Tag: Pinehurst Resort

Pinehurst Resort to acquire Magnolia Inn and Villaggio Ristorante in the Village

The historic Magnolia Inn will be renovated, adding to the vast accommodation options at the popular North Carolina resort.

Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina is continuing its long history of expansion, now agreeing to acquire the Magnolia Inn and its Villaggio Ristorante & Bar.

The Magnolia Inn opened in 1896, making it the second-oldest hotel in the Village of Pinehurst, trailing only the resort’s Holly Inn (1895). Terms of the deal were not released.

The inn was purchased in 2019 by Ron and Julie Milton, who opened the popular Villaggio. The Miltons’ success impressed Bob Dedman Jr., whose family owns the resort and its nine full-size courses, the popular Cradle Short Course and a vast range of accommodations.

“In their short time here, Ron and Julie Milton have not only restored the charm and elegance of the Magnolia Inn, their exuberance and commitment has established a new standard of excellence for those frequenting the Village,” Dedman said in a media release. “We want to bring the Miltons’ full vision for the Magnolia to life and look forward to continuing the traditions and spirit they have brought to Pinehurst.”

The resort plans to renovate the Magnolia’s rooms and outdoor patio. Ron Milton will continue to oversee the inn and Villaggio through the end of 2021.

“While we had the opportunity to sell the Magnolia Inn and Villaggio Ristorante to other buyers, Julie and I felt it needed to be owned by the resort,” Ron Milton said. “Pinehurst understands the rich history, and we believe they have the pride in ownership the Magnolia Inn deserves. We also wanted Villaggio to stay the way it is, and we are assured that it will.”

Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina (Courtesy of Pinehurst)

Pinehurst has long been a top destination for golf, and the resort operates four of the top 15 courses in North Carolina on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts. Pinehurst No. 2 is tops in the state and ranks No. 16 on Golfweek’s Best list for all classic courses built before 1960 in the U.S. The recently renovated Pinehurst No. 4 ranks second in the state on the public-access list and ties for No. 88 on Golfweek’s Best list for modern courses in the U.S.

Growth in the area should continue as the U.S. Golf Association plans to establish a second headquarters at Pinehurst, with construction slated to start in the spring of 2022. The USGA’s new amenities will include a new equipment-testing facility, an innovation hub, a museum and visitor center, and office space. Pinehurst No. 2 also will be the site of five more U.S. Opens in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.

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Where to play golf in Pinehurst, N.C.: Pinehurst Resort, Pine Needles, Mid Pines, Tobacco Road and more

Pinehurst Resort, Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Tobacco Road, Mid South and more among the state’s ranked courses in Golfweek’s Best.

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PINEHURST, N.C. – I won’t bother writing that you should play golf in Pinehurst. You already know that. The Sandhills region of North Carolina is dubbed the Home of American Golf for a reason.

Advising well-traveled players they should try out Pinehurst is akin to telling gearheads that Ferraris are nice or suggesting a foodie sample something beyond the SpaghettiOs. But until you immerse yourself in Pinehurst, it’s difficult to imagine how much the game defines this little village and its surrounds – and vice versa. It’s one of the few places in the world where just about any conversation can safely begin with the question, “How you been hitting it?”

So many options among great courses. So many chances to bunk up in historic lodging. So many shots to be hit by so many golfers. Pinehurst doesn’t simply scratch an itch to play somewhere new, or even old – it fulfills a deeper need to immerse oneself in the game. Even the USGA is tapping into that need, building a second HQ in Pinehurst and bringing more national championships, feeding on the game’s energy that flourishes among the tall trees and sandy soil.

The only problem is time. How to set aside enough days to sample it all?

Pinehurst No. 8
Pinehurst No. 8 in North Carolina (Courtesy of Pinehurst Resort)

That’s where the Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for the top public-access layouts in each state comes into play. The list for North Carolina includes 15 courses, with more than half around Pinehurst. So while I won’t bother telling you that you should play golf in Pinehurst, we can look at the rankings list to see where you might want to start among the region’s 40-plus layouts.

The eponymous Pinehurst Resort is an obvious choice, home to four of the top 15 public-access tracks in North Carolina, including the famed No. 2. But the great golf doesn’t end at the resort’s sprawling borders or on its numerical lineup. Four more of the top 15 layouts in the state lie just beyond. It’s an area so packed with strong golf that, given time, it’s entirely possible to play all eight of these layouts without stopping to refuel a rental car.

Carolina Hotel Pinehurst
The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina (Courtesy of Pinehurst)

The ranked lineup truly does offer golf to suit just about any taste. Old courses that define classic architecture. More recent courses that promise modern flair. Restored courses. Renovated courses. Even a newish par-3 course that shouldn’t be missed. You get the idea – it’s all here.

I set out on an epic adventure of golf earlier this year to see exactly how much Pinehurst golf could be squeezed into four and a half days. Trust me, it’s a lot of steps. I played six of the best-in-state public-access courses in the Pinehurst area plus two private clubs and a quick trip around the hottest par-3 course in town. That was all a follow-up to a previous trip in which I played the other best-in-state courses. There is no doubt, if you want to play as many solid golf holes as possible in the shortest amount of time, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better destination than Pinehurst and the courses below.