"We use this program not only to encourage families to spend time together, but to introduce kids to golf," says Hazelwood. "We play golf games on the driving range—like who can hit it closest to the pin, or parents versus kids in an accuracy contest—and we talk to mom and dad about how to help their kids learn and have fun with the game."

Family Fairways runs daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day, unless there’s a major tournament on Number Eight; it also runs during holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter.

"When they’re done, kids can say ‘I played golf at Pinehurst!’" Hazelwood says happily. "With all the history and tradition of Pinehurst, that’s not only cool, but they’ll be creating their own family history and tradition."

Some Quick Pinehurst History

The resort was founded in 1895 as a health retreat. As the story goes, founder James Tufts put a stake in the ground and bought all the land for a mile around. He then commissioned Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park, to lay out the Village of Pinehurst.

The first hotel, The Holly, opened on New Year’s Eve, 1895; room rates, $3/day. The grand, 210-room Carolina opened in 1901. Thoroughly modernized, these two properties retain the past’s southern warmth and grandeur—columned entry porticoes, lush lobbies, sophisticated gourmet dining and remarkably attentive guest services.

Guests began playing golf, or at least hitting golf balls, on their own in local cow pastures; a nine-hole course was created in 1897. The course grew to 18 holes a year later. But, in 1900, Donald Ross arrived, and his now-famous Course Number Two was completed in 1907. Ross went on to become the world’s premier course designer.

Major tournaments played here include two U.S. Opens, two PGA Tour Championships, the U.S. Senior Open, and Ryder Cup Matches.

The legendary Ben Hogan won his first professional tournament here. Other tournament winners have included Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Sam Snead.

Way More Than Golf

I defy anyone—child or adult—to spend more than three minutes with Rita Crowley without breaking into a smile, if not a song and dance.

Rita runs Pinehurst Resort’s KidsClub program. In her way, she represents how Pinehurst has grown beyond just a golfing destination.

Rita’s enthusiasm is contagious. Once a child descends into her basement level kids’ center, s/he immediately becomes immersed in wonder world where it’s impossible not to have fun. Here, in a collection of rooms, kids find any and all kinds of play: board games, arts and crafts, a puppet theater, puzzles, wooden train sets, fooseball, books, coloring books, and even computer games.

And, that’s only what goes on indoors.

Any day the weather permits, Rita and her staff gather the junior troops and—they off! The resort’s swimming and kiddie pool complex is but paces away. But, the KidsClub crew is equally likely to head to the Pinehurst Beach Club on 200-acre Lake Pinehurst for swimming, sand castle building, fishing or outdoor games. Or to play a makeshift game of soccer or tag.

"We tell parents to bring their children dressed for play," says Rita with a laugh. "They will get dirty. They will get paint on them."

"A couple of games the kids love to play out at the Beach Club," adds Erin Hunter, Pinehurst’s recreation manager, "are watermelon seed spitting contests and something we call ‘greased pig,’ where we grease up a watermelon and they try to capture it in the water."

If they can stop laughing.

KidsClub offers half- and full-day participation, with a maximum staff-to-child ratio of four-to-one.

On Friday nights, Family Fun is offered for all ages with pastimes ranging from flag football games to making s’mores.

Teens are not forgotten. Teen Adventures operates Thursdays through Saturdays, and keeps adolescents busy with activities like kayaking, paintball and GPS hunts.

And golf? Oh yeah, sure, they can do that, too, of course.

KidSpa - TeenSpa

When a spa has been created that earns a four-star rating from Mobil Guide, you’d think kids might not be particularly welcome.

Think again.

The Spa at Pinehurst embraces children through two programs, KidSpa (for ages 6-11) and TeenSpa (for ages 12-17).

And, these programs are thriving.

"The kids have their own waiting lounge," points out spa director Kim Hubert. "We even serve them smoothies."

One specialty that’s popular, according to Kim, are tandem massages. "Our dual massage rooms can be used for mom/daughter or father/son massages," she says. "In general, mothers and daughters like facials and a massage. Fathers and sons go just for massage. We do massages on kids as young as six."

Indeed, girls as young as two love to come to the spa for manicures and pedicures. "Young girls love the cool colors and sparkles in the nail polish," Kim reports.

More than anything, however, Hubert shows pride in the spa as an educational tool. "We sponsor the Girl Scouts of America," she explains. "Four times a year troops from the region come in and we teach the applications of the spa lifestyle—including fitness. And, we're affiliated with Richard Simmons' 2007 campaign against childhood obesity. He was here in 2006 and worked with our staff on working with small children.

"The kids we see are making it a lifestyle choice to take care of their skin," she continues. To prevent acne; to learn make-up application and how to style their hair and make make-up look natural. Teens want to know the techniques of how to take care of their body and skin. We teach them. We educate."

The Complete Package

Pinehurst remains primarily a major golf resort. With its incredible courses and history, it will never be any other way. But, resort management and personnel bring the same expertise, enthusiasm and commitment to excellence to the whole resort experience—from Beach Club activities to historic walking tours—as they do to golf.

That makes the bottom line as simple as this: at Pinehurst, families can mix-and-match vacation choices for members of any age and interest.

And in how many locales can you say you shared the playing field—no less learned on the playing field—with a sport’s greatest luminaries?

That’s very cool.

MORE on…. Pinehurst Resort

......Mitch Kaplan is the author of The Unofficial Guide to the Mid-Atlantic with Kids, The Cheapskate’s Guide to Myrtle Beach and The Golf Book of Lists. He is a contributor to The Unofficial Guide to New England & New York with Kids and to the annual guide Ski America & Canada.