Weekends & seasons
Things to do in Moore County.
Moore County calls itself the Home of American Golf, and with roughly 40 courses within 15 miles of Pinehurst, the nickname is earned. But the list runs far past the fairways: state parks in the longleaf, lakes for paddling, two walkable downtowns, a growing brewery scene, live music, and a festival calendar that fills every season.
Moore County at a glance
40
Golf courses within 15 miles of Pinehurst
900
Acres of longleaf pine at Weymouth Woods
95
Acres of lake at Reservoir Park in Southern Pines
20,000
Visitors at the annual Carthage Buggy Festival
Golf
Golf is the headline, and it is not just for members.
Pinehurst Resort anchors the scene, and a deep bench of public, semi-private, and resort courses means you can play famous names without a membership. These are the courses locals actually play and point newcomers to first.
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club
The Home of American Golf: 8+ courses including the famous No. 2, host of the 2024 U.S. Open.
Southern Pines Golf Club
A classic 1906 Donald Ross public course right in Southern Pines.
Pine Needles & Mid Pines
Two Donald Ross designs that have hosted U.S. Women’s Opens, in Southern Pines.
Longleaf Golf & Family Club
A semi-private family club near Pinehurst.
Hyland Golf Club
A recently restored layout just outside Southern Pines toward Vass.
Midland Country Club
Another public option in the Pinehurst area.
Parks & trails
Longleaf, lakes, and walking loops.
When the fairways are done, the outdoors keep going. Moore County's parks run from a 900-acre state preserve to neighborhood lake loops, most of them free.
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve
A 900-acre NC state park in Southern Pines with about 5 miles of trails through old-growth longleaf pine, including a tree that sprouted around 1548.
Reservoir Park
A 95-acre lake with a 2-mile loop trail, kayaking, fishing, and an 18-hole disc golf course in Southern Pines.
Aberdeen Lake Park
A 1.5-mile loop around Aberdeen Lake, with playgrounds and picnic shelters.
Hillcrest Park, Carthage
A splash pad, disc golf, and walking trails at the Moore County parks hub.
Sandhills Horticultural Gardens
32 acres of themed gardens on the Sandhills Community College campus in Pinehurst.
Bear Creek Trail System
Disc golf and trails in the county network beyond the main parks.
Fishing: Reservoir Park, Aberdeen Lake, Lake Luke Marion, and Bass Lake Park all put a line in the water within a short drive.
Paddling: Kayaks and stand-up boards are a regular sight on the Reservoir Park lake and Aberdeen Lake.
Cycling: Quiet pine-lined roads and the Bear Creek trail system keep two wheels busy year-round.
Downtowns
Two walkable main streets, two different moods.
Southern Pines built its downtown on restored brick storefronts along Broad Street: coffee, boutiques, galleries, and a real restaurant row. The Village of Pinehurst answers with boutique shopping and dining in a planned resort village where the greens roll right up to the shops.
The Roast Office
Coffee in a converted downtown post office on Broad Street.
The Magnolia Inn
A landmark inn with the Villaggio Ristorante, an Italian favorite at the edge of downtown.
PL8TE Southern Table
A modern Southern kitchen on the downtown restaurant row.
Swank Coffee Shoppe
The long-running downtown coffee stop and social hub.
Breweries & nightlife
A pint in the pines.
The brewery scene grew fast, and it is genuinely local: every taproom below started here in the Sandhills.
Pinehurst Brewing Company
Brewery and taproom in the historic 1895 Village steam plant.
Southern Pines Brewing Company
Local brews on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Southern Pines.
Hatchet Brewing Company
A neighborhood brewery on Broad Street.
Railhouse Brewery
A veteran-owned brewery in a converted rail house in Aberdeen.
Arts & music
A cultural calendar that punches above its size.
A restored cinema, a historic estate, a gallery, and a modern performing arts center: the arts scene in this county of roughly 110,000 people surprises most newcomers.
Sunrise Theater
A restored downtown Southern Pines cinema running films and live music.
Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities
Concerts, lectures, and gallery shows in a historic estate in Southern Pines.
Campbell House / Moore County Arts
Gallery and arts programming on East Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines.
Bradshaw Performing Arts Center
Theater, concerts, and touring acts on the Sandhills Community College campus.
Seasonal events
Festivals in every season.
Add a major U.S. Open at Pinehurst in championship years and the calendar stays full year-round. These are the events locals mark on their own calendars.
SpringFest, Southern Pines
An April street festival filling downtown with more than 100 North Carolina vendors.
Carthage Buggy Festival
The county seat’s signature event since 1989, drawing about 20,000 visitors with music, food, and buggy heritage.
Pinecone Pathways
A March-to-April trail hunt with about 100 custom glass pinecones hidden across Moore County.
Live After 5, Pinehurst
Summer concert series in the Village of Pinehurst.
Sources & notes
Venues, hours, and membership policies change, so confirm details on each destination's own site before you go. The guide's numbers come from public area guides and event coverage.
- Home of American Golf, course directory
- NC State Parks, Weymouth Woods
- Moore County trails guide
- NC Tripping, 23 things to do in Moore County
- Breweries of the Sandhills guide
- Town of Southern Pines
Want the places locals keep to themselves?
Tell Terry what you enjoy, and Terry will point you to the bars, trails, and tables that do not make the brochures, plus the streets that put you minutes from them.
Contact Terry