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 de signing
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.
