Hole 1 at Pinehurst Resort #8

Pinehurst, North Carolina
Par
4
Yardage
361 yds
Stroke index
15
Hazards
3 bunkers
Hole 1 aerial at Pinehurst Resort #8Hole 1 map
Hole 1 green slope contour at Pinehurst Resort #8

33 yd wide × 27 yd deep · 2.7 ft total elevation range

Light = gentler slope · Red = steeper slope
White lines: 1 foot of elevation. Arrows: downhill. General terrain, not a pin read.

Approach from bottom

Contour source

NC OneMap / NCEM — Moore County QL1 2024 · collection 2024

Map source & reference

Mapbox Satellite composite · capture date not provided. Green at the top; the labeled map reference is below.

Scorecard yardage is for Gold tees. The aerial shows its labeled reference position; distance rings measure to the green.

Gold tees · Par 4 · 361 yards

The plan for No. 1

White-tee plan: At 316 yards, driver is optional. Choose a finish that keeps the left bunker out of your ordinary landing pattern and leaves a clear approach.

Off the tee

From the White tee, the left fairway bunker runs from about 165 to 195 yards. Choose a right-center grass finish around 185 yards, leaving about 115 to the green center. The target is alongside the bunker, not a carry over it.

Approach & recovery

From the fairway, choose the green entrance before choosing the flag. If the left bunker catches the drive, let its lip determine the recovery. Take the clear exit when a shot toward the flag cannot clear that lip comfortably.

On the green

A ridge divides the green into left and right sections. Choose the flag’s side of that divide when the approach allows a comfortable landing margin. The front-to-back tilt makes space beyond the landing point part of the club decision.

Watch for

  • Left bunker
  • Fairway landing area
  • Green entrance

Hole 1 Green Complex & Slope

USGS 3DEP terrain analysis

Green Surface

Green size: 5,095 sq ft

Dimensions
27y Deep × 33y Wide
Mapped green boundary
Elevation Relief
2.7 ft
High-to-low drop
Max Slope
3.6°
Graded terrain
Golfer feedback

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Frequently asked questions

Yardage reference: Gold tees · 361 yards.

What's the best strategy off the tee?

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For this 361-yard par 4, most players will hit 3-wood or driver to set up a comfortable approach.

How difficult is hole 1?

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This hole is a good scoring opportunity for most golfers. Key challenges include: small green.

How big is the green on hole 1?

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The green is small and requires precision. Expect challenging pin positions with limited room for error.

What's a good score on hole 1?

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This hole is a medium-length test where par is a solid result. A straightforward par 4 where course management pays off.

Research notes

  • Matt Gibson describes the first as an opening par 4 where driver is optional. (2:42–2:52)[1]
  • Start with a usable approach angle. The first is shorter than several later par 4s, but its left-side sand can turn an apparently simple opening into a recovery hole. (Hole 1: current aerial plus dated terrain preview)[2]
  • GOLF describes the rolling wooded site and the fourteenth’s wetland as a cape-style strategic hazard. (Course Overview)[3]
  • Maintenance director Bob Farren said the 2022 work did not change the routing or architecture. Bunker treatments included multiple styles, and greens were resurfaced; reported firmness describes that visit rather than current conditions. (Renovation interview)[4]
  • Moore is included in the January 14–February 19, 2024 survey. The DEM uses 3.125-foot cells and NAVD88/GEOID18 heights in US survey feet. All 18 green crops are complete; samples were converted to meters before shared contour rendering. (NCEM_Dewberry_DEM_3.125_foot_Metadata.xml)[5]
  • No. 8 opened in 1996 as the Tom Fazio Centennial Course and has separate practice facilities. (Course overview)[6]
  • One player describes a fairway-bunker shot catching the lip after choosing the wrong club. This supports checking escape height before trying to maximize distance; the hole number is unspecified. (16:00–16:40)[7]
  • Saternus describes crowned surfaces and varied recoveries from fairway, rough and sand. (Approaches; Greens & Surrounds)[8]
  • The 2022 work resurfaced the greens with TifEagle and refreshed the bunkers while retaining the course architecture. Use post-renovation terrain for current surface previews. (2022 renovation section)[9]
  • The group highlights the back-nine wetland scenery in its closing course assessment. (21:43–22:22)[1]
  • The hosts describe narrower fairways, some water, and difficult greens during their wet, top-dressed visit. These are conditions of that trip, not a current speed or maintenance claim. (13:38–14:50)[7]
  • The operator website lists six named yardage rows. The linked PDF labels its White row White/Centennial; the website also has a distinct shorter Centennial row. No hybrid mapping is inferred. (Scorecard tables)[6]
  • The publisher identifies this as a September 2022 post-renovation preview. The inspected frame shows a wooded corridor and multiple sandy hazards; no hole number was confirmed from that frame. (3:55–3:57 inspected frame interval)[10]
  • There are 13 current rating rows across eight named configurations. Matching standalone tee lengths differ from the operator website; store ratings and operator yardages with their own provenance. (Complete course 20939 table)[11]

Sources

  1. Playing Pinehurst No. 8 | The Most Underrated Course at Pinehurst? | Exploring the Carolinas — Palmetto & Pine Golfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD75lU1X7gk
  2. Pinehurst No. 8 — current mapped routing — OpenStreetMap / AllGolfHoles map interpretationhttps://www.openstreetmap.org/way/428977993
  3. Pinehurst No. 8 — course overview — GOLF.comhttps://golf.com/courses/pinehurst-no-8/
  4. Pinehurst No. 8 firmer and faster after recent facelift — GOLF.com / Andrew Pennerhttps://golf.com/travel/pinehurst-8-firmer-faster-recent-facelift/
  5. North Carolina 2024 Phase Three LiDAR metadata — NC Emergency Management / Dewberryhttps://sdd.ncem.org/Downloads/public/docs/NC_Lidar_Metadata.zip
  6. Pinehurst No. 8 — official course and scorecard — Pinehurst Resorthttps://www.pinehurst.com/golf/courses/no-8/
  7. Fairway Fit Golf Podcast — S3 Episode 16 (#66), Pinehurst recap part 2 — Fairway Fit Golfhttps://rss.com/podcasts/fairway-fit-golf-podcast/2972980
  8. Pinehurst No. 8 Golf Course Review — Plugged In Golf / Matt Saternushttps://pluggedingolf.com/pinehurst-no-8-golf-course-review/
  9. What You Need To Know About Pinehurst No. 8 — Pinehurst Resorthttps://www.pinehurst.com/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-pinehurst-no-8/
  10. Pinehurst No. 8 in 4K — Course Flyover — Carolina Pines Golfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaQfzLZYDmE
  11. Pinehurst No. 8 — current USGA ratings — USGAhttps://ncrdb.usga.org/courseTeeInfo?CourseID=20939