Tobacco Road, Sanford NC (Pinehurst)

[Pa Jayhawk]

On our recent trip to Pinehurst, we managed to play Tobacco Road in Sanford, NC. Which is listed as the 10th hardest course in the US by Golf Digest. Pinehurst Area Golf | Tobacco Road Golf Club - A Mike Strantz Design

They say the following.

Originally Posted by Golf Digest

10. TOBACCO ROAD GOLF CLUB
SANFORD / N.C. / 6,554 YARDS / PAR 71
This is Mike Strantz's version of Pine Valley, as seen through a funhouse mirror. Bunkers become craters, greens become sinkholes. The sand hills are taller and more eroded, the pits are steeper and deeper. Some greens are three times as wide as they are deep, and others are twice as long as they are wide. What's not distorted is that there are five blind shots at Tobacco Road. That makes it cotton-pickin' hard.

It is nothing short of an incredible course for beauty. The layout includes alot of blind shots, a few of the holes are just ridiculous on how they are set up (not meaning the difficulty). I was looking forward to this because our home course is what I still consider one of the more difficult courses I have ever played for the length. So we tend to try and play the 50 hardest any chance we get. While we didn't play off the tips, the slope of this course from the two forward tees relate to the Blue and White tees at our home course (slightly easier), but with more distance.

It was really deceiving at first because the view is wide open, but most of the difficulty is in the Waste bunkers that cover the entire course. Where our home course is mainly tough due to treelined fairways and target golf. So I started the round really rough in finding about 2 bunkers on each of the first 3 holes and logging a double, triple, triple, and wondering what I got myself into and being fairly miserable. Although I then started to see where the trouble lied and followed the tip from the guy in the pro shop in just picking your gaps and hit there. So I finished well on the back and shot a 90, which at a 13.3 index the first time on this course, and being 8 over after 3, this was good for me based on the difficulty of the course.

The course is beautiful, and one everyone should play if they want a scenic and fun day. It felt identical to how I felt the first time I played my home course. First wondering what the heck I got myself into, then settling down, then want to go back to play it the way it should be played. Some of the holes are just downright wacked out. The green role true and were extremely fast. You would hit a lot of shots and have no idea where you were hitting to or if you would find your ball even when hitting where you wanted too.

Below are some pictures. Kinda hard getting used to driving your cart through all the sand traps to get around.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Pictures!!!!

[Pa Jayhawk]

More Pictures!

[Pa Jayhawk]

... and finally more!

[Pa Jayhawk]

... not a bad way to spend Thanksgiving Day!!! While I am not sure I would ever play off the tips, the forward tees in comparison to my home course, I would likely say our home course is harder. I think I lost 9 balls and shot around 110 the first time on our home course.

[Victory]

love that course..

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Victory

love that course..

We had planned to try and play it again this last Saturday, as we had to drive down and pick up my wifes car.

Unfortunately there was a delay on the car and we had to wait by the phone. We were uncertain that they would have any reception on the course in case the place called with a problem, so we had to hold off. Probably could have done it, as we didn't get the car until 2:30. So we ended up not getting any golf in down there. Really sad as it was winter storm warning and 68* when we got down there Thursday night. Although I may try and get a round in up here today as it is supposed to get up to 56*.

[JArmour]

The first picture in the second group looks awesome. Good job and good review.

[Victory]

next year- we'll have to get an outing going on here.. i am 2hrs away.. later--

[HOTC Guy]

I have played Tobacco Road a few times, the first in a driving rainstorm that forced us off the course after 10 holes. Maybe that is why I did not like it at first, but after another couple of rounds, it grew on me.


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[Manavs]

Heading down to NC in a few weeks to play this gem. cant wait!

[bcmoney82]

This is a great course with a ton of birdie opportunities. There really are generous landing areas if you pay attention to the yardage book. I like this one better than Tot Hill Farm up in Asheboro.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by bcmoney82

This is a great course with a ton of birdie opportunities. There really are generous landing areas if you pay attention to the yardage book. I like this one better than Tot Hill Farm up in Asheboro.

I did find that to be very true. I play off about a 13 and do so as a result of scrambling and getting a lot of Pars and Bogies, and limit everything else the best I can. I don't get a ton of Birdies. 3 in on round is the most I have ever had, prior to 2008 that was 2. I probably only get a birdie in about 1/3 to 1/2 of my rounds.

I did have 3 birdies towards the back nine and a couple other opportunities. I actually believe all 3 may have been on the back nine. So it is a lot like a course I frequent and used to belong up here, where assuming you keep it in play you will score well and see a lot of opportunity for Birdies.

[bryguy]

Played it a couple of times, decent course. Kinda 'gimmicky' to me, but it is set in a great area. I only live about an hour and a half from there, next time any of you guys are down this way, let me know and we may can do an impropmtu round.
PA, next time you are down, let me know, I have a contact over at Talleymore that may can get a deal over there.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by bryguy

Played it a couple of times, decent course. Kinda 'gimmicky' to me, but it is set in a great area. I only live about an hour and a half from there, next time any of you guys are down this way, let me know and we may can do an impropmtu round.
PA, next time you are down, let me know, I have a contact over at Talleymore that may can get a deal over there.

Will keep it in mind, although it is unlikely we will be down for another couple years. We actually stayed at the Talimore Villas when we went down when the second time, and the other courses we played were Talimore and Mid South. Very nice place to stay for a golf vacation. Even called the next time about staying at Mid South, but they didn't have the same options for 1 BR's for a couple and would have had to get a 2br which was more costly and more than we needed.

Although since we were down 3 times in the last last half of last year and were thinking of buying another house in the area, and deciding it was to far to drive for long weekends, we probably won't go back for a couple years now. Although it is going to probably be a trip we will now make every couple years.