North Carolina is a southern state in the United States of America, which offers its visitors an array of activities in its three distinct regions which are; the mountain region, piedmont and its coastal region. Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountain is where tourist could go to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing and mountain climbing. The fast growing cities like Charlotte and Raleigh dotting the piedmont can be visited for its museums, skyscrapers and historic neighborhoods. While the state’s coastal region of Wilmington and its secluded barrier island in the outer banks can be visited for kite surfing, fishing and a fun day out in the sun and sand. Raleigh is North Carolina’s capital and houses most of the states cultural institutions and museums. North Carolina is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is the most visited national park in the country while Pinehurst is home to the states famous golf course.
Pinehurst is a village in North Carolina and is best known among those who like to golf and for its beautiful golf courses. Its most famous golf course is golf course number 2 where the US Open has been held twice and is set to host the 2014 US Open as well. The championship golf course is very green and mostly flat and stretches 7335 yards. It is one of the 8 courses that make up the world famous Pinehurst Resort. For the first time in USGA history Pinehurst no. 2 will host the US Open and the US Women’s Open in consecutive weeks starting on the 12th of June and ending on the 22th of June. The US Open will be held from the 12th-15th and the US Women’s Open will be held from the 19th-22th. Pinehurst has had the privilege of hosting some of golf’s most prestigious events and has a legacy of over 100 years which is why every golfers wish list includes Pinehurst no. 2 as a must play golf course. The golf course was designed by Donald Ross who blended Scottish course style with North Carolina’s sand hills to create a fusion of design which is a challenging layout and is also stunningly beautiful.
For those traveling to Pinehurst for the US Open the most convenient way to get there is to use the Raleigh, Greensboro or Fayetteville airports. These airports are about an hour away from Pinehurst and visitors to Pinehurst Resorts are provided with airport shuttle as well as transport within the Pinehurst area as well. Public transport is not available in this village so visitors could hire a car or bike if necessary. Those attending the US Open need to read the guidelines and rules that visitors need to follow as disrupting the game might cause officials to ask you to leave. Bringing snacks from outside, phones and photography are all prohibited during the game.
Other activities that visitors to Pinehurst could enjoy after golf, is horse riding which is a popular activity in the area; with harness tracks and many horse farms in the area. There is also Tufts Archives, which is a specialty museum, and Sandhills Horticultural Gardens. The famous Seagrove potteries are nearby with hundreds of potters offering their wares and if you do purchase one of these masterpieces, most will even ship it for you. The Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve houses the world’s oldest longleaf pine tree; visitors could relax in this serene sandhill pine forest and even take home a giant pine comb. Visitors could also go downtown to the village of Pinehurst and the towns of Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Cameron, and Carthage and explore and discover the charming and unique shops and galleries.
Muslim travelers visiting Pinehurst for the US Open need to know that not many Muslim-friendly facilities are available. Although three masjids are located around this area, namely; Masjid Al Madina, Masjid Omar Ibn Sayyid and Islamic Society-Carilinas, where Muslim visitors could offer their prayers if needed, halal restaurants are hard to find. Muslim visitors could inquire at the mosque regarding halal restaurants or they could dine at vegetarian or seafood restaurants. Muslims could also travel to other parts of North Carolina where halal restaurants are located. Another option would be to dine at local restaurants that cater to various dietary requirements such as vegans; however Muslim visitors need to make sure that non halal ingredient’s are not used.
