Turning 21

By Lee Pace

The golf world is full of iconic dining and drinking establishments just off the 18th holes of notable golf courses. There’s the Tap Room at Pebble Beach, where you can dive into a 22-ounce bone-in Delmonico steak amidst a museum-quality display of golf memorabilia. There’s the Panorama Restaurant at Cabot Links in Nova Scotia with its Cape Breton oysters and halibut ceviche. And how about the steak and ale pie with a single-malt Scotch at McKee’s Pub at Bandon Dunes?

Station 21

Destined to take its spot among the gastronomic gems of the golf travel world is Station 21, the new Southwest-themed food and beverage facility at Pinehurst Resort’s Sandmines. Located four miles south of the Village of Pinehurst, Sandmines is the umbrella name for the satellite golf operation that features the No. 10 course and in 2027 will include the No. 11 course as well as a lodge and cottages.

“The concept here is to curate an experience completely different from anything at Pinehurst,” says Gonzague Muchery, the director of resort food and beverage for Pinehurst Inc. “The Southwest theme pays homage to the Texas heritage of the Dedman family [Pinehurst’s owner since 1984] and to the history of this property. This land has been used for hunting, so we have quail on the menu. One part of the No. 10 course was once a peach orchard, so we have peach salsa and a peach-and-chipotle rub for chicken and a peach ice-cream sandwich.”

Muchery is a native of France, grew up in his family’s restaurant business and has spent 45 years in the culinary arena across the United States—from Ritz Carltons to a five-star venue on Amelia Island to high-end cruise ships. He was hired by resort owner Robert Dedman Jr. in 2022 to elevate the company’s resort F&B experience and build on its palette of dining and drinking operations with each having its own theme and niche—barbecue and craft beer at Pinehurst Brewery in the village, 150 styles of bourbon at the North & South Bar at the Manor Inn, fine Italian cuisine at Villaggio at the Magnolia Inn.

Pinehurst No. 10

The first project under Muchery’s purview was the Carolina Vista Lounge, the restaurant and bar in the Carolina Hotel that replaced the Ryder Cup Lounge in the fall of 2023. The space was reimagined from a casual dining venue to an upscale bar offering dishes drawn from North America (buttermilk fried chicken sliders and double-patty grilled burgers) to South America (chili salt pork rinds and empanadas with andouille sausage).

The next initiative was PL8TE / Southern Table at the No. 8 clubhouse. It opened in May 2025 and followed the 2022 renovation of the golf course and coincided with the opening of five luxury cottages on premises. The new restaurant offers a fresh take on upscale Southern cuisine—staples with a modern twist such as shrimp and grits with roasted succotash and BBQ-glazed pork chops with Cheerwine sauce, for example.

Now comes Station 21, so-named because 21 is the sum of 10 & 11 (the Tom Doak-designed No. 10 opened in May 2024, and the Coore & Crenshaw No. 11 will follow in the fall of 2027), and “station” harkens to the Sandmines’ history of being a mining site for sand that was transported out via railroad cars.

The menu includes appetizers like a bowl of chili made from brisket and short-ribs and a plate of Texas Hill Country quail knots. Hand-held entrees range from bison sliders to smoked brisket tacos. Among the full-plate specialties are authentic Mexican tamales with shrimp or pork and poblano peppers stuffed with quinoa, chorizo and chicken.

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Among liquid refreshments are Ranch Water (tequila with peach nectar and lime juice) and Cowboy Coffee (bourbon cream with cold brew coffee).

Golfers needing some sustenance on the course can stop at The Perch, located adjacent to the ninth and 15th tees. The Transfusions are a big-seller (vodka, ginger ale and a splash of grape juice) as are the Infusions (same thing with tequila).

Station 21 is open from 11 to 5 daily and will begin serving dinner in the spring of 2026. It serves grab-and-go breakfast burritos and tacos beginning at 6 a.m.

Muchery’s French heritage comes through as he speaks of the marriage of recreation, food, drink, friendship, nature and the five senses at Pinehurst Sandmines and Station 21.

“Having an emotional connection with each facility is very important,” he says. “You come to this wonderful golf course, you walk it and feel the ground beneath you, then you come together after it’s over and talk about what a great experience you had. You have something to eat. You have a drink. In cooler weather you sit around the fire pit. You have a cigar and reflect on the day, you enjoy the moment. You think, ‘Oh wow, what a good time.’

“We’re establishing the formula and culture for the next 30 to 40 years.”

Lee Pace is a freelance golf writer who has written about Sandhills area golf for four decades and is the author of club histories about Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, Mid Pines, Pine Needles and Forest Creek.