- Joined
- Nov 26, 2016
- Location
- central NC
The Holly Inn in Pinehurst, NC
Locals labeled Tufts a fool for his purchase, but he was confident in his idea for a health retreat – far away from the cares of the world. He created his Pinehurst resort as a place for middle-class Americans to recuperate from the ailments of the time. Most believed those suffering from the respiratory illnesses as a result of the Industrial Revolution could be cured by the “pine ozone” only found in the region.
By the first year, Tufts had directed completion of a general store, dairy farm, boarding house, more than 20 cottages and the Holly Inn, which opened December 31, 1895.
Recreation and gracious accommodations were premier features of Tufts’ health resort. Riding, hunting, polo, lawn bowling, bicycling and archery were popular in Pinehurst’s early days. Tennis was one of the first planned recreational activities at Pinehurst, with two courts on the original blueprints for the Holly Inn lawns.
Three years later, golf arrived. According to history, some hotel guests introduced the game in the cattle pastures, hitting little white balls that disturbed the herd. Tufts then hired Dr. D. Leroy Culver of New York to design and build a golf course in Pinehurst, and in February of 1898 a rudimentary nine-hole course was constructed.
The Carolina Hotel
The Carolina Hotel, now the centerpiece of the Pinehurst resort community, was built and hosted its first guests in 1901, six years after the Holly Inn opened its doors.
The Holly Inn and the Carolina Hotel continue to thrive today. Golfers, spa lovers, shoppers and folks just looking to escape the day to day grind flock to the North Carolina Sandhills to sit on the porches, sip the cocktails and enjoy Southern hospitality at its finest.
Yep. That's me enjoying a rocking chair on the front porch.
Carolina Hotel Formal Dining Room