PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Talamore

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Talamore in Southern Pines, NC.

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Talamore golf course

Talamore

Southern Pines, NC
Gold Tees tees · 6,681 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Talamore

Designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1991, Talamore Golf Club is a premier Sandhills resort layout in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The course winds through tall Longleaf Pines and gently rolling terrain, featuring recently remastered Champion Bermuda greens, expanded green collars, widened fairways, and 12 authentic sod-wall bunkers. Famous for its historic llama caddie program, Talamore blends strategic architecture, playable fairway corridors, and clever green complexes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Talamore

Off the tee

Tee shots require thoughtful placement rather than brute force, as pine-lined fairways, strategic doglegs, and center bunkers dictate optimal landing angles. Widened fairways provide generosity, but failing to find the correct side of the fairway can block approach angles into guarded greens.

Elevation & terrain

Gentle rolling Sandhills terrain creates modest elevation changes across the routing. Uphill approaches to elevated plateau green complexes require taking extra club, while downhill tee shots demand distance control into tight landing zones.

Approach play

Approaches are defended by strategically placed greenside bunkers, steep drop-offs, and authentic sod-wall bunkers. Precise iron play and distance control are required, particularly when playing to elevated green complexes or shared double greens.

Around the greens

Restored Champion Bermuda putting surfaces are large, fast, and feature generous TifGrand collars. Swales, plateaus, and sod-wall bunkers around the green complexes reward creative chip shots and precise lag putting.

Best way to play it

Focus on tactical positioning off the tee to secure clean angles into green complexes while avoiding signature sod-wall bunkers and water hazards. Respect the elevated greens by hitting enough club on approach, and stay patient on the putting surfaces.

Key takeaways

  • Features 12 Scottish-style sod-wall bunkers unique to the Pinehurst and Sandhills area.
  • Remastered Champion Bermuda greens were expanded by 25 percent and roll fast and true.
  • Holes 9 and 18 share a dramatic double green situated directly behind the clubhouse.
  • Hole 5 offers two distinct teeing areas positioned 90 degrees apart for completely different looks.
  • Strategic doglegs and pine-lined fairways reward smart placement over pure distance off the tee.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
5
614
4
Position your tee shot and second shot down the left side of the fairway to avoid trouble along the right trees on this true three-shot hole.
Your 240 yd driver · ~374 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
2
3
196
16
Select enough club to comfortably carry the fronting sod-wall bunkers, as playing long is much safer than landing in the deep sand.
3
4
412
6
Use driver off the tee into the generous fairway, then focus on precise ball placement on an approach shot that allows for a low run-up onto the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~172 yards remaining by raw distance.
4
5
504
14
Steer clear of the center fairway bunker off the tee to set up a scoring opportunity, avoiding the sand complex guarding the right side of the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~264 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
5
3
142
18
Check the daily tee setup before making your club selection, as the angle and distance into the green vary completely depending on the tee location used.
6
4
334
12
Prioritize fairway placement over maximum distance off the tee to ensure an unobstructed view into the green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~94 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
7
4
441
2
Aim for the left-center portion of the fairway off the tee to stay away from the water and open up a clear approach angle to the green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~201 yards remaining by raw distance.
8
4
404
8
Drive the ball to the crest of the fairway hill to secure a clean, level lie for an uphill approach into the putting surface.
Your 240 yd driver · ~164 yards remaining by raw distance.
9
4
356
10
Target your approach shot toward the correct portion of the shared green to avoid long, delicate lag putts across the wide putting surface.
Your 240 yd driver · ~116 yards remaining by raw distance.
10
4
367
7
Hit a controlled tee shot down the center of the fairway to setup a short-to-mid iron approach onto a wide putting surface.
Your 240 yd driver · ~127 yards remaining by raw distance.
11
5
531
15
Play a smooth drive down the open fairway and lay up to your preferred wedge distance to safely navigate surrounding greenside bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~291 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
12
4
416
5
Place your tee shot down the left-center of the fairway to clear the pine bend, then take extra club to reach the elevated plateau green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~176 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
3
175
17
Select enough club to carry onto the elevated green plateau, as short or wide misses leave difficult, steep recovery chips.
14
4
372
9
Favor the right-center side of the fairway or shape a controlled draw off the tee to clear the long left bunker and use the natural terrain slopes.
Your 240 yd driver · ~132 yards remaining by raw distance.
15
3
231
13
Use a long iron or fairway wood targeted at the center of the deep green to avoid trouble surrounding the complex.
16
4
436
1
Commit to one of the two fairway corridors off the tee, then club up on your approach to conquer the steep uphill rise to the protected green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~196 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
4
328
11
Lay up short with a hybrid or fairway wood for fairway positioning, setting up a wedge shot into a delicate green protected by sod-wall sand.
Your 240 yd driver · ~88 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.
18
4
422
3
Drive over the water hazard onto the right side of the fairway to shorten the carry and gain a clear approach over water into the shared double green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~182 yards remaining by raw distance.

Course information and strategy are provided for planning purposes. Yardages, course setup, hazards and playing conditions can change. Always confirm current course information before your round.