THE HOME OF AMERICAN GOLF · NORTH CAROLINA
The Boys Are Going
to Pinehurst
7 courses · 4 days · 1 legendary trip — October 21–25, 2026
“apes together golf”
40ANOOP'S BDAY
—Days
—Hours
—Mins
—Secs
THE HOME OF AMERICAN GOLF · NORTH CAROLINA
7 courses · 4 days · 1 legendary trip — October 21–25, 2026
“apes together golf”
Owns a sim club, but getting worse over time. 3 putts and skulls off the bunker. King of bad dad jokes. Already turned 40 — just looking for excuses to go on a big golf trip.
Wisest cousin, Marondera original. Wrong-handed menace — 90+ rounds last year. If it’s a par 5, he has five on it. Pro photographer — want portraits of your perfect golf swing? He’s your guy.
Brotha from the same motha. Nashville through and through — a true Southern country boy and bourbon aficionado. Short backswings and long follow throughs.
Birthday twin cuz — always smiling. Spills the pizza, taps the bumper, never his fault. Drives fast off the course, and faster on it. Racks up more airline miles than fairways hit. Knows real estate better than he knows where his tee shot went.
Brotha from anotha motha — known him since before he could walk, SF roomies at some point after. More tattoos than birdies. Designer at heart — he will critique the user interface on your scorecard. Has genuinely hammered a Happy Gilmore drive.
The SF connect — many late nights in SOMA, deep chats and a fellow conspiracy theorist. Now owns an ice cream franchise and keeps it cool at all times — never melts over a 4-footer for par. Loves a good hook — whether chasing a 500-pound tuna or a 500-yard par 5.
College day one. Resident techie: ships features in his sleep, files bug reports on his own swing. Ex-rock band member, Disneyland Magic Key holder, IMAX buddy — and yes, he can wield a lightsaber.
New Yorker origins, beachside ambitions — walks fast, talks faster. VC and entrepreneur by day, makes a wicked espresso martini by night. Heavy hitter, chasing more rings.
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 6Van Pickup ~6:30 PM · TBC |
| ~8:30 PM | Dinner — The TavernCasual / T-Shirt OKHolly InnProposed | |
| THU 10/22 | 6:15 – 8:00wake · eat · warm up | Early Start — The One Real Alarm6:15 AM WakeBy the Clubhouse |
| 8:08 / 8:16⏱ 3 hrs or less → ~11:08 / 11:16 | Pinehurst No. 3Polo / Collar Required2-Man ScrambleFirst Off the TeeBy the Clubhouse | |
| 12:50 / 1:00⏱ 5 hrs → ~5:50 / 6:00 PM | Pinehurst No. 8Serious RoundPolo / Collar RequiredShared Caddie | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner — The DeuceCasual / T-Shirt OKRelaxedProposed | |
| FRI 10/23 | 7:30 – 9:20wake · eat · warm up | Breakfast & Warmup7:30 AM WakeBy the Clubhouse |
| 9:30 / 9:40⏱ 5 hrs → ~2:30 / 2:40 PM | Pinehurst No. 2Serious RoundPolo / Collar RequiredCart Path OnlyBy the Clubhouse | |
| 3:50 / 4:00⏱ 2 hrs → ~5:50 / 6:00 PM | The CradleCasual / T-Shirt OKBy the ClubhouseWalkingPar 3Shoes Off — Mandatory3–4 Clubs Max | |
| ~6:00 PM | Thistle DhuCasual / T-Shirt OKBy the Clubhouse18-Hole Putting CourseFree | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner — Pinehurst Brewing CoCasual / T-Shirt OKProposed | |
| SAT 10/24 | 7:15 – 9:25wake · eat · shuttle · warm up | Breakfast & Warmup7:15 AM Wake |
| 9:36 / 9:48⏱ 5 hrs → ~2:36 / 2:48 PM | Pinehurst No. 10Serious RoundPolo / Collar RequiredWalkingShared Caddie | |
| 3:04 / 3:12 | Pinehurst No. 5Polo / Collar RequiredBy the ClubhouseOptional / TBC | |
| 7:30 PM | Dinner in the VillaCasual / T-Shirt OKGames Night 🃏Catan FinaleLast Full Night | |
| SUN 10/25 | 7:45 – 10:00wake · eat · pack · warm up | Breakfast · Pack · Check Out7:45 AM WakeBy the Clubhouse |
| 10:10 / 10:20⏱ 5 hrs → ~3:10 / 3:20 PM | Pinehurst No. 4Serious RoundPolo / Collar RequiredBy the ClubhouseCart PathShared Caddie | |
| 4:00 PM | Van to RDUProvisional |
Serious Round = 10, 2, 8, 4 — scores count.
