The "Buddy Trip of a Lifetime" golf package at Pinehurst GolfResort is a deal.
Any time I hear of a resort offering “unlimited golf” packages, my ears perk up. When it’s the Pinehurst Golf Resort, they stand at full attention.
Such was the case when I came across Pinehurst’s Golf Resort’s three-day “Buddy Trip of a Lifetime,” where, for $2,300 per person (based on groups of four or more), you can play as much golf as your body will allow on seven of the resort’s golf courses, and one round on its famous, No. 2 course, which has hosted the US Open in 1999 and 2005.
Being that this is Golf Vacation Insider, we won’t write about anything unless we’ve experienced it ourselves and/or meticulously researched it for you, and that includes offers from respected properties like Pinehurst Golf Resort.
As we’ve said before, we think worthwhile golf packages must offer the convenience one-stop shopping AND a significant savings over booking everything separately. So, without further ado, let’s find out if this Pinehurst Golf Resort package is a….deal, or no deal.
Pinehurst’s “Buddy Trip of a Lifetime” package includes:
- Two nights lodging in one of Pinehurst Golf Resort’s four-bedroom villas, stocked each day with beer, wine, and snacks of your choice
- One round of golf on Pinehurst No. 2, which includes a pre-round tip session with a Pinehurst Golf Resort pro on how to play the course, caddies who wear your name on their bibs, and a group photo on the first tee
- Unlimited golf on any other Pinehurst Golf Resort course
- Daily breakfast (buffet) and dinner (in any Pinehurst Golf Resort restaurant), plus one lobster and steak dinner prepared in your villa by a private chef
- Unlimited steam/sauna/whirlpool access at the Pinehurst Golf Resort spa
- Free use of an Acura courtesy car (gas included)
- $50 pre-paid gift card for use on the Pinehurst Golf Resort property
- Welcome/departure gifts (snacks, fruit baskets, photo frames, etc)
- Pinehurst Putterboy trophy for your group’s contest of choice
The price of $2,300 per person might seem steep at first, but we did some digging and found out that two nights in Pinehurst Golf Resort’s villas, unlimited golf, and daily breakfast and dinner and would normally cost about $3,400.
That’s bare bones too. No free, stocked bar and snacks, no personal caddies, no steak and lobster dinner extravaganza. And the only “fine print” of note is that the rate is based on villa availability. Otherwise, this Pinehurst golf package is available all year long.
So, we’re happy to report that is Pinehurst golf package is…a deal. You can find the official details on the Pinehurst Golf Resort website (pinehurst.com/golf_vacation_packages.asp).
Now, if you want a free, comprehensive guide to staying and playing at the Pinehurst Golf Resort, including the best courses to play (after No. 2), which accommodations are right for you, and where to find the best meals in town, take a free trial to our flagship publication, Golf Odyssey. In addition to the current issue, you’ll get instant access to our entire back-issue archive, including our June 2008 Pinehurst Golf Resort review. So, give Golf Odyssey a try. There is absolutely no risk or obligation to subscribe.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
would love to join everything you offer but nothing applies to Canadians so is worthless for us– please let me know when you will consider us worthy of paying you money and playing your courses thanks
I’m not even sure how to respond to that. The last time we checked, Canadians were allowed to visit Pinehurst, North Carolina. And I think you may be confused about what we do. These are not “our” courses. We are an independent source of insider golf vacation information and advice only. We have ZERO financial interest in what courses you play.
I’m sorry, but there is no way I can consider $1,150 a day to share a condo with three other guys, play 36 and eat dinner as being a good deal even a mediocre deal. And it is actually $1400 a day as a single in your own room (at least that’s how I interpret their web description.) And the steak and lobster dinner in your villa is only for 8 people in that villa, ie, 8 people at $1,150/day or $9,200/day. Yes, I guess that a “private chef” and a steak might be appropriate for that amount of $. Just because they have some insane $3400 as their “standard” price doesn’t mean that this package is a deal.
Call me crazy, but I’d try to play more than 36 holes on an unlimited golf package at “the home of American golf.” To that point, this is Pinehurst, not Myrtle Beach. Even if you were staying in the resort’s LOWEST-tier accommodations (the Manor Inn), two-nights and four-rounds (on No. 2, 4, 6, and
would run you nearly $1,700…and you’d still have to pay extra for dinner each night. All of a sudden, $2,300 for unlimited golf, extra perks, and the resort’s most luxurious accommodations, the villas, looks mighty good. Heck, I’d gladly pay the extra $500 or so to ratchet it up to a “Buddies Trip of a Lifetime.” We’re still on the lookout for the “Budget Trip of a Lifetime,” but we’ll let everyone know when we find it.
If Pinehurst is the plan for a buddies trip, how about this, versus your $2,300 2 day luxo version: FOUR DAYS on the Donald Ross Package incl Dinner and Bkfst (which runs from Nov 9-Mar 7) at the Manor House. EIGHT ROUNDS of golf, 1 on each course. $2161 OR If you only wanted two days, make that $1313 for #’s 2,4,6 and 8 on the same package. Brad
First, you’re quoting cold-season rates when it’s unlikely you can get in 36 holes before dark. The “lifetime” package is valid anytime. Second, there’s 10% sales tax and a 9.75% service charge associated with the DR packages. These are included in the “lifetime” package. The bigger point here is, it’s pointless to try to compare a luxury golf vacation package to an everyday package. That’s like saying filet mignon is a bad deal just because it’s more expensive than hamburger. Clearly, the majority of the expense in the “lifetime” package comes from staying in the posh private villas. That’s important to some people when they want to splurge. What we’re saying here is that this TOP-OF-THE-LINE package is a good deal compared to Pinehurst’s TOP-OF-THE-LINE a la carte rates.