Come with us and find out what to do, where to shop, the local’s best places to eat and where to put your head down for the night. It’s all here, waiting for you…Inside Pinehurst, North Carolina!
In 1895, Boston Philanthropist and businessman, James Walker Tufts, sold his thriving Soda Fountain Company and set his sights on North Carolina. He loved the climate of the south and believed this place to be perfect for a quaint New-England style town.
To turn his dream into a reality, Tufts hired the noted design firm of Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot to create the master plan. Fredrick Law Olmsted had already established himself as the preeminent landscape designer having already completed New York’s Central Park and the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC. Olmsted created a village setting with curving streets all surrounding a center of activity. To complete his vision, Olmsted imported more then 222,000 trees and “ever-green” trees and plants from France giving Pinehurst its lush and beautiful landscape seen today.
Meanwhile, Tufts set about designing and constructing the buildings. The combination of the two is the most charming, historic village found anywhere in the U.S. While Pinehurst Resort is often referred to as America’s Home of Golf with its eight splendid golf courses, the surrounding area still caters to the many activities that preceded golf. Some of the rich history here includes the likes of Annie Oakley who, along with her husband Frank Butler, made Pinehurst their home after leaving the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Annie taught shooting to over 15,000 people and gave regular exhibitions at the famed Gun Club and hotel. The equestrian activity here continues in full force as the Sandhills becomes the winter home to more than 30,000 horses including trotters, thoroughbreds, carriage horses and more.
