Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

Maybe I’m getting old, but I’ve started to enjoy putting the clubs away in the Winter the last couple years. Don’t get me wrong - I’m trying to sneak in a couple more Fall golf days before the end of the season, but I’m actually looking forward to taking the foot off the gas and not having to stress about turning a 77 into a 74 for a couple months!

Today’s headline comes from the Sandhills, where a pair of new courses recently wrapped up construction and started welcoming visitors. The Home of American Golf just keeps getting deeper when it comes to its course offerings, and these new additions are not places you’re going to want to miss. Great photos from our friends at Palmetto & Pine help bring these places to life as always!

We also have our typical smattering of tournament updates and other news to send you into your weekend. It’s pouring as I type, so I hope things dry out around here for your Saturday round!

PRESENTED BY

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Whispering Pines, Pinehurst No. 11 Open for Early Play After Completing Projects

Photo Credit: Palmetto & Pine Golf, textures galore at CC of Whispering Pines

The already vast list of great courses in the Pinehurst-area is ever expanding, as strong demand for golf travel continues to push both new course development and renovation work in the region. The latest additions to the richest golf landscape in the country are Pinehurst No. 11 and the Pines Course at Country Club of Whispering Pines, both of which recently began welcoming their first visitors.

The recent renovation at the Pines Course at Country Club of Whispering Pines, a 1950s Ellis Maples design, is the first piece of a larger plan by the family behind Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines. In 2025, a group of investors led by Ross Resorts President Kelly Miller created a new entity to acquire and manage both Foxfire Golf Club and Whispering Pines. Together the properties have 72 holes, all of which are set to receive some sort of upgrade in the next decade.

Miller and team again called on Kyle Franz to lead the restoration work after a series of successful projects at the resort’s other properties. Franz worked from Maples’s original plans to alter fairway lines, rebuild bunkers and return the greens to their original shapes.

Photo Credit: Palmetto & Pine Golf, beautiful bunkers shaped by Kyle Franz and team at CC of Whispering Pines

The course is now open for public play, and the result is a layout that bears much resemblance to its local neighbors. Early visitors have compared it to Pine Needles, as the routing shifts between tighter corridors (a la PN’s finishing stretch) and side-by-side holes where players have more room. The features in the ground are what we have become accustomed to with Franz renovations in the region - artistic bunkering and sandy waste areas, interesting greens with some serious false-fronts, and some strategic hazard placement that forces decisions off the tee. The course is walkable, approachable, and pleasant to play - the kind of place you might want to hit on the first day of your golf trip.

All of the work was carried out in a cost-conscious manner, using construction methods intended to avoid the type of massive financial investment that inevitably leads to sky-high greens fees. With rates going through the roof at many other Pinehurst-area courses, Miller and team intentionally set out to ensure WP would be affordable for visitors and locals alike.

The course opened to members in mid-September, followed by limited preview play and a media week in late October, and it is now open to the public. Tee times currently run $140 to $150, with winter rates of $85 to $95 coming soon.

Photo Credit: Palmetto & Pine Golf, some of the unique above ground features found on Pinehurst No. 11

Meanwhile, over at Pinehurst Resort, Coore & Crenshaw recently put the finishing touches on Course No. 11. It is the latest addition to the Sandmines campus, the resort’s satellite hub that is also home to Tom Doak’s Course No. 10, giving Pinehurst a pair of modern masterpieces that rival any top destination in the country.

C&C’s new design features one of the best opening holes in the Carolinas and a routing that weaves in and out of the “spoils” leftover from an old mining operation. While the course has only been open to media and extremely limited preview play, the photos hint at something unique to the other offerings at Pinehurst, as the above ground features and color contrast between the green fairways and brown, pine needle-covered mining spoils make the photos pop.

Photo Credit: Palmetto & Pine Golf, just another handsome Coore & Crenshaw golf hole at Pinehurst No. 11

No. 11 opens to public play in March 2027 and will immediately jump up the list of best courses at Pinehurst Resort. Go ahead and start budgeting to add an extra day to your next Sandhills golf trip, as you’re not going to want to miss the opportunity to see some of these new additions to the lineup!

PRESENTED BY PALMETTO & PINE

Palmetto & Pine is the golf brand focused on celebrating golf in North and South Carolina.

Shop local: Not only is this Charlotte-based company cranking out simple, clean golf apparel for those looking to rep the Carolinas, Owner Ryan is also producing awesome social content highlighting hidden gems and must-visit courses across the region.

New from Palmetto & Pine: Fore the Carolinas Comfort Hoodie

A new take on a favorite design. The Fore the Carolinas Comfort Hoodie features our Carolina state flag logo front and center on a classic silver hoodie.

Made for the game we love, in the place we call home.

Shop the New Hoodie

TOURNAMENTS

Nash Holds On for Charlotte Senior Am Victory

Carolina Golf Club’s Lenny Nash secured a narrow victory at the recent Charlotte Senior Amateur. Nash, who’s opening round 68 (-3) gave him a 5-shot lead entering the final round, did just enough in Round 2 to clip Cedarwood’s Scott Park, getting in the house with a closing 78 (+7) that saw him finish at +4 for the tournament.

The win caps off a strong fall season for Nash, who finished T4 at the Carolinas Senior Amateur at Waynesville and made his first appearance in the Captain’s Putter Matches earlier in the month.

Played annually in late October at Cedarwood Country Club, the Charlotte Senior Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play. See full results from the 2026 event below.

STORIES TO TRACK

Local Solesbee Claims Individual Title at Southeast State Team Showcase: Members of state junior teams from across the region recently descended on Quixote Club in Sumter, SC for 3 rounds of stroke play competition. There was a lot of big-name talent on display for the college scouts, but the story of the event was Autumn Solesbee of Stanley, NC.

Competing against an elite junior field, Solesbee, who is still in Middle School, fired rounds of 73-66-73 to secure a 1-shot victory in the Individual Girls’ Championship. Solesbee plays out of Cowan’s Ford Country Club and carries a +5.0 handicap.

Tommy Gibson Wins CPGA Match Play at Old Town Club: The former OTC Pro, who now serves as the Director of Golf at High Meadows Country Club, won 1 up in the final over John Thompson in what looked like an awesome event at a great venue. Shoutout to the Carolinas PGA for posting some great content highlighting some of OTC’s best match play holes! View the full bracket and results here.

Carolinas Golf Foundation Auction Now Open: Bidding closes November 8th at 9 PM, so go scoop a round at a bucket list course before it’s too late! Rounds at the Tree Farm, Eagle Point, Old Chatham, and Long Cove Club are among those up for grabs.

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