Country Club Of Whispering Pines, West Course

Guest (cart included), played on Sunday, July 2017 at 9:46 PM

The Country Club of Whispering Pines is a 36-hole facility owned and managed by Brown Golf Management who also owns nearby Foxfire Golf Club. This gives local Brown Golf members access to 72 holes of championship golf in the Pinehurst Area of North Carolina! More on that in a minute.

The original 18 holes at the Country Club of Whispering Pines opened for play in 1962. An additional 9 holes were added in 1965, and the club operated as a 27-hole facility for about 4 years until 1969 when the final 9 holes were added. Since then, changes have been made and some hole rerouting has taken place and the Country Club of Whispering Pines is now a 36-hole facility. The courses have been renamed the River (formerly the West) Course and the Pines (formerly the East) Course. Both courses were designed by Donald Ross protege Ellis Maples way back in 1959 and 1965 respectively and share one thing in common - variety. One example of this is the types of grass used on the greens - The Pines features Champion Bermuda and The River, Bent grass.

Before your round, head over to the practice area, where you'll find a full-length driving range, a practice pitching green complete with sand bunkers, and two putting greens to get you ready for your round.

The River Course

The River Course features towering oak trees that line the fairways and overhang several greens. The River course is not as demanding as the Pines Course (a slope of 130 on the River versus 134 on the Pines); however, you're still going to have to play the role of shot maker if you want to score well out here. Especially on the back nine, where water is present on every hole. The greens are smaller and the rough is thicker, so it's best to be hitting out of the short grass on a regular basis. There's more emphasis on accuracy than on distance.

The River Course plays to a par of 71, and from the back tees, plays 6,521 yards with a course rating of 70.8 and a slope of 130. Most golfers will choose the White Tees, which play 6.044 yards (69.0/126) and be challenged the entire round. Ladies typically play from 5,140 yards.

Memorable Holes

The 4th hole plays 396 yards from the White Tees and requires you to thread your tee shot through a narrow opening between pine and oak trees. If you can hit a draw, now's the time. A good drive will leave a negotiable-length approach shot to an elevated green that slopes severely from left to right. It's handicapped number 5, but plays much tougher.

Number 10 is where the water really starts to come into play, and in a big way. It's a big, sweeping dogleg right par 5 that plays 533 yards from the White Tees. If you try and cut the corner or hit it too far right, there is a pond waiting to greet your golf ball. Although it brings the sand traps up near the green into play more, this hole is best played down the left side.

Your round on the River Course concludes with the toughest hole on the back nine. Number 18 plays 394 yards from the White Tees. It's another hole where left is best and takes the pond on the right out of play. Avoid the bunker that guards the left side of the green and the one short right and you're well on your way to a successful completion.

The two courses at The Country Club of Whispering Pines offer peace and relaxation. Out here, you far removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, all that's left to do is put that little white ball in the hole. Eighteen times!

I spoke with several members while I was there who all raved about the dining room and how well Brown Golf Management was doing in restoring the club to its former splendor. The Grill features all of your clubhouse favorites and what's most impressive - they all taste good. From the Grilled Reuben to the Ellis Maple Burger, you'll enjoy every bite. They also feature several beers on tap and have a full bar.

According to the members, one of the best thing about joining the club is that you have access to unlimited golf at two 36-hole facilities in the Pinehurst area, as well as unlimited range balls.

The Country Club of Whispering Pines also has 32 hotel-style rooms as well as 9 condo/suites for those looking for a stay and play vacation. The rooms are a short walk to the clubhouse and first tee include free wireless Internet access, unlimited use of the outdoor pool and tennis courts (as well as the 24-hour fitness center.

$26 (cart included), played on Friday, February 2011 at noon

Our group of snow refugees played here 2-10-11, a nice crisp day.

The Country Club Of Whispering Pines, West Course is about average for the Pinehurst area: has a couple of very nice holes, but most are kinda routine. Some "hidden" water in spots, especially on the back nine, that is not visible from the tee, so be careful. Conditions were pretty good for the time of year: fairways were all brown (more on this later), but greens were in decent shape, and rolled true, if a bit slow. Bunkers were also pretty good (not that I got in that many of them!).

To our dismay, we learned that the club, which has two courses, is in Chapter 11. Thus, no money to overseed the fairways and green them up. This despite a very nice clubhouse facility with a sit-down restaurant, meeting rooms, ball room (they apparently do lots of weddings,and so on), etc. We saw lots of privately owned fancy golf carts, so the membership is not a group for whom membership fees seem to be a budget breaker, and there was a good bit of play on the East course on the day we were there. So, it's not clear at first glance what the fiunding problem might be.

There are also several other courses in the area in financial difficulty, including The Pit, and Foxfire, which also has two courses. Anyway, Whispering Pines is a decent course, and a cut above The Carolina, Knollwood, Midland, and several others. Worth a visit...I hope it stays open.