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Few places in American golf carry the weight of Pinehurst, and No. 5 occupies an interesting middle ground within the resort's celebrated lineup — less heralded than No. 2, but genuinely worth your attention. Designed by Ellis Maples and opening in 1961, it was later refined by Rees Jones, whose work softened some edges while preserving the course's core identity. Set among the longleaf pines and sandy wiregrass of the Sandhills, it plays as a true Donald Ross-era stylistic heir, even though Ross himself wasn't the hand behind it.
No. 5 rewards shot-making over raw power. The crowned, domed greens that define Pinehurst's house style are present throughout — miss the surface and you're chipping from tight, runoff lies that demand real imagination. The fairways are generous enough to invite aggression, but the approach angles and the subtle terrain shifts around the greens supply the test.
For visitors working through Pinehurst's full menu of courses, No. 5 tends to be underestimated — which in practice means good tee times and a round that quietly surprises people.
Fairly difficult course. Good diversity of hole. Some difficult par 3s. Very well maintained with very difficult greens.
