Pinehurst No. 4 — GolfTrailsHQ

Par: 72
Yardage: 7,254
Designer: Gil Hanse (2018)
Type: Resort
Green fee: USD 275–USD 495 (Resort guests only. Walking mandatory. Caddie fees additional. Pricing follows the same seasonal structure as No. 2.)
Walking: Permitted · Caddie $50-60 per bag (recommended)
Know before you go: Same resort guest requirement and walking policy as No. 2. The course is slightly less in demand, which means tee time availability is better, particularly in shoulder seasons. The waste areas are in play throughout the round. A conservative tee shot that finds sand is not necessarily a better outcome than an aggressive one that finds fairway.
What stands out: The strategic options from the tee. Hanse designed a course where the best shot is not always the longest shot, and the width off the tee creates genuine decision-making on almost every hole.

Pinehurst No. 4 was redesigned by Gil Hanse in 2018, replacing a Tom Fazio layout that was competent but lacked the strategic depth that the Pinehurst name demands. Hanse delivered a course that stands comfortably alongside No. 2 in terms of design quality while offering a distinctly different experience. Where No. 2 is a study in subtlety and short game precision, No. 4 presents more visible strategic choices from the tee.

The routing moves through a landscape of longleaf pines and sandy waste areas, with several holes offering multiple paths from tee to green. The 6th hole, a short par 4, can be played with a conservative iron to the widest part of the fairway or an aggressive driver over a waste area to shorten the approach. Both strategies are viable, and the course rewards the golfer who reads the conditions and commits to a plan.

The greens are large and receptive compared to No. 2, but the contours within them create distinct zones that reward precise iron play. A pin tucked behind a subtle ridge on a 6,000-square-foot green is not easier to reach than a pin on a crowned 4,000-square-foot green. Hanse understood that size without internal architecture is just acreage, and these greens have genuine internal architecture.

The course has hosted the 2019 U.S. Amateur and has been designated for future USGA events, confirming its championship credentials. For resort guests deciding between courses, No. 4 is the layout that most rewards strategic thinking and the willingness to attempt unconventional shots.