Featured on the cover of the current September/October issue of the magazine, Pinehurst outranked such notables as Pebble Beach (Calif.), The Boulders (Ariz.), Kiawah (S.C.), the American Club (Wis.) and Bandon Dunes (Ore.).

The survey was conducted online in the Spring of 2005 and received thousands of responses on hundreds of resort properties worldwide.

“We are especially proud of this ranking because the readers of one of the world’s foremost golf travel publications chose us,” said Don Padgett, president of Pinehurst. “These are the same guests with whom we strive to exceed expectations every day. The credit goes completely to our staff for showing them that Pinehurst truly is in a class by itself.”

Questions on the survey included readers’ thoughts on best golf courses, best resort spas, best place for an intensive golf buddy trip, best restaurants and best resort for family trips.

“Our readers’ passion for the game is reflected in this year’s results,” said John Atwood, editor in chief of Travel + Leisure Golf. “They travel extensively for great golf experiences. As the site of the 2005 U.S. Open, it is no surprise to me that Pinehurst is the top-ranked resort in the U.S.”

Pinehurst has eight championship golf courses, including the world-renowned Pinehurst No. 2, site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championship. The Open was first played on Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999.

The 2,000-acre resort is also the home of the Spa at Pinehurst and three world-class historic hotels: The Carolina, the “Queen of the South,” a stately Victorian; The Holly, an intimate inn with Four-Diamond dining; and The Manor, which provides a casual atmosphere.

Built in 1895, Pinehurst resort is located in the heart of North Carolina.

The resort is one of more than 170 clubs and resorts worldwide owned and operated by Dallas-based ClubCorp, founded in 1957. It has $1.5 billion in assets.