Pinehurst lives up to billing as ‘Cradle of golf’

They should call it the Disneyland of Golf.
Though Mickey Mouse was nowhere to be found amongst the pine trees of central North Carolina this past week, I ventured for the first time to Pinehurst and learned why locals cherish the claim to fame as “the cradle of American golf.”
I’ve shared before in this space that I’m smitten, if not obsessed to this sometimes maddening game, so was looking forward to a bucket list trip to one of golf’s famous destination venues. I expected, and experienced, some great golf courses, but underestimated how this once remote village has embraced the game, turning it into a golfing playground which attracts some of the best players from around the world.
According to local historians there, the footprints of American golf began on a piece of ground around what bacame Pinehurst No. 2, the signature course set to host the U.S. Open in a couple of weeks. “Scotsmen trained on the ancient links turned the barren land into one of the nation’s premier golfing playgrounds, beginning with Harry Vardon’s 1900 exhibition,” one historical marker reads.
Visitors were so taken with the Pinehurst way, local historians say, that they insisted on bringing it to their home towns. From that original venue, which is now home to nine 18-hole courses and a fantastic par-3 course known as The Cradle, the game was exported so broadly that Pinehurst became known as “The Cradle of American golf.”
I was fascinated and totally engaged, and that was before hitting my first shot on Pinehurst property.
My brother-in-law and I teed it up on The Cradle, where we were joined by a delightful seventysomething local member who said she often hangs around the first tee hoping to join resort guests. Janet shared all kinds of local knowledge about what it’s like to live and play in a golfer’s paradise, saying she seeks out guests to join because they are always in such high spirits, soaking up every ounce of their experience at what she described as the Disneyland of Golf.
Another tourist asset Pinehurst shares with Disney is the fine art of hospitality. These folks tee up genuine Southern charm like it’s all part of the game, going out of their way to let you focus on what’s important, whether that’s breaking par, learning about golf lore, or just soaking up some sun and getting off the grid. 
As an example, our host as we checked in asked what I do for a living, and when I mentioned a newspaper he helped arrange a private little media tour. Though play on the No. 2 course is severely limited now as they build a small city of grandstands, scoreboards and infrastructure around the course for the U.S. Open, we were handed the keys to a golf cart late in the day and given the green light to take a self-guided tour. What a thrill, and unexpected treat. 
It’s one thing to watch Scottie Scheffler and Co. hit bombs and throw darts at the pin on TV, but to stand on the par-4 No. 4 championship tee box 520 yards away from the green with a sloped, curving 40-yard fairway as your target was both intimidating and enlightening. The pros just play this game at such a different level that it’s hard to comprehend for a high handicapper like me. I’ll be watching with a little extra interest when they tee off the U.S. Open in two weeks, visualizing certain shots with a more detailed perspective. 
As for my game, I’ll be saving my Pinehurst scorecards, not because of the numbers I posted but rather to help remember the sense of pure joy I felt, along with appreciation for what Mother Nature and some of golf’s great architects can create. 
Pinehurst is my kind of place.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net