Forest Creek Golf Club (North) – Played October 2020
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 200 Meyer Farm Drive, Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Year: 2005
- Architect: Tom Fazio
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available
Score Card Information:
- Championship: 7,184 yards, Par 72, 75.1 Rating/142 Slope
- Championship/Long: 6,952 yards, Par 72, 73.6 Rating/140 Slope
- Long: 6,701 yards, Par 72, 72.4 Rating/139 Slope
- Creek: 6,457 yards, Par 72, 71.1 Rating/137 Slope
- Intermediate: 6,249 yards, Par 72, 70.1 Rating/131 Slope
- Intermediate/Medium: 6,041 yards, Par 72, 69.2 Rating/129 Slope
- Medium: 5,864 yards, Par 72, 68.5 Rating/128 Slope (Men’s), 74.3 Rating/136 Slope (Women’s)
- Forest: 5,445 yards, Par 72, 71.9 Rating/131 Slope (Women’s)
- Short: 4,950 yards, Par 72, 64.3 Rating/107 Slope (Men’s), 68.7 Rating/125 Slope (Women’s)
The Pinehurst area is known mostly for its public and resort courses. That doesn’t mean there is an absence of private clubs. Forest Creek is probably chief among them.
The club is a master-planned community with luxurious homesites throughout the property. The golf is comprised by 36 holes of Tom Fazio over the North and South courses. The facility is a true country club as it features dining, a pool, and tennis.
I had played the North at Forest Creek way back in college when I worked summers at Pinehurst. It took me a long time to get back but a gracious invitation accomplished the task.
I want to reiterate something I’ve said many times on this site. The golf world is filled with so many people that have been incredibly generous to me. I’ve been welcomed to many courses over the years. We may not agree on world issues, sports teams, and the like, but I’ve always felt welcome at their courses. Golf is the best.
Hole 1 – 376 yards – Par 4
The first hole gives you a generous fairway to hit. We actually played the hole closer to 400 yards.
the approach plays mostly over a large front bunker to a smallish green.
Hole 2 – 185 yards – Par 3
This tree-framed hole plays slightly downhill with a large target. I hooked one far left and didn’t even get to putt on the green!
Hole 3 – 512 yards – Par 5
This dogleg right features plenty of sand, which fits in the Sandhills of North Carolina. The closer you play to the tree line the shorter shot you will have into the green.
Be aware of the deep front bunker, especially with front pins.
Hole 4 – 156 yards – Par 3
With a mid-iron in your hand here, the bunkers shouldn’t be a huge concern. Step up and swing confidently.
Hole 5 – 407 yards – Par 4
A good drive can set you up well here. On most days you’ll want to favor the front part of the green because the turf is usually firm.
With the open green, you can run your second shots up onto the putting surface.
Hole 6 – 361 yards – Par 4
The landing area is blind from the tee but you’ll want to favor the right side of the fairway for the best angle to the green. The landing area is quite generous.
In the photo below you can see how the right side makes for a better angle into the green.
Hole 7 – 422 yards – Par 4
If you have the power fade, now is the time to hit your best. The hole meanders to the right and downhill before the green is revealed around the corner.
Hole 8 – 435 yards – Par 4
In my view, this is the toughest hole at Forest Creek. For the shortest approach, you need to skirt the massive right bunker.
The approach is a flat and straight shot but it will most likely be a long one.
Hole 9 – 504 yards – Par 5
If you can manage a good drive here, getting home in two is definitely in play. The hole goes slightly left at first before going slightly back right as it moves toward the green.
I can see many approaches ending up in the bunker, especially those going for the green.
Hole 10 – 535 yards – Par 5
We have back to back par fives here but this one is a three-shotter for most players. A nice draw plays well on this tee shot.
The green sits among the pines in an idyllic setting.
While it’s in a pretty setting, the green features some tough slopes.
Hole 11 – 409 yards – Par 4
This one plays uphill as you can see, before bending to the right. You need two solid shots for a good score.
Hole 12 – 397 yards – Par 4
This hole is quite demanding. You must find the fairway since the green is elevated and heavily guarded by sand. You can hack it around in the bunkers for quite a while if you’re not careful.
Hole 13 – 351 yards – Par 4
I like a good, short par four. The daring line is up the left to catch the slope and get as close as you can. I took the safer route to the middle, leaving me with a wedge into the green.
Hole 14 – 183 yards – Par 3
There is a slight elevation change on this hole so make sure you dial in your distance control. You don’t want to be long here and the left bunker is tough.
Hole 15 – 401 yards – Par 4
The last few holes feature the most scenic portions of Forest Creek. Slicers will get pretty nervous on this tee, but the fairway is quite large.
Approaching this green with a long iron is a tough gambit.
Hole 16 – 182 yards – Par 3
This is the only one-shotter that plays uphill. Make sure you get it to the green tough with the steep hill in front of the green.
Hole 17 – 391 yards – Par 4
This hole plays similar to 15, but it is a bit shorter and features a centerline hazard. I thought it was a nice way to differentiate a hole that looks similar.
Hole 18 – 494 yards – Par 5
Fazio gives you a real chance to end the round on a high note. My host even eagled this hole. Playing out of the chute, a good drive will leave the green in reach.
If you keep it between the bunkers it’s possible to run a wood or long iron shot up onto the green.
Hole 19 – Various Distances – Par 3
Forest Creek has a cool feature with their 37th hole. It is called the “hog hole” and is used for settling bets.
The club leans into the hog theme. There was also a marker with the “other” side of the pig!
The North course at Forest Creek was as good as I could remember. I was definitely happy to get back to refresh my memory on the course.
Tom Fazio takes some criticism in the golf architecture space but I think he has a great talent for designing aesthetically pleasing golf courses that are playable from the proper tees. Forest Creek is definitely in that mold. Now I will just have to get back to play the South!