Pinehurst No. 3

This classic Donald Ross design (circa 1910) is the shortest course at Pinehurst, but don’t let its modest distance fool you. Tiny elevated greens – averaging just 4,500 square feet each – demand precision, the kind of delicate approaches that will surely come in handy as you gear up for No. 2. A combination of longer par-3s and shorter par-4s provide ample opportunities to polish your long and middle-iron play. Accuracy and distance control also come into play on a number of well-conceived doglegs.

Ben Crenshaw said it best in the 1970s, when Pinehurst No. 3 made an impression. “I just don’t think people understand how good those holes are. They’re filled with interest. They’re shorter, but there’s plenty of character to them.”