Tom Pashley - President, Pinehurst Resort

If I owned a golf resort Tom Pashley would be exactly the sort of person I'd want running it. Unfortunately for my ownership aspirations Pashley seems quite happy with his current gig. As the President of Pinehurst Resort since 2014, he has spearheaded one of the most successful reimaginations of a golf property the world has ever seen. With tremendous momentum from the back-to-back men's and women's U.S. Opens in 2014, Pinehurst could have rested comfortably on their laurels. Instead, Pashley hit the ground running. In his seven years on the job he has overseen a dramatic transformation of the Pinehurst experience that includes the creation of The Cradle short course, the Gil Hanse renovation of Pinehurst No. 4, the renovation of Pinehurst No. 3, the construction of Pinehurst Brewing Company, renovated lodging options, and even refreshed branding based on the resort's rich history. All of which has resulted in a new golden age for the resort. Pashley spent 19 years at Pinehurst before ascending to the role of President and he wears his love for the place on his sleeve. He's also a humble and easily approachable person. If you see him walking around the grounds at Pinehurst you'd think he was just another immensely satisfied customer. Although, his smile makes you think he knows something you don't. What that might be is that the big ideas and grand plans aren't over yet. Not even close. In 2020, Pinehurst announced that the resort would not only become an anchor site for the U.S. Open, but also the second home of the USGA. That partnership has triggered a whole new wave of possibilities including plans for a new hotel overlooking the Cradle and potentially a 10th course for the resort. I have only known Pashley for a few months, but after having dinner with him this Spring and then seeing him again on a Summer buddies trip, he's almost got me talked into moving to Pinehurst myself. Pashley has been quite generous with his time with me to date and it was a real treat to have him on the podcast as well. In our discussion we touched on all the resort's recent success, how COVID19 impacted the area, and what the U.S. Open coming to town every five years will mean for Pinehurst's future. We also dove into my recent trips and why the resort is seeing unprecedented levels of guests in 2021. If you have never been to Pinehurst, I'm confident this conversation will make you want to go and book your trip immediately. After a few trips in the past couple years, I can proudly say there are few places I love more than there. Thanks to Tom Pashley that love will only continue to grow. If you want to learn more about Pinehurst Resort and how to book your next trip there, please visit https://www.pinehurst.com/ Thanks as always for listening to Mid-Am Crisis. The show is brought to you by my friends at Imagine Golf – the #1 app for the mental game. Download Imagine Golf today and start your journey to an improved way of thinking on and off the course. https://www.imaginegolf.com/ Be sure to follow me on Twitter @JayRevell and find more or my work at https://jayrevell.com/ If you enjoy the show, I would love for you to leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Cheers, -J Mid-Am Crisis is a production of Revell Media, LLC