Museum, testing center to be built at Pinehurst
The USGA broke ground Monday on its new campus at the Pinehurst Resort that will include a museum, equipment testing center, golf shop and two areas aimed to increase awareness of golf’s role in nature.
The campus will include two buildings located near the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club Main Clubhouse. The structures will echo the architectural features of Pinehurst’s earliest buildings, with wide verandas punctuated by columns, hipped-roof features with dormers, large windows, and textured clapboard and shake siding details – all designed with hospitality in mind.
USGA announces anchor-site relationships
Last year, the USGA announced that Pinehurst, which bills itself as the “Home of American Golf,” would be an anchor site for future championships. The U.S. Open will contested on Pinehurst No. 2 in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 – in addition to the already scheduled 2024 event.
The USGA announced similar partnerships with Pebble Beach Golf Links, Merion Golf Club and Oakmont Country Club.
The 77th U.S. Women’s Open was completed on Sunday on the Pine Needles Course in nearby Southern Pines with Australian Minjee Lee winning by four strokes over American Mina Haigae.
The 122nd U.S. Open will be played June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Included in the USGA new Pinehurst campus, to be completed by the end of 2023, will be:
- The USGA Experience, an immersive view of golf and the USGA’s work to unify, showcase, govern and advance the game. Designed by Luci Creative, the Science of Golf and Championship galleries will feature interactive multimedia displays that incorporate augmented reality, interactive touch screens, sculptures and trophies;
- The USGA Shop, where golfers can purchase various products with the USGA championship logo of their choice as well as exhibit-related specialty items;
- USGA Golf Museum Special Exhibitions that uncover the USGA’s deep collection of golf artifacts – the most comprehensive collection in the world;
- The USGA’s Research and Test Center, the only one of its kind in North America solely dedicated to testing golf balls and clubs for conformance to the Rules of Golf;
- The Glade, the USGA’s outdoor learning landscape that will help to elevate awareness of the USGA’s ongoing work to help make golf more sustainable, with native plants and pollinator habitats;
- The Grove, a restoration of the ancient longleaf pine forest native to the region, through a unique partnership with North Carolina State University.
Featured image: Artist’s rendering of the USGA Pinehurst facility, courtesy of the USGA
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