2018 PN Restoration Flipbook - Flipbook - Page 9
THE RESTORATION
Franz chose to embrace the late 1940s style, re-establishing Ross’s strategic
options and playing angles, making Pine Needles feel as wide, clean and
manicured as Augusta prior to the 2000s. Donald Ross intentionally made
Pine Needles more manicured than his Pinehurst No. 2 and Mid Pines courses.
And, as a result, its fairways are the widest of the three courses. The design
utilizes large ridges in the fairway landing zones to create interest on tee shots.
Solid drives are rewarded with robust speed-slot bounces forward. The player
that can hit draws and fades to the correct sides of the ridges near restored hazards
has an advantage.
Franz expanded the fairways out to their original margins to re-establish Ross’s
strategic options and playing angles. Pinehurst No. 2’s fairways average 24-40
yards in the landing areas. Mid Pines fairways are 38-50 yards wide. Pine Needles
fairways are similar to Ross’s original dimensions – averaging 38 to 60 yards wide.
Some of the higher handicapper landing zones are nearly 70 yards wide – just as
Ross intended.
Huge fairways and minimal roughs are complimented by authentic Ross-style
bunkers and native areas. All 70 bunkers were restored and reconfigured to
Ross’s rolled over late-40s style, and eight new traps were added. This brought
Ross’s strategic concepts back to life.