In Volume 2 of The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Tom Doak published that:

“It is really quite amazing that the magnet of Pinehurst #2 can support a facility of eight other courses, none of which you’d make a special trip to see. Course #1 begs for a return to the 1940s, after Ross made his final touches to what was then a pleasant companion to Number Two; until then, there are ten other courses in the area you’d rather play, only a couple of which are at the resort."

Pinehurst No. 1 received a score of 3 out of 10 from Tom Doak, and two scores of 4 from of his co-authors.