ith six courses currently open and a seventh on the way, the appeal of Dormie Network from a play standpoint is self-evident. The network’s portfolio sports two Coore & Crenshaw layouts (including the duo’s only original North Carolina design), two courses conceived by Tom Fazio, a Lester George design, and a sparkling gem built by Arnold Palmer.
Each layout is as unique as that grouping of architects suggests. Ballyhack in Virginia, for example, delivers challenging elevation changes and rewards creative shot-makers. By contrast, Victoria National in Indiana dramatically carves its way through an abandoned coal mine, while its extensive water hazards—more than 500 million gallons’ worth—introduce a sense of aquatic peril on more than 80 percent of the course’s holes.
Better still, the network operates all of its clubs with a 15-minute tee time policy; and with a 60-member daily lodging capacity, a Dormie Network property always feels appropriately exclusive. “Take your time,” the network likes to tell its members, “it’ll feel like your own private course.”
Take your time, it’ll feel like your own private course.”
The courses may be each club’s crown jewel, but the Dormie Network experience far exceeds just championship-caliber golf. “We’re built on three pillars,” explains Chris Graham, Dormie Network’s chief hospitality officer, “a pure golf experience, well-appointed accommodations, and a focus on food and beverage with inspired cuisine.”
That the company boasts a chief hospitality officer is evidence in itself of the network’s commitment to service and its desire to provide an exemplary membership experience. That it has structured all of its clubs to offer no more than 60 beds—spread out across 15, four-bedroom cottages—further exemplifies that goal. “For us, that’s the right number in terms of how many people we want on the golf course and being able to provide the intimate hospitality experiences that we offer,” Graham says.
The first thing Dormie Network members—or one of their guests—will observe is just how unique each property looks and feels. That’s no accident. Today’s discerning travelers are seeking out experiences that provide an authentic sense of place, and each Dormie Network club delivers that in spades. “It’s extremely different architecture in all senses, from the golf course to the way the cottages look and feel,” Graham says. “And we allow our food and beverage teams to really go [in the direction of] more regionally inspired cuisine.” Hidden Creek just east of Atlantic City, N.J., for example, leans heavily on coastal influences and seafood, whereas menus at ArborLinks in Nebraska play up the farms and ranches native to the state with steakhouse-inspired fare.
Then there’s the culinary program at Briggs Ranch in San Antonio, where classic French techniques are married with distinctive South Texas ingredients. The results are predictably unique and undeniably memorable. A three-course meal might begin with Nilgai antelope tartar, then feature wild-caught shrimp and blue corn grits with warm corn slaw before culminating with a serving of English-style sticky toffee pudding lathered in toffee sauce and topped with a Jack Daniels Chantilly Cream.
And speaking of whiskey…. Pre- or post-dinner rounds at Briggs Ranch can feature bucket-list bourbon pours, the likes of which include Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, W. L. Weller, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, and Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year. The beverage programs are equally alluring at all of Dormie Network’s properties, which reinforces Graham’s positioning that while the company delivers “pure golf as it should be,” the enterprise is first and foremost a hospitality company. It just happens to be rooted in golf.
Each club within the network is also strategically outfitted with boardrooms and other meeting spaces, making them ideal venues for entertaining corporate VIPs. Furthermore, onsite concierges will work with members to create bespoke itineraries, which can include local excursions, custom equipment fittings and gifting, and night putting contests on lit practice greens, among other activities.
In other words, whether a Dormie Network member is visiting a club for business or pleasure, they’re assured an experience that is both memorable and tailored exclusively for them. “You want to have a hell of a time,” says Graham, “and we’re there to provide it.”
“You want to have a hell of a time,” says Graham, “and we’re there to provide it.”
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