His original vision for Pinehurst, NC was to recreate a New England style village. To that end, he hired Frederick Law Olmsted (who designed New York City’s Central Park) to create the new town. Soon after, a very “modern” village began to take shape, with paved streets, electricity, and a telephone system. Olmstead planted over 200,000 shrubs and trees to provide some color and greenery to the otherwise barren landscape. And although golf was an afterthought during the early days of Pinehurst, NC, in the 120+ years since its founding, it has become the highly acclaimed centerpiece.