The Cradle

The Cradle is Pinehurst Resort's nine-hole short course in Pinehurst, North Carolina, designed by Gil Hanse and opened on September 30, 2017. Measuring just 789 yards, with holes ranging from roughly 56 to 127 yards, it sits on ground rich with meaning: near where Dr. Leroy Culver carved Pinehurst's first nine holes from the sand in 1898, giving the resort its Cradle of American Golf identity. Hanse conceived it as a joyful, come-as-you-are counterpoint to championship golf, complete with music, walk-on flexibility and a loop that can be played in under an hour. Tumbling over natural sandy contours with wire grass and clever green complexes, it delivers real strategic interest in miniature. Widely imitated since, The Cradle helped ignite the modern short-course movement and remains one of the most beloved experiences at Pinehurst.