Golf Travel Guide To Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of NC

An Interview With Claire Phillips, Director of Marketing

By Brian Weis

Looking to plan the perfect golf trip to Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of NC? Planning a buddies trip or a romantic golf getaway can be a full time job not to mention pressure filled to deliver a memorable experience. Below is an interview with Claire Phillips, Director of Marketing who shares some insider information about golfing and traveling to Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of NC, must play courses, a sample itinerary and where you can go for more planning tools.

Give our readers an overview of your destination and why they should consider it for their next golf trip?
Variety - with over 40 championship courses to choose from in close proximity for golfers of all skill levels, the Sandhills offers great opportunities to challenge anyone. The area also offers a great variety of lodging options - the world renown Pinehurst resort, national chain hotels/motels, B&B's as well as condos/private home rentals. To complement the variety of golfing options are dining and shopping. Each town has a unique vibe for shopping. Dining ranges from the best fish and chips in the Southeast to premium steaks, wine selections, craft beer - you name it. Visit and start a new golf tradition at the Home of American Golf.

What are the must play courses in Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of NC?
With over 40 courses, descriptions range from classic Donald Ross design to Nicklaus, Palmer, Stranz, Fazio, and Maples to name a few. Elevations are diverse, courses are classic to contemporary. Fast, short, long, slow can describe fairways and greens on any course on any given day. The best descriptions come from golfers after they finish the 18th hole.

What is the hidden gem and/or best value course?
Hidden gems - several courses are undergoing renovations to fairways and greens and will be in prime condition as the area prepares for the upcoming U.S. Open Championships in June 2014. The best value depends on what your budget allows. Great deals are found in late fall and late winter. Package deals can make a multi-day trip very affordable.

Can you provide our readers with an ideal itinerary for a long weekend?
For golfers - Friday evening - Beverages enjoyed in a pub, outdoor cafe, or rocking chair on the veranda. Dinner from casual to formal cuisine.
Saturday - Two rounds at area courses.
Saturday Evening - dine and wine.
Sunday Morning - another round at a top-rated course.
Sunday Afternoon - unwind with a spa visit.
Sunday Evening - quiet evening/live music. Sushi anyone?
Monday Morning - back to reality. Make reservations for next visit.

After golf, what are the "must do" things or attractions to see?
Non-golfers can fill a getaway too.
Seasonal festivals.
Live music at various venues.
Visit Tufts Archives to learn more about the founding of the Village of Pinehurst.
Shop Cameron - a town full of antique shops.
Southern Pines - boutiques and lots of food options.
Pottery Country - over 100 potters located in Seagrove.
Stroll through local art galleries, paint your own pottery.
Miles of gentle hiking trails.
Disc golf.
Historic homes and beautiful horse farms to see.

What is the best time to travel?
High seasons for golf are spring (April - May) and fall (September-October). Shoulder seasons offer better rates and the weather can be very co-operative with Indian summer up until Thanksgiving and few frost delay days. The thermometer can announce 70 degree weather occasionally in February.

Anything else you would like to share about the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of NC?
While the area has its history in golf, equestrian activities are equally popular whether as a participant or spectator. And, in the culinary world, the area has produced three winners in the Best Dish in NC contest for three years running - 2010, 2011, and 2012. The area is an easy drive from most of the mid-Atlantic and a one-hour drive south after arriving at Raleigh-Durham International airport.

Where can golfers go for more information to research and plan their trip?
HomeOfGolf.com -- The comprehensive destination website.

Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of NC
910-692-3330, ext. 235

Revised: 08/05/2013 - Article Viewed 30,579 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.