Pinehurst Vacation 2018

The idea of Vacation 2018 actually began in 1999 after Payne Stewart won the US Open with me being a big Payne Stewart fan.  He would pass away 3 months later in a fluke plane crash and ever since made me want to go there and see where he won an amazing tournament. Bucket list type stuff.

Pam and I set out en route to Pinehurst first through Charlotte, North Carolina where we were going to Fahrenheit to start our vacation with a nights stay at the Hyatt. We were able to hook up with my old friend Craig who now resides nearby and we had a fun night drinking and taking in the view of downtown Charlotte from the roof.  This was also the night  LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cavs for LA. I'm back being a Cavs fan.

After a nice stay in Charlotte, we made our way East towards Pinehurst, North Carolina and the golf area that I've always wanted to see.

Pinehurst is a golf resort town that is just north of Southern Pines which was where our condo was for the week. We decided to take a drive into the area to find Pine Crest Inn, recommended by a friend. Payne Stewart hung out there a lot when he was here playing and the place was dripping with Pinehurst golf history.

We walked around the quaint downtown and got familiar with the area a little bit, having lunch at the Drum & Quill. A quick run to the grocery store for some supplies for the week led us to turn in early to rest up for our tee time Tuesday morning at Ben Crenshaw's design Dormie Club. A spectacular layout with many difficult shots and lots of sand. I was happy to play well enough as to not embarrass myself, shooting and 90. We finished up with a drink at the clubhouse after a day that topped out at 104 degrees. We basically had the course to ourselves and the hospitality was great by the staff.

We decided to stop at the Deuce for drinks and appetizers after our round which is located in the clubhouse at the Pinehurst Resort, that's where I got to see the statue for the first time of Payne. It was a bit of an emotional moment for me but I pulled it together. I seem to always put in an emotional spin on sporting events and this was no exception especially since it was important to me. Pam really enjoyed the layout of the dining area and the whole resort concept of the place.

Later that evening we decided to go to Southern Pines to find some dinner and the one place we were going to go was closed since it was 4th of July week but that may have been a blessing in disguise as we found an incredible English pub called The Sly Fox and had a great meal. I had the shrimp and grits and Pam had the salmon while enjoying some British Invasion classic rock and roll. We went back to the condo to relax which was right off of Pinehurst number 4.


Wednesday was the 4th of July and my sister Karen came up from Columbia and we did the lunch thing back in downtown at Dugan's Pub where I had yet another outstanding meal of Guinness stew and talked some baseball with the bartender while the girls shopped. I also ducked my head into a golf memorabilia store which had a lot of old-time artifacts from the game. Very pricey but the curator was very informative. We walked around the town, hung out had some drinks eventually getting back to the condo after a grocery store run for a makeshift grill because we had to cook out with some hot dogs for Independence Day.

Relaxed and visited with Karen before she went to her hotel for the night.
More sightseeing after she came back over in the morning, driving around looking at potential places to live and just checking out the area, which included bloody marys and a stop at the pro shop to buy some souvenirs.

We had a bad meal at the Oyster House (my choice) but discovered a cryotherapy place that inspired me to look into a little more of the Pinehurst Resort.  I called and set up a cryotherapy appointment for  Pam and me on Friday after our round at  Pinehurst No. 3. This would include full use of the spa facilities which was a nice surprise.

Friday morning came and as we prepared to play Pinehurst No. 3, I noticed a grounds crew member changing the cup on #18 of the famous Pinehurst No. 2. Without realizing at the time until I got there, I went to ask how they keep their pins so straight in the cup. He told me it was due to the quality of the ferrule that keeps the pin straight. Then I realized where I was standing, the spot where Payne made the famous birdie. What a moment. Nice pic Pam.

Pinehurst No, 3, known for its short, tricky shots was only 6800 yards but was extremely challenging with lots of sand. I almost aced number 8, which would have been an expensive round at the clubhouse.

The spa day that went along with the cryotherapy session, which took us to -292 degrees in a tube, was very relaxing after the golf. We got to use the sauna, whirlpool,  etc in an amazing setting. I felt really refreshed and reinvigorated after the two and a half hours and it was well worth it.

Friday night we decided to go to an Italian place called Fratellos owned by a gentleman named Sal, from Brooklyn, NY. Our waiter, Robert was very interactive with us during our meal as we sat at the bar like Pam and I like to do, The food was okay for the most part but the atmosphere was a lot more fun

It was a really enjoyable trip and I grew very fond of the area We started back home on Saturday morning. I can't wait to go again and perhaps find a place to stay......... for good.