Top 10 Best Things to Do in Pinehurst NC: a Complete Travel Guide

A few weeks ago, David and I made a quick weekend getaway to the resort at Pinehurst NC. Pinehurst is a quick 1.5 hour drive from Raleigh and I appreciated being able to park our car for the weekend and either walk or use the shuttle to get around. It was our first time visiting the Village which is centered around the resort and its golf courses. I am a big fan of Frederick Law Olmstead, who was hired to design the village, and as a result, was named as a National Historic Landmark District. We are excited to share the best things to do in Pinehurst NC (that doesn’t include golf!) and look forward to a return trip back!

Top 10 Best Things to Do in Pinehurst NC: a Complete Travel Guide

Things to Do in Pinehurst NC – Where to Eat

Grab a Happy Hour Snack at the Ryder Cup Lounge

David and I arrived later in the afternoon, so after we checked in, we dropped our stuff off and headed down to the Ryder Cup Lounge for happy hour. We ordered parmesan garlic wings to snack out before heading out to the porch for a bit.

Enjoy Supper at The Tavern at Holly Inn

We enjoyed our leisurely walk through the village to supper at the Tavern at Holly Inn. Their homemade potato chips are the perfect start to the meal. David ordered the Down South burger with fried pickles, pimento cheese, bacon, and Cole slaw, while I had the Peruvian chicken tacos. The bar is antique and was transported from Scotland for the space. It’s beautiful, masculine, with a delicious menu and excellent service.

Experience the Legendary Breakfast Buffet in the Carolina Dining Room

I’m not one for a huge breakfast, but we had the buffet each morning in the Carolina Dining Room and it had some great options! I was a big fan of their hash browns and their fresh fruit selection. We really enjoyed our experience in the dining room and would recommend adding that to your package if you stay at the resort.

Have Lunch at Dugan’s Pub

We opted for lunch in the Village at Dugan’s Pub to catch some college football. I ordered the bacon & cheese burger while David had the blackened chicken sandwich. It was a great, casual atmosphere with good food.

Dine at Pinehurst Brewing Company

Pinehurst Brewing Company is celebrating its first anniversary this month and is in the historic steam plant building in the Village of Pinehurst. The building has a variety of seating options, including an outdoor patio, and the century old building has some of its original details, like the huge wooden ceiling beams and the exposed brick, but also has really interesting light fixtures. They have an eclectic menu featuring BBQ, wood fired pizzas, and sandwiches. We had the beer cheese with pretzels and fried cheese curds, pickles, and okra for starters. For dinner, I ordered the shrimp po’ boy and David had the Power Plant pizza. We look forward to a return trip to try more items on the menu. P.S. their brews are mighty tasty, too!

Things to Do in Pinehurst NC – What to Do

Spend the Morning at The Spa at Pinehurst

It was a cool, rainy weekend, so spending the morning at the spa was such a wonderful way to unwind and relax. We had massages and it was one of the best ones I’ve ever had. I highly recommend and told David I’d like to return for a spa day for my birthday in January. One of my favorite amenities that the spa offered were their smoothies. They came around at various points offering freshly made smoothies that were tasty but not too heavy. We had a peach one that was delicious.

Stroll the Village and Enjoy the Greens

Despite the rain, we loved walking every where and strolling the greens. I drive a lot for work, so I really enjoy times where I can get out of that routine. It is such a beautiful walk through the resort and around the village. We walked everywhere, but there is a shuttle that will take you around as well. The shops in the village are really cute and made for a fun afternoon of exploring and chatting with people in the area.

Sit a Spell on the Porch

The fern-lined porch was where we spent both evenings. On Saturday, David even took a little nap out there while I read a book. We had the perfect weather for it, and really enjoyed this part of our trip the most.

Play a Round of Golf

While we didn’t play any golf, it would be very remiss to not tell you to play a round while there. The 9 courses are world-famous, gorgeous, and historic. Pinehurst will host the 2024 US Open and there are detailed previews of each course online.

Things to Do in Pinehurst NC : Where to Stay

The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort

Check out other accommodation options at the Pinehurst Resort here.

Thank you to the Pinehurst Resort for partnering with and hosting I’m Fixin’ To for this post on the best things to do in Pinehurst NC. As always, all opinions are my own.

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