Hall of Fame Take Two

Rendering of the World Golf Hall of Fame

Six hundred yards to the north is the Carolina Hotel.  Three hundred yards to the east is the first tee of Pinehurst No. 2. Four hundred yards to the south is The Cradle and Thistle Dhu, the immensely popular duo of ancillary golf venues just outside the resort clubhouse at Pinehurst Country Club.

The new USGA Experience Building and World Golf Hall of Fame are in the thick of it all — in contrast to the first rendition of the Hall of Fame in Pinehurst from 1974-98, when it was situated in the woods on the opposite side of No. 2’s fourth green.

“The original hall was not on the beaten path for golfers going to play Pinehurst No. 2 and all the other courses at resort,” USGA Executive Director Mike Whan says. “If you’re at the Carolina Hotel or in the village and you’re going to play No. 2 or The Cradle, you’re going to be within walking distance of the World Golf Hall of Fame. That’s very different.”

This six-acre Golf House Pinehurst complex situated on the former site of club tennis courts on the west side of Carolina Vista Drive is nearing completion after construction commenced in June 2022. The Test Center and Administrative Building has been occupied by approximately 70 USGA staffers since late 2023. Next door, the USGA Experience Building with the World Golf Hall of Fame on the second floor is approaching a May 1 scheduled opening.

Digital Rendering Championships Gallery, USGA Experience

This second building will be open to the public, with hours and admission charges still to be determined. With the lower floor at 9,500 square feet of space and the Hall of Fame at 8,000, the building is large enough to display a significant amount of educational content about the game of golf and historical artifacts saluting its history — without being too large and saddled with exorbitant maintenance costs.

“Everyone who plays golf will make the pilgrimage to Pinehurst at one point or another,” Whan says. “This is not a separate trip. Golfers are already coming. We are making it convenient and sized appropriately.”

“Simply put – it just makes sense, and together with the Hall of Fame, we’re more committed than ever to delivering experiences that build even deeper connections between golf fans and those who have truly led the way in this great game.”

Digital Rendering Science of Golf Gallery, USGA Experience

The USGA Experience tells the story of golf’s governing body in America —beyond the national championships it conducts. One gallery will highlight the science of the game — with agronomy and equipment testing the two areas in which the USGA has significant footprints. Another gallery will embrace the U.S. Open and all the other championships, a total of 16 annually. One area will be devoted to a rotating exhibit, with some artifacts and memorabilia coming out of storage from the USGA’s headquarters in Liberty Corner, N.J. Appropriately enough, that area for its debut theme will feature Pinehurst history and how the resort and town evolved into the “St. Andrews of American golf.” Interactive displays and kiosks and film and video snippets will enhance the experience.

Upstairs in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the headline display area will be the locker room concept relocated from the facility’s previous home in St. Augustine, Fla. Lockers assigned to 164 members feature personal memorabilia stored behind plexiglass walls, items such as Johnny Miller’s clubs used in shooting a final-round 63 in the 1973 Open at Oakmont; Jack Nicklaus’s MacGregor bag from the 1965 Masters; Bob Jones’ Spalding 9-wood; the Wilson Pay-Off putter Sam Snead used throughout most of the 1950s; Beth Daniel’s 1990 Solheim Cup bag autographed by both U.S. and European teams; and a pair of plaid golf shoes and black-and-white checkered hounds-tooth cap and white plus-fours worn by Bob Hope.

Rendering of the World Golf Hall of Fame

Visitors will be able to access a mobile app on their phones and hear voice footage from various inductees with stories about some of their personal artifacts on display. There will be approximately 4,000 pieces of memorabilia on display in the Hall of Fame.

Rendering of the World Golf Hall of Fame

“Putting these displays in Pinehurst in front of the hundreds of thousands of people who come here every year will be a major benefit to the game of golf,” says Hillary Cronheim, senior director of the USGA Golf Museum and Library. “St. Augustine wasn’t particularly easy to get to. We certainly have our challenges in Liberty Corner. We’re confident we’ll get a lot of people here.

“Pinehurst is just such a mecca for golfers, so you’re putting the things where the people are who want to learn and embrace the history and the work of the USGA.”

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.