Apologies to James Taylor, but I have to admit I find myself going to Carolina in my mind often these days. Maybe it’s because I just got back from a road trip up and down the East Coast, where I played Tobacco Road, toured Tot Hill Farm and remembered fondly my round at nearby Southern Pines Country Club.

Because after you play those three courses, it’s hard to forget the Sandhills of North Carolina. Not that you’d want to forget this golf-laden region, what with the famed Donald Ross-designed Pinehurst No. 2, newly restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, gearing up to host both the men’s and women’s U.S. Opens in 2014. But as great as historic Pinehurst might be (you’ll find quite a few of our travel experts listing both No. 2 and the Tom Fazio-designed No. 8 in their Best Courses Lists later in this issue, not to mention the many high-end lodging options that go with them), I’ve always believed the resort somewhat overshadows its surrounding brethren. Don’t get me wrong — I love the history of Pinehurst as much as the next golf wonk, but for my money there are far too many options in the area to limit yourself to a pricey resort vacation.

That’s where Tobacco Road Travel comes into the picture, offering a variety of packages for those who seek the Sandhills experience.

“We have access to 40 golf courses, of which about 30 are located directly in the Sandhills,” says Joe Gay, the company’s director of golf, who oversees both the travel package business and the Mike Strantz-designed Tobacco Road Golf Club. “There are about 10 periphery golf courses as well — including Tobacco Road, we’re one of the periphery courses, about 30 minutes north of Pinehurst. But everything that we have is within an hour’s drive of Pinehurst.”

And although much of Carolina golf orbits around Pinehurst Resort (Tobacco Road Travel has limited access; they can book guests onto courses 1, 3, 5 and 8), it’s the Sandhills region itself that attracted all the designers who have made this stretch of the state the golfing wonderland it is today.

“One of the great things about our area is the variety of golf courses,” Gay says. “The Sandhills gets its name for a very good reason — we’re in the sand. The majority of the state of North Carolina, you’re in clay and rock. And then there’s a pocket of sand that’s about 50 miles across and 50 miles deep that made it so easy for these golf courses to be built at the turn of the century.

“That’s why Donald Ross made this his home — it was so easy to push around sand with mules and pans. And that’s why the Pinehurst Resort popped up in 1895 and Southern Pines Country Club in 1906, Mid Pines in 1921, Pine Needles in 1927. That’s why it started here, because the sand was so much easier to move around than rock and clay.”

And although Ross was one of the first to craft golf courses from this sand, he certainly wasn’t the last.

“You mix in a Donald Ross with the middle-of-the-century architects like Robert Trent Jones and Gene Hamm, and then the modern-day architects of Tom Fazio, Ben Crenshaw and Mike Strantz,” Gay continues. “We have a variety of all the famous architects who have ever put a shovel in the dirt in the United States — they’re all right here. It’s a great mix of designers.”

And the list doesn’t stop there. Nicklaus, Palmer, Davis Love III and Crenshaw’s partner Bill Coore have all left their mark on the North Carolina Sandhills. In fact, Coore and Crenshaw’s latest, The Dormie Club, has opened to rave reviews, bringing yet another “destination golf” attraction to the state.

But North Carolina golf doesn’t have to take a divot out of your wallet. Tobacco Road Travel offers packages that range from ultra-high-end all the way down to one-nighters that any traveling golfer can afford.

“That’s one of the stigmas of the Pinehurst area — people think of Pinehurst as an expensive golf destination,” Gay says. “But Pinehurst is just eight golf courses, and we have access to 40 courses. So there are all these other courses that can compete with a variety of packages. If you’re looking for a good value, don’t be scared off because you think Pine Needles and Pinehurst are going to be expensive — they are, yes, but we also have a lot of good, quality golf courses that are low-end and inexpensive.”

And at this time of year, there’s even more value to be found.

“Not only can you choose among this variety of golf courses,” Gay says, “but if you’re willing to play in January — we’re open 364 days a year, and no it’s not going to be 72 and sunny, but our average daytime high is 55 with moderate weather — you can play for next to nothing. If you’re looking for affordable, you can definitely find it.”
Even better, when you book those ultra-affordable packages [see sidebar for an unbeatable deal to play the three aforementioned courses — Tobacco Road, Tot Hill Farm and Southern Pines], there are no restrictions when it comes to day or time. Want a morning tee time? Done. Weekends? You bet.

Gay, a native of Sanford, N.C., where Tobacco Road is located, is also quick to emphasize the expertise his booking team lends to traveling golfers looking to make the most out of their visit to the area.

“Everyone strives to have better customer service than the next company down the street,” he says. “At Tobacco Road Travel, all but one of our golf package coordinators were born and raised in the Sandhills of North Carolina. We not only know, live and breathe golf, but we know the area very well. They know what courses are in great shape, which courses are doing maintenance and when, they can assist fitting golf courses with abilities, budgets and tastes of each specific group. Tobacco Road has two PGA professionals on site who play all of the area courses constantly and are a great resource for the customer as well.

“We don’t want to sell just one golf package to the customer. We want that person coming back to the area year after year, so their enjoyment on that first trip is crucial to our success.”

And speaking of first impressions, remember those 10 “periphery” courses we mentioned earlier? They are key to Tobacco Road Travel’s strategy of helping visitors get on the golf course as soon as possible.

“A lot of those 10 that are 30 minutes to an hour drive outside Pinehurst are great golf courses to play on the way in when people are driving down from Pennsylvania or Washington D.C.,” he says.

“The majority of our visitors are driving in from the north, and we’re saving them time on their trip versus locations farther south, like Myrtle Beach and other South Carolina golf destinations. We’re one of the first resort areas that you get to, so we’ll save you some time on driving. And our temperatures are very moderate — here in the center of North Carolina, there’s very little wind, and we’re playing golf year-round. So we kind of mix proximity with very moderate temperatures — but of course the big draw is the great golf in the area.”

Sounds like a winning recipe to me, and yet another reason I’ll keep Carolina in my mind until I can visit once again.

Winter Golfing Wonderland

Looking to start the year with an affordable golf package? Check out these can’t-miss North Carolina deals to battle the cold:

3 Rounds, 2 Nights, $177 per person
This is one of those deals we almost couldn’t believe. In January or February, you can play two Mike Strantz gems — Tobacco Road and Tot Hill Farm — plus add in the exquisite Southern Pines Country Club (pictured) as your third, all for the low rate of $177 per person. And that includes two nights at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Pinehurst. Plus, if you have four people (quad occupancy), you can upgrade a two-bedroom condo for just $30 more per person. Want to play a different course? With this package, you can choose from Anderson Creek, Beacon Ridge, Carolina Trace, Foxfire, Hyland Golf Club, Legacy, Longleaf, The Carolina, Whispering Pines, Whispering Woods or Woodlake.

2 Rounds, 1 Night, $99 per person
Looking for a quicker package for January or February? Play Beacon Ridge and Foxfire with a night at Pinehurst’s Comfort Inn. Rate is based on double occupancy but includes all golf, cart fees, room and tax, and continental breakfast is also included.

To book these packages or learn more about upcoming specials, visit www.tobaccoroadtravel.com or call (877) 284-3762