Walking Around Downtown Pinehurst, North Carolina

Eric and I drove into downtown Pinehurst, looking for a Post Office.  We found out that the Post Office had been moved from downtown to the outskirts of the village.  Pinehurst has a beautiful downtown, so we stayed and walked around before driving to the new Post Office.

I was charmed by the architecture, the curved streets and holiday decorations.   As Eric and I walked around and chatted with people, we found out that Pinehurst is a planned community.

Pinehurst's first hotel,
The Holly Inn was
built in 1895.







In 1895, Entrepreneur James Walker Tuft bought 5,800 thousand acres of land in South Central North Carolina. Tufts planned a health resort patients with respiratory conditions could recover in North Carolina's mild climate.  The landscape architecture firm of Olmstead, Olmstead and Eliot was hired to create a plan for the village.  Pinehurst's curving streets, walkways and village green remind me of a New England village.

The hotels in Pinehurst became known for fine accommodations and their recreational activities, including:  horseback riding, hunting, polo, lawn bowling, bicycling, archery and tennis.  Tufts hired Dr. D. Leroy Culver to design and build the first golf course in Pinehurst.  Scottish golf architect, Donald J. Ross, was employed to direct golf operations.  Under his supervision, the first golf course was upgraded and more golf courses were designed and built.

Pinehurst started hosting golf tournaments in 1901 when the first North and South Championships was played at Pinehurst No. 1, and it continues to be an annual event.  In 1936 Pinehurst hosted the PGA Championship, followed by the Ryder Cup Matches in 1951.  The US Open was played at Pinehurst in 1999 and 2005.  Pinehurst hosted the US Open and the US Women's Open Championships in June 2014.

Pinehurst is America's first golf resort.  For more than 100 years residents, visitors and the world's best golfers have played on the Pinehurst golf courses.

The Village Clock at
the Village Green

The Christmas Tree 

in James W.Tufts 

Memorial Park

Dugan's Pub & The

Shop on the Corner

Cameron & Co.

Gentleman's Corner

Potpourri

The Village Wine

Shop

CoolSweats & Treasury
Home Decor

Java Buzz Gourmet

Coffee House

Pinehurst Olive Oil
Company

Mystic Cottage

built in 1899

The Magnolia Inn
& Restaurant
built in 1896

I'm glad that Eric and I stopped in downtown Pinehurst in search of a Post Office.  We found a beautiful village that warmly welcomes visitors, golfers of all skill levels and prestigious golf tournaments.   

Eric and I are very occasional golfers.  Pinehurst's pitch and putt course would be the right size for me.  I would never, ever, subject serious golfers to my slooow moving golf game as I "whiff" my way along a full length golf course.