36 Holes North Carolina Sandhills: A Little River on Tobacco Road

Only a handful of destinations can hold a candle to Pinehurst when it comes to historical significance in the game of golf. Most of that fame, notoriety and importance can deservedly be attributed to the Pinehurst Resort's No. 2 course. The Donald Ross design is like the Terri Hatcher or Lori Laughlin of golf courses, remaining just as relevant and attractive after all these years.

No. 2 has hosted three Major Championships (1936 PGA and 1999, 2005 U.S. Open) and is set to host another U.S. Open in 2014. The storied venue also welcomed the Ryder Cup competition in 1951. This past summer, Pinehurst was the site of the U.S. Men's Amateur Championship.

For a true fan of the game, No. 2 is one of those courses that have to be on your bucket list. But playing North Carolina's No. 1 course will cost you a hefty sum, and in these tough economic times, that just might not be feasible. So here are two great designs that combined will cost you the amount it takes to upgrade to the No. 2 course.

Let's start in Carthage, which is reasonably close to the Village of Pinehurst. Here you'll find an excellent and acclaimed venue designed by Dan Maples called Little River.

Little River is riding a wave of momentum after Golf Digest recently gave the layout a 4.5 star rating in the 2008/2009 edition of the publication's "Best Places to Play." Golf Digest's extensive voting system measures criteria such as overall golf experience, value, service, conditioning and pace of play. At 4.5 stars, there is only one course in North Carolina that is rated higher than Little River, and that is Pinehurst No. 2.

Oceanico Group, a leading luxury property designer in Portugal, acquired Little River in 2007, and has made some noticeable improvements to the facility including rebuilding tee areas, bunker improvement, tree removal and redefined fairway lines.

Little River is an absolute pleasure to play, both challenging and beautiful. The course measures slightly more than 6,900 yards from the back tees and requires solid iron play and precision approach shots throughout the round. The course is comprised of rolling hills that account for the significant elevation changes. The layout is protected by narrow rivers and thick forests.

Now one of the premier layouts in the state, the land that makes up Little River was once known for hosting equestrian competitions. The course was built in 1996 by Maples, who grew up just miles from the waters of Little River. Maples truly brought a dedication to this project that no other architect could.

From now until mid-November, if you bring three friends along, you can stay and play for just $78. If it's just a twosome, it will only cost you $98 per person.

Just down the road from Carthage (18 miles to be exact), in Sanford, you'll find one of the most intriguing golf venues ever created.

Tobacco Road Golf Club, created by the late Mike Strantz, has been described as Pine Valley, as seen through funhouse mirrors. It's also been hailed as one of America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses. The Tobacco Road Web site doesn't make any promises about the success you'll have the first time you play and warns you to prepare for battle.

What makes this thrill ride so difficult? Well it could be sinkholes and craters that Tobacco Road calls greens, or perhaps it's the blind shots, sand dunes, or maddening elevation changes. This course provides an experience one won't soon forget, and warrants at least a day's play.

Golf Magazine called it one of the nation's "10 Most Underrated Golf Courses" and wrote: A 150 slope buttresses the paltry length from the tips of 6,554 yards, so this is one Tobacco that will really suck the air from your lungs. While this golf on steroids experience isn't for everybody, there's no chance of ever getting bored.

Suffice it to say that everyone who experiences Tobacco Road will be talking about it for years to come, even North Carolinians during the height of college basketball season.

Greens fees at Tobacco Road are a bit higher during the peak spring season, but from mid-September until mid-November, when the weather is still quite pleasant in the Piedmont region, a round will only cost you $69 during the week or $89 on the weekend.

A good place to start when booking a trip to the Sandhills is North Carolina Sandhills Golf, a travel Web site specializing in travel packages to this part of the country. You can find them online at www.tobaccoroadtravel.com. 

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