Hole 3 at Pinehurst Resort #8

Pinehurst, North Carolina
Par
4
Yardage
382 yds
Stroke index
11
Hazards
6 bunkers
Hole 3 aerial at Pinehurst Resort #8

Aerial source not provided

Green size: 30 yds deep × 36 yds wide

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

Gold tees · Par 4 · 382 yards

The plan for No. 3

White-tee plan: The diagonal green makes your approach angle matter on this 358-yard par 4. A controlled fairway finish is more useful than extra yards beside the left bunkers.

Off the tee

From the White tee, the first left landing bunker runs from about 205 to 225 yards; the next begins around 230. Favor a right-center finish around 215 yards, leaving about 135 to the green center. Extra length along the left brings the next bunker into play.

Approach & recovery

Use the diagonal green’s depth from your actual position. Aim into the portion that gives the approach room to land and finish. If the drive finds a left bunker, take a recovery that clears the lip without demanding an edge target.

On the green

The raised front rejects a short approach. A ridge running through the middle separates left and right sections; choose the section from your approach angle. Do not trade the required front carry for a smaller target near the edge.

Watch for

  • Left bunkers
  • Diagonal green
  • Fairway approach angle

Hole 3 Green Complex

Mapped green boundary

Green Surface

Green size: 4,663 sq ft

Dimensions
30y Deep × 36y Wide
Mapped green boundary
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Frequently asked questions

Yardage reference: Gold tees · 382 yards.

What's the best strategy off the tee?

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For this 386-yard par 4, most players will hit driver to set up a comfortable approach.

How difficult is hole 3?

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This hole is a good scoring opportunity for most golfers.

How big is the green on hole 3?

↓

The green is medium-sized with moderate targets. Pay attention to pin placement when selecting your approach club.

What's a good score on hole 3?

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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

  • Position matters on the third because the green sits diagonally across the approach. A fairway lie with control is more useful than a few extra yards beside the sand. (Hole 3: current aerial plus dated terrain preview)[1]
  • GOLF describes the rolling wooded site and the fourteenth’s wetland as a cape-style strategic hazard. (Course Overview)[2]
  • 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)[3]
  • 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)[4]
  • No. 8 opened in 1996 as the Tom Fazio Centennial Course and has separate practice facilities. (Course overview)[5]
  • 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)[6]
  • Saternus describes crowned surfaces and varied recoveries from fairway, rough and sand. (Approaches; Greens & Surrounds)[7]
  • 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)[8]
  • The group highlights the back-nine wetland scenery in its closing course assessment. (21:43–22:22)[9]
  • 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)[6]
  • 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)[5]
  • 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. Pinehurst No. 8 — current mapped routing — OpenStreetMap / AllGolfHoles map interpretationhttps://www.openstreetmap.org/way/428977993
  2. Pinehurst No. 8 — course overview — GOLF.comhttps://golf.com/courses/pinehurst-no-8/
  3. Pinehurst No. 8 firmer and faster after recent facelift — GOLF.com / Andrew Pennerhttps://golf.com/travel/pinehurst-8-firmer-faster-recent-facelift/
  4. North Carolina 2024 Phase Three LiDAR metadata — NC Emergency Management / Dewberryhttps://sdd.ncem.org/Downloads/public/docs/NC_Lidar_Metadata.zip
  5. Pinehurst No. 8 — official course and scorecard — Pinehurst Resorthttps://www.pinehurst.com/golf/courses/no-8/
  6. Fairway Fit Golf Podcast — S3 Episode 16 (#66), Pinehurst recap part 2 — Fairway Fit Golfhttps://rss.com/podcasts/fairway-fit-golf-podcast/2972980
  7. Pinehurst No. 8 Golf Course Review — Plugged In Golf / Matt Saternushttps://pluggedingolf.com/pinehurst-no-8-golf-course-review/
  8. What You Need To Know About Pinehurst No. 8 — Pinehurst Resorthttps://www.pinehurst.com/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-pinehurst-no-8/
  9. Playing Pinehurst No. 8 | The Most Underrated Course at Pinehurst? | Exploring the Carolinas — Palmetto & Pine Golfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD75lU1X7gk
  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