A brief history: The making of a mecca

1835: James Walker Tufts born in Charlestown, Mass.

1872: Donald Ross born in Dornoch, Scotland.

1891: Tufts merges his soda-fountain company with others to form the American Soda Fountain Co.

1895: Tufts buys 6,000 "worthless" acres from Henry Page of Aberdeen, N.C., for a dollar an acre. It's called Tuftstown, then renamed Pinehurst. First hotel, Holly Inn, opens.

1897: A visitor brings a set of clubs to Pinehurst; by fall, residents are hitting balls around area cow pastures.

1898: Tufts and Dr. LeRoy Culver lay out a nine-hole course.

1899: Ross arrives in U.S. Becomes professional at Oakley Country Club, Mass. Nine more holes built at Pinehurst.

1900: Harry Vardon plays exhibition match at Pinehurst; spreads favorable word about the club. Ross meets Tufts in Medford, Mass.; agrees to become Pinehurst professional.

1901: Ross starts redesign of No. 1 Course. Carolina Hotel opens on New Year's Day. First nine holes of No. 2 open, designed by Ross. First North & South Amateur played.

1902: Tufts dies, age 67. First North & South Open played.

1907: Eighteen holes of No. 2 completed (length: 5,860 yards). First nine of No. 3 opens, too, designed by Ross.

1910: No. 3 Course becomes 18-holer.

1912: Lucy Richards creates the famed bronze statuette, "The Putter Boy."

1916: Annie Oakley comes to Pinehurst, opens gun club.

1917: Bobby Jones, age 15, plays Pinehurst for first time.

1919: No. 4 Course opens, designed by Ross.

1935: No. 2 greens changed from clay-sand mix to grass.

1936: Denny Shute wins PGA Championship on No. 2.

1940: Ben Hogan wins first pro title, North & South Open.

1947: Babe Zaharias wins Women's North & South.

1948: Ross dies, age 75.

1949: Arnold Palmer loses, 12 and 11, to Frank Stranahan in semifinals of North & South Amateur.

1951: U.S. wins Ryder Cup Match on No. 2.

1959: Jack Nicklaus wins North & South Amateur.

1961: No. 5 Course opens, designed by Ellis Maples.

1970: Pinehurst sold for $9.2 million to Diamondhead Corp., which "modernizes" No. 2 and destroys Ross look.

1973: Gibby Gilbert and Tom Watson both shoot course-record 62s on No. 2 in World Open.

1974: World Golf Hall of Fame opens.

1975: Nicklaus wins World Open. Curtis Strange wins North & South Amateur. He wins again the following year.

1977: Hale Irwin ties No. 2 Course record with 62 in Colgate Hall of Fame Classic.

1979: No. 6 Course opens, designed by George Fazio and his nephew, Tom.

1982: Resort Assets Corp. takes control of Pinehurst after Diamondhead fails to pay on multimillion dollar loan.

1984: Pinehurst purchased by Robert Dedman's Club Corporation of America for $15 million.

1986: No. 7 Course opens, designed by Rees Jones.

1989: Vicki Goetze wins U.S. Women's Amateur on No. 2.

1991-'92: PGA Tour Championship played on No. 2.

1993: World Golf Hall of Fame closes doors.

1994: Simon Hobday wins U.S. Senior Open on No. 2.

1996: No. 8 Course opens, designed by Tom Fazio. Pinehurst named a National Historic Landmark.

1999: 99th U.S. Open played on No. 2 Course.

Cliff Schrock

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