Over 200,000 fans will walk the ground of Pinehurst resort throughout the week of the 124th U.S. Open.

The majority of those people will be visiting from other states and other countries.

Other WRAL Top Stories

Pinehurst only has about 4,500 hotel rooms. The area relies on short-term rentals to accommodate the influx of people during a massive event like the U.S. Open.

That's why some realtors believe an ordinance passed in 2022 could affect that market.

The ordinance was passed by the village council in 2022 and bans the creation of new short-term rentals. With the USGA setting up a permanent home in Pinehurst and the U.S. Open scheduled to come back several times in the coming years, there’s concern that ban could hurt tourism in Pinehurst.

During U.S. Open week, Todd Camplin's clients are all settling into their home away from home. Two of his listings are here inside the Forest Creek golf community.

“It’s really an integral part of hosting a U.S. Open in Pinehurst," Camplin said. "This isn’t Los Angeles or Boston or Chicago or any of the big urban areas that have plenty of hotel rooms.”

It’s Camplin's first U.S. Open as a realtor in this area. The former golf professional has all kinds of people renting homes through him. All just looking to take in a week of watching golf. He says the rise of apps like Airbnb and VRBO make his job harder.

“It’s kept us on our toes for sure," Camplin said. "The market has moved a lot. It’s definitely driven down prices a lot.”

Camplin isn’t the only one facing those challenges. Marcus Larose says he is seeing similar things over at Sandhills Rentals. He says since the last U.S. Open here, the number of short-term rentals in the area has more than doubled.

“This year there’s more emphasis on quality of properties and bedrooms to bathrooms," said Larose. "So 1 to 1 bedroom to bathroom ratio as opposed to location. 2014 it was the closer you are to one of the gates, the more you’re going to get.”

Larose believes the dynamic of the short-term rental market will change once again before the next U.S. Open because of an ordinance passed by the Village of Pinehurst Council in 2022. It bans the creation of new short-term rentals. He says that could hinder further growth in this area.

“With the USGA coming here, the world golf hall of fame coming here, I think there’s 15 USGA events coming here over the next 20 years," said Larose. "Short-term rentals are essential to the livelihood of everyone here.”

So how much does it cost to rent some of those houses this week?

One home in Forest creek went for as much as $45,000 for the week. Sandhills Rentals has a house on Pinehurst No. 2 that went for over $70,000.