A Pinehurst resident who isn't a club member or a resort guest has the rest of October to walk on Course No. 1, No. 3 or No. 5. After that, and until April, The Cradle is the only course at the resort they can book. That rule is printed on Pinehurst Resort's golf page, and it frames the next six months.
The resort's newest golf is going in about four to five miles south of the main clubhouse, at Pinehurst Sandmines in Aberdeen. No. 10 is already there, and No. 11 opens March 29, 2027. Both fall under the members-and-guests rule. So as the resort adds holes, the share a local can walk on gets smaller. The Sandmines piece a local can use without a room key is the restaurant.
Where the line falls, course by course
The resort sorts its courses into three groups. Here is what each one means for a resident with no membership and no hotel reservation.
| Course | Who can book it | When |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1, No. 3, No. 5 | Walk-on play open to non-guests | April through October |
| The Cradle | Walk-on play open to non-guests | Year-round |
| No. 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 | Members and resort guests only | All year |
| No. 10 at Sandmines | Members and resort guests only; walking only | All year |
| No. 11 at Sandmines | Members and resort guests only | Opens March 29, 2027 |
Today there are ten numbered courses. From April through October, a non-guest can book three of them. From November through March, they can book none of them, and The Cradle is the only course left. When No. 11 opens, the count goes to eleven and the public share still stays at three. No. 11 opens three days before the April walk-on window comes back, and it isn't part of that window.
Our State's February 2026 guide to Pinehurst says that every 18-hole course at the resort requires member or guest status. The resort's own page lists the April-to-October walk-on window on Nos. 1, 3 and 5, and the resort's policy is the one that decides what you can book.
How a walk-on time actually gets booked
The booking rules matter more in the last weeks of the season, when every open slot is the last one until spring. Here is how the resort describes them:
- Tee times open one day before the date you want to play, through the online booking portal or by phone at (855) 835-0771, option 5.
- Walk-on slots for non-guests are limited, released based on availability, and you may be paired with other players.
- A credit card and a full deposit are required when you book, the card is charged on the day of play, and walk-on tee times can't be canceled.
- Advance tee times go to members and overnight resort guests first.
Neither the resort's golf page nor the booking portal lists a current walk-on green fee, and we couldn't find a published November-to-March rate for The Cradle. Any figure older than this season is a guess, so we haven't printed one.
The resort's FAQ also says two children per paying adult play free on Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and The Cradle. The FAQ doesn't say whether that applies to a family booking a non-guest walk-on time, so call option 5 and ask before you assume.
Thistle Dhu stays open, and one source says so more plainly
When the 18-hole walk-on season ends, the resort's two smaller layouts are what's left. The Cradle is one. Thistle Dhu, the resort's 18-hole putting course, is the other.
The resort's Thistle Dhu page describes it as free for resort guests and doesn't mention anyone else. Our State's 2026 guide says it is open to the public, with no fee and no tee time. We didn't find posted hours. If you're bringing visiting family on a winter weekend, a quick call to the resort will settle it.
Sandmines is growing, mostly for overnight guests
The fact that matters here is where the resort is building. The Sandmines property sits off N.C. 5. The Pilot gives No. 11's address as 1075 Sandmines Crossing, Aberdeen. The Pilot reported that Aberdeen approved rezoning nearly 920 acres for the project. That's why the resort's next big expansion falls under another town's planning board.
No. 10 came first. Tom Doak designed it, and it opened April 3, 2024. The resort lists it as a par 70 at 7,020 yards, walking only. Golf Digest's review described blind or semi-blind drives over ridges and greens built to accept running shots.
No. 11 is the second Sandmines course. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed it, with Ryan Farrow as shaper. The resort's September 2026 announcement describes it winding through old mining ridges, mounds, spoil piles and mature trees that have grown back over the years, and quotes Coore calling it "weirdly wonderful." Guests could start booking it the day the opening date was announced.
More buildings are coming. The resort's updates page says it has broken ground on a 26-room Lodge and an eight-bedroom Cabin. The Cabin is expected in summer 2027 and the Lodge in fall 2027. A new clubhouse for No. 11 is scheduled for 2027, along with a lit putting green, fire pits and outdoor gathering space. Resort President Tom Pashley said in that update that the resort plans to "continue building upon the incredible foundation already established with Pinehurst No. 10 and Station 21."
Each of those additions sits behind the same members-and-guests rule as the courses, or is built for people staying overnight. The only part of Sandmines the resort clearly labels for everyone is Station 21, the restaurant Pashley named next to No. 10.
Station 21 is the public seat at Sandmines
The Station 21 page states the policy in one line: "Open to the public. No Reservations, walk-in only." It sits at 1085 Sandmines Crossing in Aberdeen. The outdoor seating overlooks the practice putting area, the first tee and the third green of No. 10.
The hours suit an early start, which helps in the months when the 18-hole walk-on courses are closed to you:
- Open daily 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 5:30 p.m.
- Chilaquiles breakfast buffet from 6 to 9:30 a.m.
- Lunch from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Bar, drinks only, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The menu is Southwestern. It includes stuffed poblano peppers, smoked brisket tacos, a peach orchard salad, Texas Hill Country quail knots, carne asada, tamales and chilaquiles. The page also lists a dress code, so check it before you drive down from the Village.
Station 21 is the closest a non-guest gets to No. 10, and come spring, to the neighborhood where No. 11 is opening.
Back in the Village, the resort's tables stay open
Closer to home, Our State's guide says visitors can dine at the resort whether or not they're staying there, and it names The Deuce as one option. The Deuce's current hours are Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It takes dinner reservations, and the resort recommends booking ahead.
Pinehurst Brewing Company is walk-in only with no reservations. It's open Monday and Tuesday 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday start with brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then the regular menu runs until 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday. Its resort page doesn't say "open to the public" the way Station 21's does. Our State describes it as a community gathering place.
What the calendar looks like from here
For a resident without a membership or a room key, the next six months go like this. Nos. 1, 3 and 5 take walk-on bookings one day ahead through the end of October. From November through March, The Cradle is the only course you can book, and Thistle Dhu is open according to Our State. On March 29, No. 11 opens at Sandmines for members and guests. Walk-on play on Nos. 1, 3 and 5 returns in April. Station 21 serves breakfast at 6 a.m. every day of that stretch.
We didn't find any local resident rate, Moore County golf card or punch-card program on the resort pages or in local coverage we reviewed. If one gets announced, it would change this calendar more than another new course would.
Watching Sandmines grow south of the Village is part of living in Pinehurst right now, and it raises fair questions about what the area will look like in a few years. If you'd like to talk through how the resort's expansion fits into your own plans here, Rhonda Edwards grew up in Moore County and is glad to grab a coffee, even a chilaquiles breakfast at Station 21, and share what she's seeing. When you're curious what your own place is worth, start with Get Your Instant Home Valuation.
