Why it matters
Pine Needles is a Donald Ross 1928 design that has hosted the US Women's Open three times (1996, 2001, 2022). Kyle Franz restored it to its 1920s form in 2017 — wire-grass scrub, period greens, removed invasive trees. The Lodge itself is a 1928 timber building with the round-the-corner feel of a country club; the course is the more open, walkable of the Mid Pines / Pine Needles pair.
How to play it
Walking with caddies; carts available. Pair with Mid Pines (same ownership) or Pinehurst No. 2. The Lodge stay is the obvious move — the property is the experience.