Played Dormie Club today. If this is what Coore and Crenshaw did to Pinehurst 2, the 2014 US Open is going to be fun!

The Dormie Club opened up in 2010 and was initially going to be a very high end ($100k initiation) private club. But the economy was in the tank so they've been allowing minimal public play since that time. I believe the going rate this summer is $115. I've been wanting to play it since I heard about it last year and got my chance today, as the Triad and Raleigh/Pinehurst Golfweek Am Tour had an event there today.

This course is unlike anything else I've ever seen! Golf courses are tree lined, with fairly narrow fairways and thick rough, expertly manicured. . .not Dormie. Fairways are generally HUGE, there's no rough, and there are no hazards or OB (waste area/sand and generally sparse trees around the fairways and a few bunkers around greens though they don't classify them as bunkers. . .just more waste area). If you can find your ball, you're free to ground your club and play it.

Even though I didn't play well (shot an 89 and I think 80 won in my flight) I loved the course. It's so different it really makes you re-think some shots, especially on approaches. The course plays very firm so it was easy to run shots into greens vs an in the air approach (which still worked well but you had better make good contact and put some spin on your ball).

Now for my one hole worthy of bragging. I ripped a drive on (lucky) #13. 465 on the card but I think it was playing closer to 390-400. Had about 100 in to the flag, which I know is a 3/4 wedge. I hit a slightly lower laser which never left the flagstick that hit about 15ft short, took one hop, checked up and rolled to 3ft just under the hole. I love when a plan comes together! Still didn't get me any money with a skin though. . .arg! Been really unlucky with that this year.

Here are some pictures

We started on the 7th hole, a par 3 that played around 205 for us today. Sorry I don't have pictures on all the holes. . .by the end of the round I was so tired and playing so bad I was just trying to finish up.