NETJETS US VOLUME 15 2021

TEEING OFF
a semi-blind ridge to a rewarding reveal of the
green complex below. The magical feel that is
Donald Ross at his best comes shining through,
accentuated by a piece of land much different
and more varied than many of his layouts.
“It works around a big valley with a lot of
side hills and a lot of up and over where you
can get a big run out from good tee shots,”
said Franz. “We are trying to restore it to the
Ross period of 1915 to the 1920s. I think of
it like The Beatles and “Sgt. Pepper.” Styles
changed, and Ross had more wild stuff in his
early designs of this era—forced carries, even
a blind bunker—but then he got more into the
finesse he is now known for. What we are trying
to do is center in on a different period, and this
is his oldest here after No 2.” Mid Pines and
Pine Needles were built in 1921 and 1928,
respectively, making Southern Pines the wild
child of the trio. “It gives people a chance to
play a different period in Ross’s life. Here his
early work had forced carries over native areas.”
ROSS GOT SO CREATIVE he added a 19th hole, but
not the typical post-round one-shotter used to
settle ties. The Lost Hole was a par-three set
in the middle of the non-returning loop that
allowed golfers to play across from four to 15
for nine holes. It disappeared years ago and,
using the original Ross drawings, Franz has not
only recreated it, but added an element visiting
MASTER PLAN
Kyle Franz’s design for the
restoration of the course
has come to fruition.
golfers will likely never have the opportunity to
experience anywhere else, a sand putting green.
In the early 20th century agronomy
limitations and the local climate hampered the
winter grass growth that was needed to keep the
greens in shape, which meant that for nearly
three decades the oldest Ross courses had
putting surfaces that were a compacted mix of
native sand, clay, and gravel. Franz built two
greens on the Lost Hole, one grass and one
sand, allowing golfers to choose whether to play
to the 21st century or travel backwards in time.
The course was long privately owned by the
local Elks Club as an amenity for members but
was underused and had fallen into disrepair. It
was sold to Mid-Pines/Pine Needles, and Franz
spent 18 months on the restoration, adding a
grass putting course outside the clubhouse, also
due for an overhaul, and rebuilding the range with
Toptracer shot-tracking technology. The course
has just reopened in all its glory and is hidden in
a residential section of Southern Pines, just a few
minutes from the adjacent resorts it belongs to.
No. 2, No. 4, Mid Pines, and Pine Needles
were all extensively and successfully restored in
recent years by Coore & Crenshaw, Gil Hanse,
and Franz, and there are no more hidden Ross
gems to unearth after Southern Pines. As Franz
notes, “This is the last great Ross restoration
here with all 18 holes where they were.” Or
in this case, 19. southernpinesgolfclub.com
34 NetJets