Mid-Pines restoration underway
One of Donald Ross' historic North Carolina designs is getting a facelift.
The 92-year-old Mid Pines Golf Club, situated across from sister course Pine Needles, is undergoing a restoration that will reshape the course and improve green conditions.
Architect and shaper Kyle Franz began work in December with rebuilding of bunkers, uncovering of abandoned features, replacing fairway rough and restoring original green contours.
After Memorial Day, work will continue for another 10 weeks as the restored greens will be converted to ultra-dwarf Bermuda to help improve conditions through the region's hot-weather months.
In early August, the course, considered one of the top classic designs in the country and among the best courses in North Carolina, is slated to re-open to the public and will be a throwback to its orignal 1920 design while better incorporating some of the features native to the Southern Pines-Pinehurst area.
"The project started with the need to redo the greens," said Kelly Miller, president of the company that owns and operates Mid Pines and Pine Needles. "IT's been getting harder and harder to get through summer. We would cut back on the amount of play as the greens got stressed out in the heat. Sometimes, it would take until mid-October to get them all the way back."
Amateurgolf.com will keep users updated of the Mid Pines restoration and look forward to reviewing the course after the project is completed.