Pinehurst voted best golf resort -- in the world

The readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have named Pinehurst the top golf resort in the world. The resort even finds itself on the magazine's cover.

"Maybe it’s something in the renowned tradition of the pristine golf courses. Maybe it’s something in the serenity of the Sandhills pines," writes the Fayetteville Observer.

"Whatever it is, Pinehurst has a knack for invigorating people ... in a way that keeps them coming back for more."

“This is about what (Pinehurst) provides and how Pinehurst inspires the people that come here,” John Atwood, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, told the Observer.

Atwood acknowledged that while the golf experience was the primary consideration, other features such as staff courtesy and spa quality factored in.

This marks the second time in three years that Pinehurst has received the magazine’s top honor, no small feat considering some of the renowned competition — Kiawah Island in South Carolina, Pebble Beach in California, Kapalua on the island of Maui in Hawaii, just to name a few.

Don Padgett II, the president of Pinehurst, said he believes there’s something to be said for the quality of his resort in besting so many other wonderful venues.

“When you think about it, we don’t have any mountains. We don’t have the ocean,” Padgett said. “But what we do have is a tremendous golf facility and a lot of great people who create a special atmosphere that a lot of people want to be part of.”