Dornoch Cottage at Pinehurst No. 2 is a memoir of Donald Ross' vision and dream for what golf could be in America and what the Sandhills could contribute to the sport.
While Ross sought out greatness and identity through designing golf courses, the architecture behind the cottage was also a product of his ambition.
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It's a key part of an area that some call "the Mecca of golf."
A plaque is inscribed with a message next to the front door of the cottage - "Designed and built by Donald J. Ross." U.S. and North Carolina flags greet guests at the door.
Ross' legacy and imagination are embedded in Pinehurst, a course that contains some of his trademark design concepts. Ross was born in Scotland and moved to the U.S. The front of the home resembles Ross' childhood house.
The cottage sits to the left of the green on the third hole. The build is a nod to each Ross and his wife, Janet Ross. The front features a brick facade (his preference) while the back of the home is a nod to his wife's love of colonial stylings with white columns. A back gate opens to the green at the third hole.
"They disagreed on how the cottage should look," said Tufts Archives executive director Audrey Moriarty. "Donald favored the home he grew up in, she wanted columns. From the street you see a brick cottage. From the course, you see a veranda and southern-looking features."
Lots of photos of Ross, artifacts and golf memorabilia are inside the house in tribute.
The cottage is named after Ross’s hometown in Scotland. He worked as a greenskeeper at the Royal Dornoch Golf Club.
Ross lived at Dornoch Cottage until he died in 1948. Before his death, he worked on designs for the Raleigh Country Club. Pinehurst took ownership of the cottage in 2017.
In Pinehurst, the No. 2 course has a calling card in its speedy greens, called "turtleback greens," which are challenging to the player and groundskeeper. It's a feature unique to No. 2.
Ross was the catalyst for reorganizing and recreating what would become Pinehurst No. 2.
"[Ross] liked that because they drained quickly and they required a good shot," Moriarty said. "He just took the land and used it as it was. They were designed to reward a good shot."
In 1895, James Tufts bought land in the Sandhills with the vision of Pinehurst. The first U.S. Open was played that same year. Near the end of 1900, Ross came to Pinehurst when there were just two 9-hole courses.
Dozens of similar beautiful homes line the course, which are showcased every few years when the U.S. Open comes to town. Now, The USGA Experience and World Golf Hall of Fame are on USGA's Golf House Pinehurst campus, more than a century after Pinehurst's love affair with golf sprouted.