11th hole of Gil Hanse's new design of Pinehurst No. 4

Pinehurst Resort to Debut Gil Hanse Reimagination of No. 4 on Sept. 20

By Brian Weis

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club will unveil a completely reimagined No. 4 course on Sept. 20, the work of renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse.

Visually stunning from tee to green, exposed sand areas, vast cross bunkers and native wire grass meld with the site's rolling topography and natural ridge lines to create dramatic vistas and strategic options on every hole. Hanse's design of No. 4 is a brand new and bold expression of pure, timeless Carolinas Sandhills golf.

"We've returned the original landscape to the course, and from there, we then created the features, slopes and green locations," says Hanse, architect of the 2016 Olympic Course in Rio de Janeiro. "We believe golfers are going to appreciate how No. 4 fits into the Pinehurst lineup and elevates the entire golf experience."
The par-5 9th hole is a shining example of how No. 4 has been reinvented through Hanse's vision and touch. More than 25 pot bunkers are replaced with sprawling, sandy native areas, and a massive crossbunker spans the width of the fairway, connecting with nearby holes and tying together the natural landforms. Green complexes throughout the course have been lowered to fit the landscape, and are complemented by Hanse's unique bunker designs.

"Among Pinehurst's nine golf courses, No. 4 has always held a special place in the resort's history," says Bob Dedman, Jr., in speaking for the Dedman family, the owners of the resort. "We entrusted Gil and his team to interpret and execute the vision of making No. 4 more natural and authentic to the Sandhills of North Carolina. Gil, Jim and the team have been great to work with and have far exceeded our expectations."

The USGA has already named No. 4, along with No. 2, as co-hosts for the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship. It marks the third time the prestigious event will be played at Pinehurst and the first since 2008. Stroke play will be contested on both courses with the match play championship held on No. 2. Hanse says this is exactly the type of symbiotic relationship that should exist between the two courses.

"No. 4 is a companion in the landscape, but it is not a tribute to No. 2 in the features," Hanse says. "The greens are different, the approaches are different and we wanted to take advantage of the landforms, which are much more dramatic than those on No. 2."

Completion of No. 4 is bittersweet for Hanse, who spent parts of the past two years onsite with partner Jim Wagner and his construction crew, "The Cavemen," working both on No. 4 and Pinehurst's short course, The Cradle. He describes living in the Dornoch Cottage - Donald Ross's home in Pinehurst - as "one of the most meaningful things that has ever happened to me."

The reimagination of No. 4 is the latest in a series of bold moves for one of the world's most iconic golf destinations. The restoration of No. 2, acquisition of No. 9, the opening of The Cradle and an expansion of the 18-hole putting course Thistle Dhu are complete, as are restorative enhancements to Pinehurst No. 3. The Pinehurst Brewing Company will open this fall, located in the village's historic steam plant.

"There's never been a more exciting time to visit Pinehurst," says Tom Pashley, President of Pinehurst Resort. "All of the recent changes and enhancements have resulted in a new energy level and fun factor that's contagious. I can't wait for visitors to see the stunning transformation with the new Pinehurst No. 4."

Revised: 07/31/2018 - Article Viewed 11,908 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.