Pinehurst Holiday

Christmas at the turn of the century in Pinehurst — the turn of the last century, that is — included roasted wild turkey at The Carolina Hotel dining room, an “epicurean feast” as described by The Pinehurst Outlook at The Holly Inn and distribution of gifts by Santa Claus around a Christmas tree in the center of the village. The Pinehurst Orchestra performed at multiple events around the resort, and the temperature on Dec. 25, 1901, was a balmy 63 degrees. “Except for the sunny weather, the village enjoyed a real old-fashioned Christmas, observed just as it usually is in the North.”

The Holly Inn

A century and a quarter later, the resort and town doll up from pre-Thanksgiving into December. Holiday finery and Christmas music complement the engine that has made Pinehurst work from the beginning — the game of golf. The Sandhills holiday season knows no better touch than playing golf on the world-renowned No. 2 course and having the sounds of a traditional carol like O Holy Night emanating from the Coe Memorial Carillon in the Village Chapel.

The Carolina Hotel remains the centerpiece of the holiday experience and the venue for resort guests and locals alike to visit for the festive decorations and spirit.

The hotel, christened “The Queen of the South” upon its opening, has been a bucket list destination around the world of golf. It’s never looked and functioned better than it does today after an extensive renovation and upfitting that ran from November 2021 through the spring of 2024, when changes were completed in time for the U.S. Open Golf Championship.

The guest rooms have been renovated, but the public will first notice the new look of the public spaces. The lobby features new furnishings, comfortable seating areas and brighter, modern lighting fixtures, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The public areas are accented by the return of notable touches from the past, such as the arched windows framing the exterior. The new design also includes updated check-in and concierge desks, making the process of arrival and departure more efficient for guests.

In addressing changes to the hallway ceiling area as you walk from the central lobby toward the East Wing, construction workers discovered that some 40 feet of original arched ceiling and dormer windows had been covered up years ago. Last spring they were restored and now that portion of the hallway is bathed in natural light.

The Carolina Hotel Lobby

“It’s a great work of bricks and mortar, but it’s our people and the way they make you feel that has always made Pinehurst truly special, and nothing has changed with the way you are greeted and welcomed at Pinehurst,” says Pinehurst Resort President Tom Pashley. “The building now matches the people.”

The design and implementation of the holiday décor falls under the Pinehurst Recreation Department and the leadership of Josh Leap and Katie Perry. The staff starts its holiday planning in the summer, and the installation begins in early November with the goal to be fully decorated the week before Thanksgiving.

“The décor enhances everything and compliments the experience of people coming from around the world to play golf,” Leap says. “We want people to feel welcome, tell your friends or family come on down and that’s been the case for years. It is a known staple to come see The Carolina or the Holly Inn at Christmas or Thanksgiving time.”

“There are a lot of military balls in December, and they come here in their best dress,” Perry adds. “I love to see the tagged photos of them in the hotel with the trees and decorations in the background that our staff have arranged. It gives us a lot of joy to see people coming here for parties and dinners and just to take in the holiday decorations. We’re excited to be here, and they are too.”

The resort needs approximately 800 poinsettias that are placed in three waves over the six- to seven-weeks of the holiday display. As soon as the first wave of plants starts to wilt, another installation follows. The holiday decorations include placing around 20 Christmas trees in The Carolina and another dozen or so around the resort’s other hotel properties, including The Holly Inn and The Manor Inn. The resort contracts with a lighting company to install and manage the massive display of lights in front of the hotel, including the many thousands of bulbs placed in the bushes that spell out PINEHURST.

“We try to stick to tradition but at the same time be innovative and creative and classy,” Leap says.

The Carolina Hotel Decorations

Gingerbread house displays originated as far back as Germany in the 16th century and grew in popularity after the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel was released in 1812. An elaborate holiday gingerbread display in the lobby of The Carolina is a longstanding tradition.

Over the years, the Pinehurst pastry staff has produced a replica of The Carolina Hotel itself with green holly wreaths under every window, snow on the roof, icing on the eaves, chimneys made of gummy bears and accents ranging from gumdrops to candy canes to sprinkles. Each year with Executive Pastry Chef Caitlyn Nugent organizing the effort, the staff has created themes ranging from Santa at the North Pole, the Candy Land boardgame and popular books/films like Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The latter display included a replica of Mount Crumpet made with Rice Krispies cereal.

For 2024, the theme is Christmas at the Beach, and graham cracker crusts will be a feature element to represent the sand.

“We have fun every year coming up with an idea and executing it,” says Nugent, a staff veteran of a decade at Pinehurst. “It takes a lot of teamwork and a lot of work, and we’re doing it all as we’re preparing for our always heavy Thanksgiving weekend. We’ve done a lot of themes over the years. Everybody loves the beach, and we’re not that far from it. We started brainstorming, and everyone agreed it would be a great idea to tie Christmas into it.”

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.