the villa Thursday.
Carry bags must be under 24 lbs on No. 2, 4 & 10. Pack light.
Free resort shuttle to everything — call (910) 235-8403 or ext. 58403.
Sunday morning: pack + check out before the 10:10 round.
Know the battlefield before you get there.
More homework — watch on the plane.
The more you watch, the fewer excuses in October.
Steal a line or two for the serious rounds.
Extra credit for the leaderboard hopefuls.
No. 2's crowned greens shrug balls off the edges all day. Practice putting and chipping from off the green — the bump-and-run and the putter-from-20-yards-off are your best friends. High flop shots will betray you.
Fast, sloped surfaces everywhere. Spend range sessions on 30–50 foot lag putts — the guy who three-putts least wins the serious rounds. Speed over line.
Miss a fairway and you're in hardpan sand and wiregrass, not rough. Practice picking the ball clean off tight/sandy lies — and accept that punching out sideways is a real strategy.
Domed greens mean small effective targets. Dial in your carry numbers from 60–120 yards — knowing your exact wedge yardages matters more here than 10 extra yards off the tee (sorry, Dan).
~22–24 miles across the week, with No. 10 the longest hike. No training plan needed — just break in your shoes before October and maybe don't take the cart every single round between now and then.
Between No. 3, the Cradle, and the short holes on the big courses, you'll hit a lot of scoring-iron tee shots. Groove your 7-iron-and-down — that's where the trip's bragging rights live.