The criteria listed in the article reads as follows: “… a golf course should always be fun, but not simple; challenging, but not torturous. A course that offers opportunities for all skill levels is the essence of women-friendly golf. Add natural beauty, an equal-opportunity atmosphere and superb conditioning, and you’ve got Golf for Women’s 50 best public and resort courses for women.”
It is hard to believe that Pine Needles, unlike Avis, could work any harder at what they do. From the top to the bottom of the Pine Needles organization, everyone does his or her job with each and every guest in mind.
Peggy Kirk Bell is the owner of Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club and Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club and could easily be identified as a “national treasure.”
If Bell is involved you can be sure that the event will be a success. Her LPGA record and her renowned teaching skills serve as an integral part of the Pine Needles experience. The personal attention she gives to the women, who attend the Ladies Only Golfaris, shows by example, to the staff at Pine Needles, and at Mid Pines, that by exceeding guests’ expectations, not just for their first visit but for every visit, is what makes for a successful resort operation.
Course design, playability, and a length between 4,800 and 5,200 yards, is what the Golf for Women panel was looking for to make their list from one to 50. Pine Needles did not have a problem meeting these criteria. Architect Donald Ross preferred small, raised and slightly crowned greens and Pine Needles is a fine example of his work.
I asked Chip King, director of golf operations for Pine Needles and Mid Pines, about what makes Pine Needles so women friendly. He was pleased to say, “The course has gentle rolling hills, fairways that do not have any forced carries, and greens that are a challenge for chipping and putting. A course that plays fair for the both the low and high index player. There are very few lost balls because you can find them easily in the pine straw.
“There are little things like ball washers and benches on all ladies tees. It is an easy course to walk and that exercise is encouraged.”
Rob Pilewski, PGA professional, and golf operations manager at Pine Needles, heads up the staff at the Pine Needles pro shop. He pointed out that 60 percent of the merchandise in his shop is dedicated to women.
All the top name brands are carried, shirts and shorts, golf balls, hats, gloves, baby golf shoes and outfits, junior shirts and caps, the list is endless. The ladies locker room is larger than the men’s and fresh flowers greet your entrance.
Women are an important part of the professional staff. There are five women teachers involved permanently in the Golfaris and in the Learning Center. They are all well credentialed and first on the list is Mrs. Bell, who loves to teach.
Bonnie Bell McGowan, and Peggy Bell Miller, Bell’s daughters, have been instructors at Pine Needles for over 20 years. Bonnie was an outstanding amateur golfer who played on the University of North Carolina golf team. Peggy is a former member of the University of Alabama Women’s golf team.
Vikki Valentine-Krick played golf at the University of South Carolina on a golf scholarship. She turned professional in 1992 after winning the Virginia State Amateur Championship and the Virginia Golfer of the Year in 1991. She is currently an assistant professional at Pine Needles with responsibilities as a teacher and merchandiser.
Donna Orr is an instructor in the Pine Needles Learning Centers. She is a graduate of Meredith College where she was a member of the golf team. She was an assistant professional at North Ridge Country Club, the Neuse Golf Club and Lochmere Golf Club, all in the Raleigh area.
Pine Needles also received high marks for all the extras that Golf for Women was looking for in its rating of courses. Service, smiles, good food, and attention to detail all were in the plus column when the panel of experts, that included amateur champions, LPGA Hall of Fame members, travel writers, and course architects, completed their evaluations.
Pine Needles is not just for women only. Each day about 60 percent of the players are men. The men’s tees run from 6003 to 6318 to 6708 yards. Both men and women enjoy the experience of playing a course that has twice been the site of a US Women’s Open Championship and will host it again in 2007.
Mid Pines is under the same umbrella as Pine Needles and it is equally as fine a course to play. The pro shop caters a little more to men in clothes and accessories. And being a guest at either facility allows you to play both courses.
Pinehurst Resorts is just above the halfway mark on the list at No. 22. Just recently they hosted a woman’s two-day member-guest event that was very successful. Players came from every corner of the country to participate. And its celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Women’s North and South Amateur Championship, played every year at Pinehurst, was perfect in every way.
The Centennial Course, No. 8, was specifically mentioned because women have a choice of two tee options to match their skill level. Pinehurst has recently opened a new health spa and that is a plus for any club.
I read over the list and found that I have played nine of the courses listed. I am not sure I will add on to that list any time soon. Getting to play Pine Needles, Mid Pines and a few of the courses at Pinehurst that are right here in my own backyard is just fine with me.
Over 30 years ago Peggy Kirk Bell put an idea into action. She started the Golfaris for Women, a foundation that has led to being, No. 2, on the list of the 50 top courses for women in the nation.
Kelly Miller, chief operating officer of the Pine Needles–Mid Pines complex, said, “Being number 2 on the Golf for Women list of the 50 best courses for women in the country is an honor that pleases us very much. It means, of course, that we will need to keep working hard each day.”
The staff at Pine Needles makes hard work look easy — so look out No. 1.
