It was a generation ago, April 26, 1989.

National Golf Club had been in existence for only a few months, and course designer Jack Nicklaus showed up to play an exhibition round as part of the club's grand opening.

The excitement was electric. Even Nicklaus, only three years removed from having won his sixth green jacket at Augusta National, was feeling the moment.

"Mike Sanders and Allen Jordan contacted me and said they had this property that was really something special," Nicklaus said. "I told them to put a package together, and I'd be there."

The "package" was a 507-acre tract that Nicklaus described as "absolutely beautiful."

"Mother Nature did an outstanding job here with rolling hills, magnificent pines and a variety of lakes," he said. "The naturalness of the course is its most important feature, and my intent was to make it appear that it had been here forever."

Sanders, who was president of the company then known as Pinehurst National and the former Director of Golf at Pinehurst Resort, was bubbling over with enthusiasm.

"No two names are more synonymous with golf than Jack Nicklaus and Pinehurst," Sanders told the large crowd gathered for the exhibition. "At Pinehurst National, we have a course and a club that both can be proud of."

This has been a weekend of celebration at National that included everything from bands to a members' tournament today.

But a lot of things have changed since that spring morning in 1989. Pinehurst was removed from the name and the ownership of the club has changed. The course itself, always ranked as one of the best in the state, is probably even better than it was when Nicklaus played it.

Part of that improvement can be traced to Nicklaus, who visited the property a couple of years ago and agreed that perhaps the course should be made more player friendly.

Nicklaus found the course friendly enough during that 1989 round as he and then-National head professional Roger Mack entertained the large gallery. Mack was so nervous that he was forced to play a mulligan off the first tee after a sweeping hook, but Nicklaus opened the round with three birdies and went on to record a 4-under-par 68.

Two decades later, National is still the only Nicklaus signature course in the Pinehurst area. A few golfers have played the course in lower numbers than his 68, but their rounds weren't witnessed by nearly as many spectators.

That Nicklaus did create something special is attested by the popularity of the course, both to players and organizations. National has evolved into one of the premier communities in Moore County and draws golfers from around the world to test the layout.

National has hosted two PGA Tour qualifying stages and served twice as a U.S. Open qualifying site.

"Throughout those four events, par was a very good score," said Director of Golf Tom Parsons. "When you look at the caliber of players who have come through here, they've all said it is a very good test of golf."

Nicklaus made National a hands-on project. He was determined that his signature on the Pinehurst scene was going to be a memorable one. His goal was to create a beautiful, challenging course that retained as much of a natural look as possible. His crew moved only 180,000 cubic yards of dirt for the entire project.

"This is the least amount of dirt we've ever moved," Nicklaus said. "It's one of the most natural looking courses we've ever done. You get a piece of property like this, and your job is to complement it."

Nicklaus returned to National in 2006 and played the course again. Following that round, he agreed that perhaps the course needed to be "softened" somewhat for the enjoyment of members and players who didn't possess the game of a six-time Masters champion. He played from the back tees of the 7,122-yard layout and shot in the mid '70s.

"Mr. Nicklaus was very happy with the overall design and how the course had matured," General Manager Ken Crow said. "He felt there didn't need to be much changed. We removed a few bunkers that we thought might be too severe and widened some of the fairways. But the improved health of the turf has been one of the major factors making the course more enjoyable."

Crow is quick to give owners Ken and Claudia Robinette credit for the success of National.

"The Robinettes are so committed to this property," Crow said. "They love seeing it be successful and they've put together a great team of dedicated people to make sure it happens -- from the chefs to the golf professionals."

National is a gated private community but does encourage some selective outside package play.

"The vision is for a more and more private status," Crow said. "We'd like to see it at the point where play is for members or their guests only."

That point may not be too far in the future. There are currently about 400 members in all categories, and Crow feels if membership reaches between 450 and 500 it could be self-supporting.

'Even in the down economy, we had 16 new homes built on the property last year," he said, "and there are 14 more under construction now.

"It's crucial that we continue the addition of a number of activities for the membership and their families. We're adding affordable food and beverage events, and our tennis and pool activities are increasing.

"Tom (Parsons) is conducting junior golf clinics March through October, and Keith Criscoe, our tennis professional, is doing a fantastic job. We're growing the lifestyle at National."