Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club was created in the 1920s to be an exclusive retreat for people who wanted to escape from the rigors of daily life, play an intriguing and challenging golf course, and enjoy a comfortable room, friendly service and a bountiful table. It remains as good an idea today as it was more than 75 years ago.

    The stately Georgian-style inn offers guests old-world charm and Southern hospitality with just enough mix of modern-day conveniences.  All of the public rooms have been renovated in the last few years, and accents of coral and white lend a classic feel to the rotunda area as you enter the inn.

    Most of the inn's 118 guest rooms have been redecorated as well, and they too capture the inn's graceful past with deep blue and forest green carpet in a McCloud plaid and a traditional French wallpaper.  No two rooms at Mid Pines are exactly alike, giving the inn a warm, homey atmosphere reminiscent of your grandmother's house.  You'll think that's where you are, too, when the hallways creak beneath your feet and you traverse the interesting little angles they've settled into.

    In addition to rooms in the original inn, Mid Pines has five Golf Course Villa Homes along the 10th fairway and the Golf Course Villas available.

    Dining is an important component to the Mid Pines experience.  An expansive buffet is offered each morning, with guests choosing from an array of fruits, cereals and baked goods to start their meal, then moving on to hot dishes, including made-to-order waffles and omelettes.

    Lunch is served buffet-style as well.  A variety of soups, salads, deli meats and breads are available for the light eater.  Each day's menu includes at least two hot entrees and delectable side dishes.

    Dinner is a rich experience at Mid Pines, with each night's selection offering the finest in beef, chicken, foul and seafood, each dish exquisitely prepared and accented with fresh vegetables and topped off with homemade desserts.

    After dinner, guests are free to repair to the inn's game room, where ping-pong tables, billiards, card tables and dart games are available.

    And whether you'd like a cooling beverage after golf or a nightcap before heading upstairs, Cosgroves Lounge is a lively and hospitable destination.  In addition to enjoying the refreshments, you'll have fun perusing the vintage covers from "Sports Illustrated" magazine (which include Boros, Nicklaus, Palmer, Trevino and all the other greats), and marveling at the interesting animal creations carved in relief in the ceiling.  They're just another of Mid Pines' entertaining quirks.

    Guests like the Mid Pines experience so much that "GOLF" Magazine awarded it a Silver Medal in its 1996 golf resorts rankings.  With its classic Donald Ross-designed golf course, Mid Pines is an antique with a rich patina that will continue to glow for decades to come.