Sandhills Resort News + North & South Amateur

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!  

Quick diversion from our typical Charlotte-heavy agenda this week to cover some major ongoings from the Home of American Golf! We’re going big on Pinehurst in this week’s 2DP, as multiple headlines from the Sandhills have our attention.

We have real estate news from the region’s second most prominent golf resort, as the parent company of Pine Needles, Mid Pines, and Southern Pines recently announced significant hotel renovation plans. We also have two of the biggest annual amateur tournaments in the Carolinas taking place this week, as both the Men’s and Women’s North & South Amateur Championships are underway at Pinehurst No. 2. Let’s dive in.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Mid Pines and Pine Needles Hotels Acquired, Set to Pursue Major Renovations

Marine & Lawn Hotels and Resorts, a division of AJ Capital Partners that operates six hotels located in golf destinations across the UK, reportedly acquired the two Pinehurst-area properties for a total of ~$12MM. The deal is part of a joint venture between Marine & Lawn and Kelly Miller’s Ross Resorts, who previously owned the hotel properties and will maintain control of the three golf courses.

The deal signals the beginning of the next chapter for what has become far-and-away the second most prominent golf resort in the area, as it looks to elevate its overnight accommodations to a level of quality nearer that of the golf facilities, each of which have undergone major renovations since 2013.

Much needed: Mid Pines and Pine Needles have been my destinations of choice for recent Pinehurst trips, so I can say firsthand they were due for some TLC. The hotel at Mid Pines in particular had gone a bit past the point of charming and dated, crossing into territory that didn’t quite jive with its world-class golf offering.

Not-so-hidden gem: It’s been a amazing decade-plus of transformation for this resort! The combination of transformative golf course renovations, the acquisition of Southern Pines Golf Club, and savvy marketing work has allowed it to distinguish itself as a true alternative to the Pinehurst Resort. I still feel like the courses are a bargain in terms of value for money vs. the competition, but I fear those days won’t last much longer as they continue moving upmarket.

Travel trends: I continue to be amazed by the amount of money pouring in to the golf travel industry. All this spending has me beginning to fear a bubble burst, but I imagine this trend has already persisted longer than those in the industry might have expected…

TOURNAMENTS

North & South Amateur Championships Set for Match Play

Summer storms prevented contestants from completing Round 2 on Wednesday at the Men’s and Women’s North & South Amateur Championships at Pinehurst Resort. The stroke play portion of this year’s event is divided across traditional host Pinehurst No. 2 and newcomer No. 7, which replaced No. 4 due to the ongoing greens renovation at the Gil Hanse redesigned course. Match play is set to begin Thursday after the conclusion of the second round.

Men’s

Tyler Watts leads at -6 midway through his second round at Pinehurst No. 7, while a number of prominent contenders look poised to make match play. Notables set to feature in the final 32 include 16-year-old phenom Miles Russell, 2024 ACC individual champion Hiroshi Tai, 2024 U.S. Junior Champion Trevor Gutschewski, and Charlotte’s own U.S. Four-Ball Champion Will Hartman. Follow live scoring here.

Women’s

Three are tied at the top on the women’s side as the field nears the end of round 2, including Winston-Salem and Wake Forest’s Macy Pate. UNC Charlotte’s Pimchompoo Chaisilprungruang, part of the winning team at the recent Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball, sits inside the top 5 continuing her strong run of form. 2022 Women’s North & South Amateur champion and previous 2DP Q&A guest Emilia Doran looks set to make match play at +3. Follow live scoring here.

STORIES TO TRACK

North Carolina Mid-Am Registration Now Open: Sign-ups went live last week (handicap limit 9.9) for September’s championship at Southern Pines Golf Club. The qualifier slate is heavily skewed toward Charlotte-area venues, with Warrior, 500 Club, Rocky River, Red Bridge, and Skybrook all hosting qualifiers during the month of August. Register here for a chance to compete at one of the best venues on the 2025 CGA schedule.

11 Players Secure Spots in Carolinas Amateur Field at Pine Island Qualifier: The cut fell at -2 in Monday’s event, with 6 players shooting 67 (-4) or better and 20 players breaking par overall. Former Davidson Golfer Brian Garrett took medalist honors with a 64 (-7). Strong.

• City Am Preview?: I always like to keep an eye on other events hosted at the annual City Am qualifying site to get a sense for how the course is playing. While the City Am cut typically falls in the +2 to +4 range, these performances indicate that conditions at PICC are gettable this time of year.

New Bermuda Greens at Pine Lake Country Club Get First Cut: Superintendent Will Laine shared video evidence of the maiden mow on his Instagram account earlier this week, as the newly grassed putting surfaces are just over three weeks into their summer grow-in. The new greens were sprigged on June 4th, and the course appears to be on track for its scheduled re-opening this fall after completing a major renovation.

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