XOJet has added another perk for its Access Solutions members, and this one will interest golfers, especially those with a sense of history. The San Francisco–based private-jet-charter company has formed a partnership with Pinehurst, the golf resort and country club in the North Carolina sand hills that was established in 1895 and has hosted more championship tournaments than any other U.S. club.
When visiting the resort, Access Solutions members receive a complimentary ride from Pinehurst Regional Airport, where, presumably, they arrived on one of the Bombardier Challenger 300 or Cessna Citation X aircraft that XOJet owns and operates. Other freebies for members include a room upgrade at the resort’s Carolina Hotel or Holly Inn, use of an Acura during their stay, a 30-minute lesson with a Pinehurst Golf Academy instructor, and a round of golf on the Cradle, the resort’s new nine-hole short course.
Access Solutions, which launched in July, rewards members with rate discounts for making refundable deposits of $50,000 or $100,000 or with fixed rates for pre-purchasing flight hours on light, midsize, or super-midsize jets. Members also receive priority fleet access—even on peak days—the services of one of its aviation advisers, and complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi.
Membership also includes special benefits associated with various luxury services and properties, including Butterfield & Robinson, Mandarin Oriental, Canyon Ranch, Pebble Beach Resorts, and now Pinehurst.
“We choose brands that resonate with our clients. They’re the right level for us and for our clients,” says James Henderson, XOJet’s chief commercial officer. “We felt that Pinehurst has the right mix of attributes for our clients.” He says that Pinehurst will appeal to avid golfers as well as clients who like to mix business with golf, noting that the resort frequently hosts corporate meetings and other events.
With the opening of the Cradle in September, Pinehurst’s attributes now include nine golf courses. The Cradle was designed by Gil Hanse, the golf architect who shaped Mossy Oak Golf Club in Mississippi (a 2017 Robb Report Best of the Best pick) and the Olympics course in Brazil. The Cradle is a 789-yard course that features natural sandscape and wiregrass and includes holes ranging from 56 to 127 yards.
The Cradle borders Thistle Dhu, the resort’s putting course, which was recently expanded fourfold to 75,000 square feet.
