The Sandhills – Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, and the Greater Moore County Area
The Sandhills is the home to the most dazzling area of golf courses in America , known collectively as the Home of American Golf. There are 43 handsome golf courses within the area. Pinehurst Resort has hosted the US Open Championship on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course in 1999 – won by legendary Payne Stewart, again in 2005 – won by Michael Campbell, and most recently a first in history hosting the 2014 Men’s and Women’s Opens – won by Martin Kaymer and Michelle Wie, respectively.
Additionally, Pine Needles hosted the Women’s US Open Championship in 2007. The famous “North-South Amateur” is the longest continually operating tournament in North America. Pinehurst also is home to U.S. Kids Golf, and the annual tournament which brings 4,000 pint-sized golfers to battle on some of the most challenges tracks in the world.
The Sandhills region is a strip of ancient beach dunes formed when the ocean level was higher. The beach deposits were formed principally during the Miocene Epoch, about 20 million years ago. Because they are porous and generally rock-free, the sandy soils quickly drain away moisture. They are perfect for golf, for equestrian activities, and for peach farming because peaches need a well drained soil.
Prior to the arrival of golf in the late 1800s, most of the Sandhills were forested with the unique longleaf pines, loblolly pines, turkey oak and blackjack oak. These trees have unusual root systems that allow them to dig deep for water and survive the request drought that pestered early farmers. Today, huge pines and oaks still line our fairways and are the a charming characteristic of this unusual terrain.
