The first time I ever played with a caddy was at Pinehurst #2. (My father was footing the bill. Thanks Dad!) It was a little unnerving on the first tee. With four players, four caddies, and the group behind us with their caddies waiting for us to tee off, then add the starter -- and that's a whole lot of people watching me hit my tee shot. I did manage to make solid contact, and my ball finished just off of the fairway on the right.
I was excited to play a golf course that had hosted a U.S. Open. I remember watching Payne Stewart make that putt on the 18th hole back in 1999 to win. His fist pump has become iconic, and they have a cool trophy of him (and that fist pump) just off of the 18th green.
The course is pretty tight with most of the fairways framed by pine trees. If you are not striping it, you will be hitting a lot of punch shots from off of the pine straw. If that weren't tough enough, you'll have to judge your distance perfectly on approach shots because all of the greens are turtle backs. Anything too long or too short is going to run off of the green.
I recommend this golf course to anybody lucky enough to have the chance to play it. For me, I considered it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And one important side note: in 2014, the U.S. Open will be held here for both the men and the women.
