Rain Bird Becomes Official Irrigation Partner for Pinehurst Resort
Rain Bird Corporation and Pinehurst Resort are pleased to announce a new relationship, naming the manufacturer as the resort’s Official Irrigation Partner. As a part of the agreement, Rain Bird will provide equipment, service, and support for the resort’s irrigation system to maintain Pinehurst’s newest course, No. 10, and the resort’s famed short course, The Cradle.
"We are honored to embark on this partnership with Pinehurst Resort, one of the most well-known golf destinations in the world,” says Stuart Hackwell, director of global golf at Rain Bird. “Rain Bird is committed to leading the industry in the highest quality irrigation technology solutions, and we are pleased to have found in Pinehurst a like-minded partner equally committed to The Intelligent Use of WaterTM. As a 90-year-old company, Rain Bird has long been dedicated to the golf industry, and, as a result, our irrigation systems are part of the best golf courses in the world, including now Pinehurst Resort."
“Our agronomy team looks forward to partnering with Rain Bird and Ewing Outdoor Supply to provide the highest quality irrigation system, which will allow our members and guests the most optimal playing conditions year-round," says Bob Farren, Certified Golf Course Superintendent and director of golf course and grounds management at Pinehurst Resort. "Pinehurst is well known as a premier golf destination, with a reputation of delivering championship conditioning levels for not only major championships but also for its members and guests.”
“Partnering with Rain Bird naturally aligns with our core values as we are both committed to being good stewards of the game to ensure it is ecologically sustained for future generations. We welcome this partnership and the exciting collaborations it promises,” says Eric Kuester, vice president and head of sales and marketing at Pinehurst.
Pinehurst Resort has built a storied reputation in the golf industry, hosting more single golf championships than any other site in North America. As a part of this agreement, Rain Bird and Arizona-based Ewing Outdoor Supply will help support major events, including the 2024 and 2029 U.S. Open Championships, which will be staged on historic Pinehurst No. 2.
In addition to using Rain Bird Irrigation equipment at Pinehurst Resort, the agreement allows the two entities to partner on other industry growth initiatives, such as Green Start Academy, which settled at Pinehurst Resort in 2021. The Green Start Academy, in partnership with John Deere, Envu, and Rain Bird, invited 50 of the brightest assistant superintendents across North America to Pinehurst, North Carolina, for a unique educational and networking experience. The program accepts applications through August 1 each year. Interested candidates can apply for a spot in future classes on the Green Start Academy website.
For more information about Rain Bird and its wide range of golf irrigation solutions, visit rainbird.com/golf.
About Rain Bird Golf
Rain Bird Corporation – Golf Division provides complete irrigation solutions to golf courses across the globe. The company has one of the most robust portfolios of trusted, quality, leading-edge products, including pump stations, rotors, field controllers, map-based and mobile central control systems, decoders, swing joints, filtration systems, valves, and irrigation accessories. Central controls and pump stations are serviced and supported by a comprehensive Global Service Plan (GSP). Rain Bird products and services are sold worldwide through an extensive distribution network. For more information, please contact 1-800-RAINBIRD or visit www.rainbird.com/golf.
About Pinehurst Resort
Established in 1895 in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst Golf Course and Resort is a 2,200-acre property featuring nine outstanding golf courses, The Cradle nine-hole par-3 short course, 75,000 square-foot putting course (Thistle Dhu), 16 clay tennis courts, an award-winning spa, other recreation and social activities for families, and elegant accommodations across one hotel, two inns, villas, and condos.
Widely known as the Cradle of American Golf, Pinehurst has hosted more single golf championships – including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and PGA TOUR Championship – than any other site in North America. Golfers enjoy layouts designed by the game’s greatest architects, including Donald Ross, Gil Hanse, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio, and Ellis Maples.
Pinehurst Resort, in concert with the United States Golf Association (USGA), was recently selected as the first U.S. Open Anchor Site and will host the championship in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047. The resort is slightly more than an hour from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 90 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and only a half-day drive from many East Coast cities. To book tee times and golf packages, www.pinehurstresort.com, 855.235.8507.