Chips = format & logistics notes.
Dress code: Polo / Collar Required = golf courses & clubhouse · Casual / T-Shirt OK = Cradle, Thistle Dhu, casual dinners & the villa.
Pace plan: ≤3 hrs on No. 3 · ~5 hrs on 2, 8, 10 & 4 · ~2 hrs at the Cradle.
Walking total: ~22–24 miles. Break in your shoes now.
Campus geography: By the Clubhouse = No. 1–5, The Cradle and Thistle Dhu are all walkable from the villa.
Off campus: No. 6–10 need the shuttle, so those mornings carry an extra travel block (No. 8 Thursday, No. 10 Saturday).
Every player gets a target number of points for the round: Quota = 36 − Handicap.
No official handicap? Use your typical 18-hole score: Quota ≈ 36 − (Score − 72). Shoot ~90 → quota 18.
Bogey 1 · Par 2 · Birdie 4 · Eagle 8. Double bogey or worse = 0.
Blowups cost nothing extra — pick up, take the zero, move on.
Your day = points scored − your quota. Beat it and you're plus; miss it and you're minus.
Add up your +/- across all four Serious Rounds (No. 8, 2, 10 & 4). Highest total wins the Cup.
Beat your quota by 4 or more → quota goes up 2 the next day. Miss it by 4 or more → quota comes down 2.
A bad opening guess corrects itself by Friday. No sandbagging, no crying.
Friday on No. 2, four made-up handicaps. Points every hole: bogey 1 · par 2 · birdie 4 · eagle 8, worse than bogey 0. Day result = points − quota.
| Player | Hcp → Quota | The Round | Points | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butch | 8 → 28 | 2 birdies · 8 pars · 7 bogeys · 1 blowup | 8 + 16 + 7 + 0 = 31 | +3 |
| Mini | 20 → 16 | 3 pars · 11 bogeys · 4 doubles | 6 + 11 + 0 = 17 | +1 |
| Dan | 12 → 24 | 1 birdie · 6 pars · 8 bogeys · 3 others | 4 + 12 + 8 = 24 | E |
| Jason | 22 → 14 | 2 pars · 8 bogeys · 8 others | 4 + 8 = 12 | −2 |
READ IT: BUTCH WINS THE DAY AT +3 — BUT MINI BEAT DAN AND JASON STRAIGHT UP AT A 20 HANDICAP. THAT'S THE SYSTEM: EVERY HOLE COUNTS, AND ANYONE CAN WIN THE CUP.
| Player | Handicap / Typical Score | Opening Quota |
|---|---|---|
| Anoop "Shooter Snoop" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Dan "Knicks Nation" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Butch "No Bammer BG" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Deven "Dr Dre Country" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Mini "Gilmore" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Jaewon "The Hook" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Darshan "Smiley Chapman" | [hcp] | [quota] |
| Jason "Main Street" | [hcp] | [quota] |
No. 3 · two-man teams. Both hit, pick the better ball, both play from there. Winning team: +2 each. Strictly no mulligans.
Low gross — no quotas on 127-yard holes. Winner +2. Cousins vs The Rest for the Transfusion tab — loser bloodline buys.
18-hole putting title, Friday evening. Winner +1 and bragging rights on every green for the rest of the trip.
Any gross birdie, any round: +1. Make it, take your point.
TEE TIMES ARE FIXED. LINEUPS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE — PAIRINGS MAY ADJUST ONCE WE HAVE EVERYONE'S FLIGHTS AND HANDICAPS, AND WILL BE CONFIRMED AS WE GET CLOSER.
