Mid South Golf Club Pinehurst
Mid South Golf Club Pinehurst, formerly known as Pinehurst Plantation, is part
of the Talamore Golf Resort and is widely believed to be one of Arnold Palmer’s
greatest design accomplishments. For most locals and golfers “in the know”, Mid
South Golf Club is the #1 private course to play in the Sandhills NC area and
second overall only to Pinehurst #2.
"It's one of the best we've done," said Ed Seay, Palmer's chief designer. "It's
got
Much like the man, an Arnold Palmer golf course typically carries an aura about
it. Maybe not on the surface, but look closer and you'll usually find the stamp
of his personality spread across the property.
Mid South Club
reflects Palmer in his prime, as a player and an architect. Long before Tiger
Woods, prior to Jack Nicklaus, Palmer was the King of the long ball, the
original power player who revolutionized the game. At Mid South, he flexes his
muscles, hitches up his trousers and lets it rip with a design that matches the
style he loved best.
Numerous dogleg lefts evoke memories of the hard, powerful hook Palmer played.
The entire course is framed by the natural terrain of this Sandhills area. Hills
and slopes and banks define fairways and greens. Ditto for water hazards and
bunkers defining virtually every tee ball and approach shot.
Part of the Talamore Golf Resort, Mid South Golf Club Pinehurst occupies a storied stretch of
Midland Road (Highway 2) with
golf courses by Donald Ross (Pine Needles
Lodge and Golf Club) and Nicklaus (National
Golf Club). As if those neighbors weren't enough,
continue down the road to Pinehurst Resort's eight layouts, including Pinehurst
#2.
It opened to rave reviews in 1993 and established a pedigree by twice hosting
qualifiers for the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur (both came here in 1996 and '98).
In classic Palmer style, he combines risk and reward at every tee box. The
farther back you go, the tougher the angles in shaping your tee shot. Most of
the back tees at Mid South are tucked back in the woods and force you to work
the ball in every direction. In other words, make sure you pick the right
yardage and tee box for your game.
It's a straightforward challenge from Palmer on the front nine. No visual
tricks; every detail is right in front of you. More so than the back nine, there
are lakes and ponds on nearly every hole. It's like playing pool - you have to
consider all the angles.
At No. 2, a dogleg right along a lake creates a crescent-shaped hole off an
elevated tee, a theme Palmer uses in tune with the natural terrain of the Mid
South property.
The sixth hole ranks as the best par 3. From an elevated tee, it's a 178-yard
carry over a lake and large rocks fronting a green that sits back against a
stand of large pine trees.
For the most part, the back side doesn't offer such dramatic elevation changes.
The course mellows to a more natural, tree- lined look, albeit tighter and with
more subtle doglegs than the front. Instead of water, large waste bunkers are
the only real hazards.
That's until you reach the par-5 15th, a sloping dogleg left that takes you
gradually downhill. At the layup area, the hole drops down in a series of three
plateaus to a green set against a lake. You'll need to hit a hard, screaming
Palmer hook to have any chance to reach this green in two.
Mid South sets up for a macho finish. At No. 16, water guards the right side and
tests your accuracy on both shots to a green framed by water and over a marsh
with a hill shaping the hole on the left.
At No. 18, Palmer ends with another tight, crescent-shaped dogleg right. A lake
sits on the right, and the fairway is framed by a pine tree next to the water.
The fairway slopes left to right, with the green jutting out in a
pseudo-peninsula look. From start to finish, Palmer's personality and style
resonates at Mid South.
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length. The strategic element is strong. You have the option on so many
holes of playing conservative or gambling. There are choices of how to attack
every hole."
