Pinehurst No. 4 to be redesigned by Gil Hanse, with short course to be added
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Pinehurst No. 4 to be redesigned by Gil Hanse, with short course to be added

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Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina continues to reinvent itself by bringing in world-class architects to update their signature courses. First, it was Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw restoring Pinehurst No. 2 in 2010-11, and now it's Gil Hanse's turn, as he'll redesign the heralded No. 4 course on the property.

As part of the deal, Hanse will also design a short course for children and families.

This is part of a broader master plan for the resort that includes restoring Pinehurst Nos. 1 and 3 to more resemble the original Donald Ross design, as well improvements to the Maniac Hill practice facility and Thistle Dhu putting course.

Hanse has obviously been a busy man -- along with Coore and Crenshaw, as well Tom Doak, the most in-demand names in modern golf architecture -- with work on designing the Olympic golf course in Rio, Trump Doral's Blue Monster, as well another Trump-branded course opening soon in Dubai. He's also designed Streamsong Black, which will soon open. Now he adds this project, which begins in the fall of 2017 with a reopening scheduled about a year later from the start of the work.

Hanse's changes are largely aimed at achieving the same goals as what was done with No. 2, exposing the sandy soil and planting native wire grasses, while widening fairways and installing ultradwarf bermudagrass greens.

“We think this approach will create a more authentic, visually interesting golf course and one that feels in tune with its unique surrounds," he said.

The short course will sit on 10 acres of property currently occupied by the first holes on the No. 3 and No. 5 courses, and it'll have 8-12 holes imagined to look and play a lot like No. 2. That project will short, going on during summer 2017 with a fall opening, dovetailing into the start of the work on No. 4.

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Ryan Ballengee

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