| Day | Match | Group 1 (first tee time) | Group 2 (second tee time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 1 WED 10/21 |
ArrivalNo Golf | Land at RDU by 6, van to the resort, dinner at The Tavern. Quotas get locked in tonight. | |
| DAY 2 THU 10/22 |
No. 3 — AMScramble · 2-Man Teams | Anoop + Jason vs Butch + Jaewon | Dan + Deven vs Darshan + Mini |
| No. 8 — PMSerious RoundBUT ONE 🇿🇼 | Butch · Jaewon · Dan · Jason | BUT ONE: Anoop · Mini · Darshan · Deven — the grew-up-in-Zim group | |
| DAY 3 FRI 10/23 |
No. 2Serious RoundThe Crown Jewel | Deven · Jaewon · Jason · Darshan | Anoop · Mini · Butch · Dan |
| The CradleLoser Bloodline Buys | Cousins: Anoop · Butch · Deven · Darshan | The Rest: Dan · Jason · Jaewon · Mini | |
| Thistle DhuPutting Title | Everyone, putter only — winner +1, loser buys the first round at dinner. | ||
| DAY 4 SAT 10/24 |
No. 10Serious RoundMixed | Butch · Deven · Darshan · Jaewon | Anoop · Mini · Dan · Jason |
| No. 5Optional / TBC~9 Holes | Anoop · Dan · Jason · Jaewon | Butch · Mini · Deven · Darshan | |
| DAY 5 SUN 10/25 |
No. 4Serious RoundThe Closer | Mini · Jason · Butch · Dan | Anoop · Darshan · Deven · Jaewon |
FINAL STANDINGS = SUM OF +/- FROM THE FOUR SERIOUS ROUNDS + SCRAMBLE, CRADLE, THISTLE DHU & BIRDIE BONUSES. CUP HANDED OUT AFTER NO. 4 ON DAY 5.
The trophy has a name. [Buy-in per player: $__ · winner takes __ / dinner on the losers / etc.]
[Skins? Wolf on the back nine? Scramble side pot? — list them here]
Fail to make it past the ladies' tee off the box and that's a round of drinks on you. No appeals. The wiregrass doesn't count as distance.
Cradle loser buys Transfusions. Thistle Dhu loser buys the first round at dinner. [Add more]
Fly into RDU (Raleigh-Durham). Land by 6:00 PM Wednesday 10/21 — van pickup ~6:30 is the current estimate, TBC once we confirm all flight info.
Target 4:00–5:30 PM landings for a buffer.
Sunday: van leaves the resort at 4:00 PM, RDU by ~5:30.
Transportation is provisional — will be confirmed and adjusted once we have everyone's flight info.
Clubs will be on property — tee off straight from the villa Thursday.
Shipping ahead? Ship Sticks is recommended — Pinehurst receives and stores clubs, and will accommodate as needed.
Please pack carry bags, not cart bags.
Free resort shuttle to everything — call (910) 235-8403 or ext. 58403.
Sunday morning: late checkout is unlikely — be packed and checked 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 — the guy who three-putts least wins the serious rounds. Speed over line.
The ladder drill: on the practice green, pace off 30, 40 and 50 feet (about 10, 13 and 17 big steps) and drop 3 balls at each. Lay a towel or two tees in a 3-foot circle around the hole — every ball has to finish inside it. Miss one, start that distance over.
No hole? Use the fringe: putt across the green and try to stop each ball within a putter-length of the far edge. 10 minutes before every round is enough.
There's still rough out there, but miss a fairway and there's a good chance you're in hardpan sand and wiregrass instead. 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 (7/8-iron to wedges). Groove your 7-iron-and-down — that's where the trip's bragging rights live.
FORGOT SOMETHING? MANY ITEMS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE CLUBHOUSE.
Golf shoes: two pairs recommended (one minimum), broken in — ~23 miles of walking, so alternating helps.
Tees and balls (one dozen) will be provided. Bring extra balls if you like — the wiregrass and waste areas keep what they catch.
Gloves ×2 · rangefinder · divot tool & markers (or wait for the gift bags 👀).
Please pack carry bags, not cart bags.
The whole trip is a layers game: ~45° at breakfast, ~68° by the turn.
Polo / Collar Required every golf course (No. 3, 8, 2, 10, 5 & 4) and the clubhouse.
Casual / T-Shirt OK The Cradle, Thistle Dhu, The Tavern, The Deuce, the Brewing Co and villa night.
Vest or light pullover · pants and shorts both.
Rain: historically only a ~20% chance of rain on any given late-October day — odds are good, but pack one rain shell and an umbrella-friendly attitude just in case.
Sunscreen & sunglasses — October sun is sneaky in the sandhills.
Blister pads / body glide — future you on Saturday's back nine says thanks.
Portable charger (long days, scoring apps, trash-talk group chat).
Provided: Advil & electrolytes for the villa, plus a sharpie for marking balls.
Cash — the resort is cards-only everywhere.
Your ego — the turtleback greens will take it anyway.
Current estimate: ~$3,500 – $4,000 per person
We're still ironing out a few remaining cost items, so final numbers will be confirmed closer to the trip.
Included: all rounds of golf, dinner and breakfast every day, and meal tips.
Also factored into the estimate: caddie costs, tax, resort fees and a merch budget.