Dormie Network is a quietly growing network of private destination golf clubs offering a unique membership to avid golfers who want access to top-rated courses with overnight accommodations. Dormie Network caters primarily to travelling business professionals interested in a national, pure golf membership. Its first club, ArborLinks in Nebraska City, Neb., was acquired in 2015; the network has since added five more clubs. The company’s growth model and expansion strategy aims to add more top-tier courses with luxury accommodations to its exclusive portfolio.
Dormie Network’s high-end courses, overnight accommodations, and unique membership structure entice members to use the facilities for business or leisure—for quiet weekends away, for buddy golf excursions, and for hosting corporate clients or business events. National members of the network enjoy full privileges at every club.
Building a Brand on the Shoulders of Great Courses
As a neophyte company in a traditional industry, Dormie Network’s niche is luxury stay-and-play experiences with an emphasis on pure, unadulterated golf at championship-caliber courses designed by renowned architects. A great golf experience for members and guests is the top priority; if you listen to its members describe the courses in the portfolio, the pride is palpable, the descriptions are downright poetic, and if you didn’t know they were talking golf, you might think they were curating an art collection. It’s apparent that Dormie Network’s plan is not to simply expand, but to rescue and restore courses with designer notoriety to their intended glory and enable lovers of the game to experience challenging, sublime golf.
Dave Plaster, Dormie Network’s chief marketing officer, explains, “Our vision centers around, first and foremost, providing access to top-level golf. We’ve immediately reinvested in each course we’ve acquired, refurbishing holes, upgrading irrigation, investing in new equipment, building comfort stations, upgrading and renovating clubhouses, and constructing premium cottages. On top of that golf experience, we are dedicated to superior service in all aspects of membership and hospitality.”
Advancing the Brand with Strategy, Passion and Expertise
Dormie Network’s carefully curated clubs are all private, except for Dormie Club in Pinehurst, which is in the process of transitioning to fully private. Members of Dormie Network belong to one of three categories: local, national or corporate. Every member is a full member at all clubs with unlimited play and no cart fees or food minimums. There is a cap for local members at each club, ensuring that every group on any given course feels like they are the only ones out there.
Recently, Dormie Network partnered with Web.com to host the Web.com Tour Championship presented by United Leasing and Finance at Victoria National in Newburgh, Ind., for the next 10 years. They are working with other tours and entities to expand their reach and build the brand. Through its Tour Ambassador program, Dormie Network sponsors several Web.com Tour players who serve as ambassadors and help the network broaden its social media influence and networking platforms. At the same time, members enjoy the up-close excitement of hosting an event at their own club.
A High-End Destination Experience with Superior Amenities
Dormie Network’s demographic expects superior hospitality and amenities. Its full-service concierge team handles travel logistics, books tee times, arranges premier culinary experiences, and facilitates event planning and professional outings for small groups. Every golf retreat at a Dormie Network Club is customizable and personal. The network does not outsource, nor does it employ a management company, ensuring a personal relationship with members and to exacting standards across all clubs and club departments.
Each club’s unique culture is being preserved and reflected in food and beverage menus and property décor. Additionally, the executive team has implemented extensive training and service standards to ensure a consistently superior experience across all properties. Each club’s food and beverage outlets are designed under the tutelage of esteemed Chef Tony Pope, who crafts high-end menus and works directly with club staffs to ensure they are executed seamlessly.
Looking forward, the executive team is developing partnerships with hospitality and golf industry suppliers that will help advance plans for a network-wide instruction academy, indoor practice facilities, and high-end pro shops with club fittings and personal shopping services. Dormie Network has established corporate partnerships with companies such as CaddieNow to provide high-end caddie experiences at all its properties, and GolfStatus to provide professional, high-end tournaments and group outings. These strategic partnerships are mutually beneficial and buoy Dormie Network’s ability to turn its vision into reality.
Dormie Network’s executive team and employees are clear about their product and the high standards to which they are committed. As their name implies, their unique concept coupled with excellent execution is a sure winner.
Dormie Network Clubs
The six private clubs currently in Dormie Network are within driving distance to Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, Omaha, Raleigh, Richmond, Roanoke, St. Louis and San Antonio. Each course is the creation of an esteemed designer and is highly ranked in its state.
ArborLinks – Nebraska City, Neb. This Arnold Palmer Signature links-style course is ranked #9 in Neb.
Ballyhack – Roanoke, Va. This Lester George design is ranked #7 in Va.
Briggs Ranch Golf Club –San Antonio, this Tom Fazio design is ranked #16 in Texas and is home of Dormie Network Classic, a Web.com Tour stop.
Dormie Club – Near the Village of Pinehurst, this Coore-Crenshaw design is ranked #12 in N.C.
Victoria National – Newburgh, Ind. This Tom Fazio design is consistently ranked in top 50 courses in the U.S. (#43)
Hidden Creek Golf Club – Egg Harbor Township, N.J. This Coore-Crenshaw course has hosted several national qualifiers, championships and notable events and opens.
Dormie
Adj. (dor-mie) / dor-me¯)
1. A match play term that means the leading golfer’s margin is equivalent to the number of holes remaining
2. Impossible to lose