Golf Icons of the Sandhills
Golf greatness isn’t just tied to the places where the game is played, it’s also tied to the people that have made these places so great. The Sandhills have long been considered an area associated with golf royalty, but it’s also safe to say that this southeast region of the country would not be what it is today without the people that helped shape it. From renowned golf course designer Donald Ross to women’s golf icon Peggy Kirk Bell, the Sandhills has a rich history of being influenced by the game’s greats. Here’s a closer look at some of these icons that helped mold Pinehurst and Southern Pines North Carolina:
Donald Ross
An area or region can’t claim the title of “golf’s greatest” without some of the premiere courses in the world. And the mastermind behind many of the world-class golf courses that you’ll find in the Sandhills region is none other than Donald Ross. The Scottish-born designer came to the United States with just $2 in his pocket, eventually becoming the course professional at Pinehurst. That was all he needed to jumpstart his course designing career.
Of the 600 courses throughout North America designed by Ross, none are perhaps more famed than Pinehurst No. 2, which has all the great elements of a Ross-signature course, such as attention to detail, turtleback greens, double plateaus, fall-away slopes and uphill approaches. In fact, his goal in designing courses was to present a different challenge to golfers on each, so no hole played the same way.
Ben Hogan
Before there was Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson, there was the great Ben Hogan. Broke and struggling as a professional, little do many people know that Hogan was actually contemplating retirement in 1940 before he earned a key victory — his first national win — at the 19th North and South Open at Pinehurst. It took him a decade to win his first tournament since turning pro, but he didn’t stop there. He won two more times in North Carolina that year and eventually went down as one of the most iconic golfers of all time.
Peggy Kirk Bell
As one of the founders of the LPGA as we know it, Peggy Kirk Bell is another instrumental individual that influenced the Sandhills region. Though Bell passed away in 2016 at 95 years of age, her family still owns and runs Pine Needles Resort in Southern Pines. While Bell remains one of the most notorious female golfers of all time, what’s interesting about her story is that she didn’t start playing the game until she was 17. A quick learner, she won multiple amateur tour championships in the 1940s and followed these victories up with a spot on the 1950 Curtis Cup team, which included the best-of-the-best women amateur golfers. Bell was the first woman voted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame when she entered in 2002, and was also honored with the Bob Jones Award by the USGA in 1990. Up until her passing, she was still very active in the day-to-day at Pine Needles Resort, including giving lessons.
Behind all the U.S. Opens, PGA Tour events, LPGA Tour events and U.S. Amateur Championships come the trailblazers that helped make North Carolina’s golf paradise what it is today. We’re proud to honor these legends of the past as we welcome and cheer on the amateur and professional golfers of today.
