And yes, remembering each hole in detail isnt as easy as say No10, but my overriding memory is that each hole was a real challenge, a thorough test of your golf game and decision making, requiring full concentration throughout.

The routing is strong. A gentle handshake gets you off on your round. Well its gentle until you get to the green. What a narrow, diagonal turtleback green.  I managed an up and down for a very satisfying par, and thats what key. Your short game needs to be having an A+ day otherwise you may be in for a chastening round.

Even in the early part of your round, you will notice the fairways pinching in the further you progress down the hole. The 3rds highlights are passing Ross' old house looking onto the fairway and possibly the toughest green you will encounter during your round. The green will eject shots off the front but just as much off the back!

The stretch 3 - 5 is excellent, the 4th a long par 4 and the 5th a par 5, a switch from the original design. The way the holes flow, utilising the elevation changes is excellent.  The slopes on the greens meaning their is always an ideal line into them.

The 6th is the 1st of 4 par 3's and a real test. 242 yards to a large green that plays smaller given the fact your ball will be repelled by anything less than a perfect shot.

Other highlights for me were the run from 11 - 14, such strong par 4's with the 13th the pick, a drive down the left will easily find the fairway but leave an approach over a large bunker to a blind uphill green, whilst taking on the sand waste to the right, if successful will leave a more straightforward, albeit blind, approach. The par 3 15th was also a memorable hole with bunkers right and left to be negotiated onto a crowned putting surface.  Like most greens, the ground game can be as effective way to reach them as aerial.

The 18th I enjoyed so much. The 2024 US Open where both McIlroy and Dechambeau made strange tee shot decisions, but the sand shot by Dechambeau was simply World Class setting up his win. Having played a super drive up the left hand side I somehow found myself in the same spot as Dechambeau.  My exit from the waste was nothing like his, although I did find the putting surface and only just narrowly missed my 25 foot putt for par.

Ross called this course his Masterpiece, having spent over 28 years tinkering with it and whilst some of its current iconic status has been happen chance i.e. the continued evolvement of the greens, the rest of the design showcases Ross' are genius to its fullest. The strategy off the tee, the ideal side to attack from, the narrowing of the fairways, the greens set to one side and often offset, the false fronts, the turtleback design, the waste and bunkers eating into the fairways and greens, make for a most amazing sensory overload, despite being laid out over gentle terrain.

Pinehurst is the cradle of US golf, brought to those shores by a Scotsman, and now loved and enjoyed by every nationality from around the World. Ross in his rather stern Scottish way would have been deep down very happy with that.