Scottish
immigrants began farming the area now known as Pinehurst, Aberdeen and Southern
Pines in the early 1800’s. As a result of the abundant pine forests the tar,
turpentine and timber industries began to flourish and with them a wealthy
railroad station was developed in Aberdeen in the 1850’s. In 1885 James Walker
Tufts, a wealthy Boston soda-fountain tycoon, came to the Pinehurst area because
the mild climate was ideal for his ailing health. Shortly after visiting
Pinehurst, Tufts began developing the area as a year round retreat for North
Easterners to relax away from the hurried atmosphere found in many of the
crowded northern cities. Tufts hired Frederick Olmstead, architect of New York City’s Central Park and the U.S. Capitol Building, to design a New England type atmosphere on a 100-acre tract that today encompasses much of the "Old Town" Pinehurst Village. The village, which today still has many of the original homes, took the form of a beautiful park with gracefully curving streets and walks shaded by thousands of imported semi-tropical trees. Although tennis, croquet and archery were the sports of choice for the numerous tourists who arrived by train from all over the country, it became apparent that golf was ideally suited for the temperate Pinehurst climate.
To take advantage of the growing American interest in golf, Tufts hired a Scottish golf course architect named Donald Ross in 1899 to design golf courses and run the golf operations at Pinehurst. Ross had a major influence on American golf and left an indelible mark on Pinehurst, designing several local courses including the world ranked Pinehurst #2 ... host of the 1999 and soon to be 2005 US Open. In addition to designing Pinehurst 1-5, Ross designed over 400 top golf courses worldwide. The Ross home, located off the 3rd hole of Pinehurst #2 and the Pinecrest Inn that was owned and operated by Donald Ross, are both Pinehurst landmarks. Today the Pinehurst resorts offer public access to the same exacting fairways and greens that have challenged the world’s most legendary names in golf since the early 1900’s.
In addition to Pinehurst #1-8 resort courses, the area boasts over 50 additional golf courses, making it one of the highest-density golf areas in the world. Pinehurst is often referred to as the "Golf Capital of the World" and is listed in several golf magazines as the best golf related area to live or visit in the U.S. In describing Pinehurst, the golf writer, Bob Harlow, wrote, "there is better golf here than at any other golfing establishment in America. Maybe it’s the air, maybe it’s the scenery, maybe it’s the challenge of superb golf courses . . . It’s the golf capital of this land; and possibly the true center of the golf world." In 1996 the Village of Pinehurst was designated National Landmark status for its historical significance in U.S. golf history. This is the only golf-related designation of its kind in the United States.
The year-round mild climate also opens the door to many other activities including equestrian events (the Pinehurst area is the home of five past Olympic equestrian champions), tennis (several amateur tennis tournaments are held on the Pinehurst courts), biking (the Aberdeen Area is used to train and qualify Olympic bicycle teams), water sports, fishing, hiking and much more. The wide variety of area shops, restaurants and ideal meeting facilities all create the perfect setting for business or pleasure.