Pinehurst No. 10 Review: The Walking-Only Sandmines Adventure That Gives Pinehurst a New Kind of Teeth

There is a point on a lot of Pinehurst trips where the conversation gets a little too tidy.

No. 2 is the history round.
No. 4 is the smarter fun round.
The Cradle is the short-course beer round.

And then Pinehurst No. 10 shows up and reminds everyone the resort did not build a new course just to hand you another polished clubhouse-core remix.

This is not a fake firsthand review where I pretend I just hoofed 18 through the Sandmines and developed a spiritual bond with every sandy shoulder. This is a practical review built from Pinehurst’s current official No. 10 course page, current FAQ and package rules, and the resort’s current 2026 maintenance schedule.

The question is simple:

Is Pinehurst No. 10 actually worth prioritizing in 2026 if you want the modern, walking-only Pinehurst round that feels most different from the old core?

Yeah.

It has a very real case.

Quick Verdict

Pinehurst No. 10 is worth it if you want:

• the most rugged and modern-feeling premium round in the Pinehurst orbit
• a walking-only day that feels less manicured and more exploratory
• a Tom Doak design that gives Pinehurst a different visual and strategic texture
• a second or third resort headline round that is not just “more Pinehurst” in the familiar sense

It is not the move if you only care about Ross history, need the easiest value case, or want a Pinehurst trip that stays close to the main-resort comfort bubble the whole time.

If you want the big-picture Pinehurst map first, read best golf courses in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Pinehurst No. 2 review, and Pinehurst No. 4 review. This page is for the golfer who already knows the trip is happening and wants to know whether No. 10 is the Sandmines detour worth paying attention to.

What Pinehurst No. 10 Actually Is

Pinehurst’s current official No. 10 page says the course is the resort’s first new course in nearly three decades and that the landscape features native wiregrass, sweeping landscapes, rolling hills, and rugged dunes carved out by mining operations around the turn of the 20th century.

That is the entire pitch right there.

This is Pinehurst leaning into land that sounds bigger, rougher, and less country-club tidy than the resort’s central legend.

The same course page says No. 10 shares its home with Pinehurst Sandmines, a mostly undeveloped 900-acre property, and lists the essentials:

• Tom Doak design
• 7,020 yards
• Par 70
• Opening year 2024

That is useful because it tells you No. 10 is not trying to cosplay as Ross.

It is trying to be its own thing.

Why No. 10 Has Such a Strong Case

It gives Pinehurst a modern adventure round instead of another heritage lecture

There is nothing wrong with heritage. Pinehurst obviously does that better than almost anyone.

But if every premium course on the property asked the same questions with slightly different fonts, the whole destination would start feeling repetitive.

No. 10 sounds like the antidote.

The Sandmines setting, the mining-cut dunes, and the Tom Doak routing language all point toward a round that should feel:

• more expansive
• more rugged
• more walking-dependent
• and a little less precious

That is good.

Pinehurst did not need another course that just repeated what No. 2 and No. 4 already cover.

It looks like the cleanest “third lane” after No. 2 and No. 4

The existing Pinehurst hierarchy already makes sense:

• No. 2 is the history-and-turtleback exam
• No. 4 is the broader-appeal premium splurge

No. 10 looks like the sharper modern branch.

That is what makes it compelling.

If No. 2 explains why Pinehurst matters and No. 4 explains why the place can still be enjoyable for normal humans, No. 10 looks like the course that proves the resort still wants to experiment instead of just monetizing nostalgia.

Walking-only changes the feel in a good way

Pinehurst’s current FAQ says the resort highly encourages caddies on No. 10 because it is walking only, and separately states that No. 10 is a walking only course while carts are allowed on most others.

That matters.

Walking-only is not just a logistics note. It shapes the day.

It tells you this round is supposed to be absorbed properly, not skimmed from a cart while you check a screen and pretend the land is a side plot.

If your current golf-shoe setup is based on optimism and blisters, fix that before the trip with best golf shoes for walking 2026.

The Access Rules Are Still Real Resort Rules

Pinehurst’s current FAQ says that to play courses 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, you must be a member or resort guest.

So no, this is not the sneaky public back door into Pinehurst relevance.

It is still a proper resort-planning round.

