Pinehurst, North Carolina

Pinehurst, located in Moore County, has a mild, dry climate that is largely the result of its sand, its hills (that rise as high as 600 feet above sea level), and the fact that it is sheltered from the cold air of the Great Plains by the Appalachian Mountains. The sandy soil warms and cools rapidly, resulting in warm days and cool nights. It has an average annual rainfall of 47 inches and fog is very rare. Pinehurst was rated one of the three best golf locations in the world by Golf Digest's magazine (9/00).