Contributed.
PINEHURST, NC (August 2021) — About a decade ago, on the site of a former quail hunting retreat just minutes from North Carolina’s historic Village of Pinehurst, Dormie Club enjoyed its grand debut. The only golf course in the Sandhills designed by the heralded team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw is arolling, rustic layout with 100-foot elevation changes, seamlessly sculpted into more than 300 acres of land around natural lakes and pine forests.
Constructed in 2010 and acquired by Dormie Network in 2017, Dormie Club is a golf purist’s delight, intended to be walked, with fewer than 70 acres of managed grass, no paved cart paths and minimal signage. Course raters immediately catapulted the Coore & Crenshaw masterpiece into the upper echelon, alongside some of the world’s most highly regarded designs.
Now, with an eye on the future, Dormie Network — a national golf membership, through which members have exclusive access to a portfolio of private destination golf clubs across the country — is completing the finishing touches on its flagship property’s original vision.
The most prominent of these is Dormie Club’s spectacular new 16,000-square-foot clubhouse. Highlighting the spacious and stylish summit with vaulted ceilings is a contemporary dining room, anchored by a large, two-sided fireplace, which serves not only memorable views across the 18th green, but also world-class cuisine for the indoor enjoyment of as many as 150 members and guests. The new Dormie Club centerpiece is fully serviced and also proffers a cozy lounge and a circular wine room.
Next are the 15 new stay-and-play cottages subtly nestled along the golf course, just a short ride from the clubhouse, which offer three lodging options for a total of 60 beds on site.
The 10 four-bedroom Dormie cottages have private bathrooms, a vaulted great room with a snack area, a 55-inch TV lounge space, a separate seating area designed for cards or board games, and an exterior patio. The four Executive cottages are also four bedrooms with private bathrooms, some with double sinks, along with a steam shower, a kitchenette with a seating area, and a separate TV area with a gas fireplace. The expansive, two-story owner’s cottage has an exterior deck overlooking the lake next to the fifth fairway, and a lower level showcasing an entertainment area equipped with a bar, TV lounge, golf simulator and an on-grade patio.
In addition, there are numerous enhancements being completed around the club that will further elevate the member experience. These include a stately new entrance gate and a standalone pro shop that will debut soon. Also nearing completion are a 12,000-square-foot practice putting green and an extended, 23,000-square-foot driving range measuring more than 300 yards, with a pair of indoor hitting bays on the back end, along with comfort stations strategically placed on the course, underground golf cart parking, and separate buildings for maintenance and housekeeping.
Around the brilliant Coore & Crenshaw layout, the bunkers have been restored using the Better Billy Bunker system, cart paths have been enhanced, winding walking bridges have been constructed, several new tee boxes accessible by walking trails have been added, landscaping has been refreshed and hundreds of trees have been removed to improve views around the property.
Dormie Network membership includes access to and full member privileges at every enclave, including Dormie Club. All are designed to create unforgettable experiences, with each visit, meeting or event completely customized. The network’s nationally ranked clubs include designs from some of the sport’s most renowned golf course architects. Given their proximity to major cities such as San Antonio, Omaha, Roanoke, Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, St. Louis, Richmond, and Philadelphia, these clubs are equally convenient for weekend getaways, buddy trips and corporate retreats.
Dormie Network continues to expand its amenities and further enhance the membership experience. Upcoming additions and improvements at Dormie Network properties include:
* At Ballyhack Golf Club in Roanoke, Va., which features a Lester George-designed, Old World, Scottish Highlands layout tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains, current construction includes a new club entrance gate, a residential entryway and on-course tunnel renovation. Four Dormie and Executive cottages, along with an owner’s cottage and a housekeeping building, are about to debut, not to mention the Ballyhack-Goat Express mobile bar that will arrive soon.
* Briggs Ranch boasts a highly regarded, Tom Fazio-designed layout on the edge of Texas Hill Country in San Antonio. This year, Briggs Ranch is unveiling new Dormie and Executive cottages, with Phase 3 of the club’s cottage construction program — three Dormie and one Executive — and The Truck Stop, a lit, 16,000-square-foot putting and chipping green facility all expected to arrive by spring 2022.
* Hidden Creek Golf Club also boasts a Coore & Crenshaw-designed golf course on a sprawling, 750-acre parcel of aged woodlands in southern New Jersey, just outside Atlantic City. The eight-bedroom Lodge at Hidden Creek shows off the club’s Old-World charm, and provides an extraordinary complement to the experience, whether accessing the club for business or leisure. Expected to be unveiled at Hidden Creek by spring 2022 are a trio of new houses totaling 48 additional beds, along with a Hidden Creek-Mobile pizza oven onsite.
* The centerpiece of Victoria National in Newburgh, Ind., is a Fazio creation set amid 418 acres of reclaimed mining land, embracing a dramatic landscape, native vegetation, and spring-fed lakes. Victoria National has played host to the past two Korn Ferry Tour Championships with the next on tap Sept. 2-5. Victoria National is in the process of opening two phases totaling nine new cottages, along with a new housekeeping building. The club’s private cottages include master suites, a fully stocked bar and community fire pits. A 15,000 square foot putting green expansion is also underway.
* ArborLinks in Nebraska City features a golf course designed by Arnold Palmer and surrounded by native Nebraska prairie in the heart of the Midwest. ArborLinks’ clubhouse and cottages provide the ideal spot for an off-the-grid retreat, day trip or weekend getaway. ArborLinks has cut the ribbon on an expanded new driving range expected to open soon.
Dormie Network is an ideal second membership, particularly for golf purists who enjoy travel and seek the finest that a private club has to offer. For information, visit www.dormienetwork.com.