That makes the package structure matter more than a single posted green fee. Pinehurst’s current Premier Golf Package says it includes all advance and replay rounds, and that the package bundles all golf fees and course premiums, explicitly giving guests the option to discover the new No. 10 alongside No. 2, The Cradle, and the classic courses.

That is useful because it clarifies the fit:

• No. 10 is not really a one-off casual add
• it makes the most sense as part of a broader Pinehurst stay
• and it gets more attractive when it is one branch inside a bigger golf package rather than a standalone “is this alone worth it?” argument

The Caddie and Walking Math Matter

Pinehurst’s current FAQ says:

• Caddie: $85 per bag
• Forecaddie: $45 per player
• Single bag: $100

It also says Pinehurst recommends a single-strap carry bag under 24 pounds for caddie use.

That is not trivial money.

On No. 10, I still think it makes sense.

This sounds like the kind of round where:

• local lines matter
• the scale of the property matters
• and conserving energy on a walking-only day matters

My take:

• take a caddie if this is a one-shot bucket-list Pinehurst build
• take a forecaddie if your group wants help but does not want to go full spend
• carry or push only if you already know walking golf is actually your lane and not something you claim to enjoy once a year

Timing the Trip Still Matters

Pinehurst’s current 2026 Course Maintenance Schedule lists No. 10 for maintenance on July 20-30, 2026 and lists Monday afternoon as the course’s regular topdressing slot from May 1 through August 31.

That is exactly the kind of detail you want before spending Pinehurst money.

If you are planning a summer trip, ignore that and you are just volunteering to get annoyed by something the resort already told you in advance.

How I Would Actually Approach No. 10

1. Treat it like a walking round first and a scorecard second

That does not mean be casual.

It means pace yourself like an adult.

Eat early. Hydrate. Do not show up under-loose and then pretend the walk surprised you.

If you are usually a slow starter, read how to play your first three holes without starting stupid before the trip. Premium resort golf gets expensive fast when the opening stretch is basically your warm-up.

2. Respect the visuals without letting them make the decisions for you

Courses with sweeping scale and sandy hazards can make golfers do one of two dumb things:

• steer everything because the land looks intimidating
• or swing heroically just because the property looks adventurous

Neither is smart.

This is still Pinehurst. Strategy still matters.

That is where how to play front pins without making bogey, how to play back pins better, and stop short-siding yourself keep earning their keep. Big land is not permission to get stupid.

3. Use No. 10 as the “modern contrast” round on the trip

If I were building a three-round Pinehurst core and wanted the cleanest spread of experiences, I would think about it like this:

• No. 2 for history and the full architecture exam
• No. 4 for the more playable premium resort answer
• No. 10 for the walking-only Sandmines adventure

That feels like a complete trip.

Who Should Play It

Play it if you want the Pinehurst round that feels newest in more than name

Some new courses are just new inventory.

No. 10 sounds more substantial than that.

The whole Sandmines setting gives it a different tone from the older resort core, and that alone makes it interesting.

Play it if you already know your Pinehurst trip needs variety, not just prestige

If you are only booking the single most famous round, the answer is still No. 2.

If you are building a broader trip and want the lineup to feel less repetitive, No. 10 becomes much more appealing.

Pass it if you need Pinehurst to stay comfortable and centralized

No. 10 sounds like the round for golfers who want Pinehurst to feel a little wilder.

If your ideal resort day is mostly easy logistics and familiar rhythms, No. 4 is probably the safer premium answer.

Is It Actually Worth It?

For the right trip, yes.

Not because it is cheap. Not because access is easy. Not because every new resort course automatically deserves applause.

It is worth it because No. 10 appears to give Pinehurst something it genuinely needed:

• a modern design voice
• a more rugged land story
• a walking-only identity
• and a meaningful third lane beyond the Ross centerpiece and the Hanse complement

That is a real contribution, not just another tee time.

Bottom Line

Pinehurst No. 10 looks worth prioritizing in 2026 if you want the walking-only Sandmines round that makes a Pinehurst trip feel broader, newer, and a little less predictable.

The guest-only access rules are real. The caddie spend is real. The maintenance window is real.

So is the appeal.

If your trip already has the appetite for a serious resort round and you want one course that feels like Pinehurst pushing forward instead of just protecting the museum, No. 10 has a hell of a case.

Image: Pinehurst Resort