The group that owns Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines, three fantastic Donald Ross designed courses, as well as three of the most respected public golf properties in the Pinehurst golf community, expanded its footprint in the region with the acquisition of four additional 18-hole championship courses.
Rolling Pines LLC, a management company, under the parent Mid Pines Development Group, purchased two established clubs,the Country Club of Whispering Pines and Foxfire Country Club. Each facility has two 18-hole courses with deep ties to the region, although none were designed by Donald Ross the designers have very close ties to Ross.
“We see great opportunities in both properties,” said Kelly Miller, the managing partner of the new ownership group and the son-in-law of the late Peggy Kirk Bell.
Miller has been with Pine Needles since the 1980’s, working his way up to president and CEO over the years. He was instrumental in the company’s 1994 acquisition of Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, plus the purchase of Southern Pines Golf Club, in 2020.
“Our goal is to make significant improvements on all four courses and get them on an upward trajectory,” added Miller. “The Sandhills area is growing, North Carolina is growing, and Raleigh, Sanford and Fort Bragg seem to be getting closer and closer to us. This is a chance to some polish some classic golf courses from outstanding designers and make them available to the public at a reasonable price.”
Both the Country Club of Whispering Pines, opened in 1959 with two Ellis Maples-designed courses, and Foxfire Country Club, established in 1968 featuring two Gene Hamm-designed courses, were purchased from Great Life Golf Management.
The Rolling Pines ownership group plans to enlist golf architect Kyle Franz to develop master plans for the newly acquired courses. Franz has been instrumental in the group’s previous restoration projects. He first renovated Mid Pines, in 2013 and followed with work at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, in 2017-18. Both restored the original Ross character with rebuilt greens and reconfigured bunkers. He also oversaw the dramatic transformation of Southern Pines.
For Miller, the purchase represents an extension of his commitment to the region. He recalls playing both Foxfire and Whispering Pines as part of a group with his father-in-law, Warren “Bullet” Bell, a former professional basketball player, and a group of 12 to 16 other local golfers who rotated between those courses as well as Pine Needles and Southern Pines every week.
“We had a great time. Over the years, Foxfire and Whispering Pines have had their challenges,” Miller added. “I have fond memories playing there and have had my eye on them for some time.”
The River and Pines courses are the centerpieces to the club at Whispering Pines and were designed by Ellis Maples. Although Whispering Pines was not designed by Donald Ross. Maples design work was influenced by Ross as his father, Frank, was the construction and course maintenance chief for Donald Ross.
“Whispering Pines has great corridors,” Miller said. “They have some great golf there. The routing is really good. I have always been intrigued in the lineage to Pine Needles and Mid Pines because Ellis as a young man worked on the construction of both those courses.”
Foxfire is about six miles southwest of the village of Pinehurst and sits on a 2,000-acre site anchored by Lake MacKenzie, which serves as a formidable water hazard at both the Red Fox and Gray Fox courses. Hamm opened the first course in 1968 and they hosted the ACC Men’s Golf Championship, in 1970, 1973, and 1975. Nine new holes followed in 1972, and the facility became a 36-hole operation in 1981.
In the near term, guests at both Pine Needles and Mid Pines will have access to the courses at Foxfire and Whispering Pines. There is the possibility of other synergies between the five properties, although the four new courses will operate separately from the existing membership structure at the original three clubs.
The investment reflects the group’s confidence in the golf potential of the Sandhills region, a destination known first and foremost among traveling golfers for the Pinehurst Resort.
With 126 holes of golf now under management, the Rolling Pines group has reinforced its commitment to long-term stewardship, with a focus on making quality golf available to the public while retaining its historic character.
“We have a deep commitment to the community and to the state,” Tharani said. “We believe in buying properties that have a great legacy and tradition, and both of these clubs fit that.”
