Foxfire Resort Golf Club

Foxfire Resort Golf Club and the original 18 hole course at Foxfire, back in the day, was mentioned as one of the best layouts in the Sandhills. No, it wasn't a Pine Needles or a No. 2, but Gene Hamm's original layout could hold its own with just about any other course in the area. Gene Hamm had even once said that the original 18 at Foxfire Resort Golf Club was one of his favorite golf courses.  Foxfire then went through a period of disarray, where none of the course equipment worked and the golf course and the club fell on hard times.

There was also a time, back in the day, that it took seven days just to water the resorts' 36 holes. Workers had to move sprinklers around from hole to hole by hand. The course owned no walk mowers, so the greens were handled with nothing close to the kid gloves that good putting surfaces require. The joke was that Foxfire had the best mechanic in the Sandhills. It had to with all the equipment that would break down every day.

Now, the joke is on those who don't give Foxfire Resort Golf Club a chance.

Now, it's possible for players to stroll down Foxfire's fairways, and gain an appreciation for where the courses have been, and where they are going.

Upon taking over operations in 1997, Golf Matrix spent a great deal of their time coming up with plans to reconfigure the course and make it more playable. The owners had moved little earth in the early 1970's, and landing areas were so severe, well-placed tee shots would run off the fairway and into the woods. Now, both courses are fair, challenging, and perhaps just as importantly, affordable.

The traditional layout played right into the hands of what Pinehurst golf is all about. Modern courses stick out in Donald Ross' magical village like Jennifer Lopez at the Oscars. All Foxfire needed was a little tender loving care to regain its foot hold in the local market, and its reputation among players.

That TLC came in the form of $5 million worth of renovations and improvements courtesy of Golf Matrix. Under the direction of superintendent Doug Walker, the courses were outfit with new Penn G-6 greens, 145 rebuilt bunkers, six rebuilt holes, new cart paths through all 36 holes, new equipment and new staff.

Traditional courses appeal to traditional players, and both tracks at Foxfire are walkable almost any time of day or day of the week. Wiggins believes that “most players, particularly visitors to Pinehurst enjoy the design elements of the older courses”.

"People's tastes are coming back around to the traditional," he says. "That is what Pinehurst is about. I am not sure there is another place where golf is so prominent. "It is an interesting place because the guy that delivers the mail is probably a two handicap and the garbage man can probably break 80. It is the only place where you can go to a restaurant and listen to a table full of old ladies talking about cutting 8-irons into the green."

East Course

Considered to be the most challenging, the East Course, formerly known as the Grey Fox, covers hilly terrain with several doglegs cut through towering pines. Shot making is a premium on this well bunkered layout with characteristic elevated greens. Heavily guarded with deep bunkers, golfers find it important to position the ball on the proper side of the fairway to get the best approach angle to these slightly smaller greens. In the best condition it has been in over 10 years, the East course provides all level of golfers to a playable challenge. If you played this course several years ago, it is time to see it again, we think you will be pleasantly surprised.

From the 1^st tee box, golfers look downhill to a large lake jutting out to divide the fairway forcing players to hit 3 or 5 woods. Often with a slightly downhill lie, the second shot on this par 5 requires a well struck shot across the hazard to set up and approach to the narrow but deep green.

The second hole is a 214 yard par 3 that is nothing to scoff at, and the third hole is yet another par 5. Some purists may question the flow of going par 5 - par 3 - par 5 on the opening two holes. While it could cause some backups during peak season, most players will relish the opportunity to stave off a par 4 until the fourth hole. The par 4 fourth drips with traditional design elements.

The 6^th hole requires a solid tee shot to cross a large pond. Try to cut off more than you can chew and a watery grave awaits your ball. Like most holes on this course, the forward tees do not require golfers to carry water but sensibly offers plenty of space to go around. Other great holes at Foxfire Resort Golf Club include No. 10 - excellent view from tee box, No. 11 - one of the more interesting holes on the course, and No. 16 - hands down the prettiest hole on the course.

 On the East side of Hoffman Rd. the newest developed holes offer steeper hills and panoramic views. The most scenic holes like #9 , #12 and #13 require well placed tee shots with demanding approaches to multi-tiered greens that are slightly smaller than the opening holes. The East course is on the rise to be a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

Good course design - the opening hole is not reachable in two, therefore a bunch of overly ambitious duffers aren't sitting in the middle of the fairway waiting to pull off some shot they have a snowball's chance in Hades of making.

West Course

Unlike the East Course, which smacks you in the face on the first hole, the Foxfire Resort West Course eases you into play with a 365-yard par 4 starting hole, then works its way up to its first par 5 on the 526-yard fourth hole. The flow of the course is a little more logical, but it is lacking some of the overall natural beauty of the East Course.

No. 11 is a great hole, featuring one of the Sandhills larger pine trees on the right side of the fairway. The 379-yard par 4 15th hole stood out, if only because it appeared to be more of a modern looking hole wedged between a glut of traditional links.

The West Course finishes in a rather benign fashion, with a somewhat uneventful 189-yard par 3 with a huge bunker on the left, and the 405-yard 18th, which plays as the No. 2 handicap, but shouldn't pose that much trouble for right to left hitters.

Preferred by many members, the West Course, formerly known as the Red Fox, offers wide manicured fairways and large elevated fast rolling greens. Water comes into play on 6 holes requiring forced carries from the back tees but with the option of going around the hazards from the forward tees. Fairway bunkers are stategically placed to grab the wayward shot and there is no lack of sand guarding the greens. This beautiful Gene Hamm design offers plenty of “bail out” places to avoid the most severe drop offs and deep faced bunkers. The G-6 hybrid bent grass greens hold shots well, but may confound even the best of putters with their characteristic subtle breaks.

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