By David Theoret
Once again the design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have created a stunning American golf course, in the Sandhills area near Pinehurst. The Dormie Club sits on 310 acres with native vegetation, and “natural sands.” The course winds through mature pine and hardwood forests, plus a couple of lakes. Fairway edges are not manicured, or defined by deep rough. Most fairways are flanked by sandy soil, pine straw, native grasses, and fescues. 
Crenshaw and Coore spent several hours walking the grounds of what would become the Dormie Club, the site of a former quail hunting retreat. They followed the Donald Ross design principle of wide fairways, which rewards tee shots hit to a specific area of the fairway, while giving errant shots a chance at recovery, albeit with a bit of added difficulty.
The Dormie Club has received national recognition including #3 Best New Course in 2010 by Golfweek Magazine, #12 The Best Golf Courses in North Carolina in 2019-2020 by Golf Digest, as well as, multiple appearances in Golf Digest’s list of America’s Top 100 Public Courses between 2013 and 2018.
There are no paved cart paths on the course and signage is kept to a minimum. The few visible signs are designed to direct you to the next tee box. Holes are marked by posts with the hole number at the top. Moving from Number 6 to Number 7, one must pass by the tee box for Number 14, which includes a notice, “This Ain’t #7!.”
From the back tees, Dormie Club plays 6,883 yards with a course rating of 73.7 and a slope of 138. Four sets of tees plus a blended set on the scorecard produce yardages of 5,180 for the ladies to the championship distance. I found the blended tees (6,264/71.5/127) to be a good test and still let me leave with some dignity intact.
As you make your way around the layout you’ll encounter three natural lakes and course aesthetics reminiscent of Scotland. Dormie Club features Bermuda fairways and tees with bent grass greens. Bunkers have been strategically placed to encourage creativity off the tee, on layups, and approaches. The greens have a lot of undulation in them. For example, the 3rd hole has no less than four separate mounds in it so you better hope you catch the pinsetter on a good day.
Keeping it in the fairway at the Dormie Club is everything, however, the first three holes are short enough that if your driver isn’t working right out of the gate, you can still escape if you can make a good second shot.
The elevation change can be seen on the 3rd and 4th hole, a sweeping dogleg left that plays downhill. The 4th green is very large and a front to back pin placement can easily a 3-club difference.
Big things are happening at The Dormie Club. In June 2021 the all-new 16,000-square-foot clubhouse is scheduled to open along with 15 Stay and Play cottages. The clubhouse will consist of several seating areas including a spacious dining room anchored by a large two-sided fireplace and vaulted ceilings.
The cottages will offer three options. Ten four-bedroom standard cottages include private bathrooms, a vaulted great room, with a snack area and 55” television, seating area. The four Executive cottages have four bedrooms each with their own private bathrooms and steam shower, plus kitchenette and seating area. The lounge has a separate TV area with a gas fireplace. The two-story owner’s cottage will also be available for members.
The Dormie Club is part of the Dormie network a collection of six private clubs in Nebraska, Texas, Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Becoming a member of one club makes you a member of all six. Each club offers a pure golf experience with 15-minute tee times, chef-prepared cuisine, specialty cocktails, sommelier-chosen wine, and deluxe en-suite cottages.
With golf courses designed by the likes of Tom Fazio and Coore & Crenshaw, you’ll have full access to each club all under a single dues structure. The Dormie Network is the perfect second membership, especially for golfers who like to travel and demand the best that a country club has to offer. For more information on becoming a member of The Dormie Network, visit their website at www.dormienetwork.com.
