[Jay Mickle]

I have always had a very good sense of direction and spacial awareness but it all seems to abandon me at The Dormie Club. I have played the course over 20 times and find that both the heavily treed fairway corridors and the convoluted routing often have me confused as to where I am on the course relative to the clubhouse and the other holes.
I expect that other may have the same problem, to that end I am posting a Google routing map of the course.

] I don't know what happened to this photo but Joe's is much superior. I will not repost.

[Joe Bausch]

Allow me to supplement your aerial (clickable to a larger size):

[Kalen Braley]

Jay,

Talk about your "whiskey runs"...that course appears to have a ton of them!!

[Jay Mickle]

A great improvement Joe. How do you make it clickable ?

[Kalen Braley]

A great improvement Joe. How do you do it?

Google Earth and MS Paint!! 

[Philip Hensley]

I'm the same way, but yesterday I realized I'm starting to get more oriented on the course.


I hadn't played there in a while, and I forget how much I like the course. I know that some have certain critiques about it and I don't disagree with them. But I like the course more and more everytime I play it.

[Joe Bausch]

A great improvement Joe. How do you make it clickable ?

Click on the quote icon of my post, then hit the icon with red in it for 'toggle view'.  Stare at the method of bracketing I used to make it clickable to the size I have hosted on my server.

[Joe Bausch]

Lots of triangulation in that routing!


Here is how Dormie Club looked last year (early March) to my eyes and camera (and post-processing skills):


http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/DormieClub/

[David_Madison]

Jay,


Totally agree that Dormie's routing can completely disorient you. I've had the same impression when playing there.


I've read on this site and elsewhere that a naturally routed course follows a path that one might take if you were going onto the land with walking stick in hand, with the intent of simply exploring the property. Courses we've played together that we'd agree this was the case would include Old Town, Mid-Pines, and #2. But in looking at the Dormie aerials, I can't imagine ever that being the case.

[Kalen Braley]

Jay,


Totally agree that Dormie's routing can completely disorient you. I've had the same impression when playing there.


I've read on this site and elsewhere that a naturally routed course follows a path that one might take if you were going onto the land with walking stick in hand, with the intent of simply exploring the property. Courses we've played together that we'd agree this was the case would include Old Town, Mid-Pines, and #2. But in looking at the Dormie aerials, I can't imagine ever that being the case.

David,

I'm not so sure of that method.  Take a course like CPC.

I could see myself roughly following the 1-8 routing, but after that there is no way I'm turning back...I'm going straight on to 13th hole followed by the rest of the back 9.

[David_Madison]

Kalen,


I didn't make up that "rule", just repeated something I'm pretty sure I've seen here and elsewhere. When I think of the most comfortably routed walking courses I've played, it does seem to work out that way.


As for CPC, I've never been there so I can't comment. But what you said seems to indicate a pretty good adherence - - the first eight holes on the front and the final six on the back.

[Ryan Farrow]

Interesting....


I feel like there are plenty of flat or heavily treed courses where one can loose their bearing,  but I do not feel like Dormie is one of them.


I could see a lack of any kind of distant landmark causing a problem but I feel like you should be able to orient yourself at the numerous crossover points. I really enjoyed the routing on my 1 play-through but even if you do feel "lost" what is the problem?


You know the architect is going to lead you back to the clubhouse (most of the time). 






I found that one of my most disappointing experiences playing a round of golf was the final 2 holes at Sentry World in Central Wisconsin. The last 2 holes were clearly in view (down the hill and back up)  while only being steps away from the driving range/clubhouse where it all started.


I feel like it may be a good thing if you do not know how the round is going to end, it keeps things a little more exciting.

[Ronald Montesano]

I found that one of my most disappointing experiences playing a round of golf was the final 2 holes at ... The last 2 holes were clearly in view (down the hill and back up)  while only being steps away from the driving range/clubhouse where it all started.


I feel like it may be a good thing if you do not know how the round is going to end, it keeps things a little more exciting.

I had precisely this experience in the fall at Primm Valley Lakes course. I came up the 16th, a wonderful hole whose green sits below the clubhouse, in view of the porch. I thought, my, that was quick...then realized I had two holes left. I think they could get you to 18 from 15 green and have you play 18, 17, 16 to end the round, and it would finish better.


So as to not thread-jack, I concur. I've been on Dormie twice, I think, and was absolutely clueless as to where I was. Would love to go back and feel clueless again. Reminds me of Costa Rica, where the streets truly have no name and I never know where I am, relative to home base.

[Carl Rogers]

Jay, agreed .... there is not much core golf to the routing.  My first time playing there in 2013, I basically got lost traversing from the 6th  green to the 7th tee.  The other problem with Dormie routing is that you walk around too many hazards in which you lose the continuity of the experience.

I really like playing there and will go back.

[Sean_A]

For the archies out there...do you think given the property that the routing is good?  My sense is that the routing is very good partly because it is disorientating.  It is also my understanding that except for #15 (which needs a bridge), the troubling walks were meant to be eliminated by boardwalks etc.  If so, is the routing is a success?

I think part of the disorientation is the lack of a big house requiring a large clearing.  If a decent size house went up I think it would be better seen, therefore making the course less disorientating. 

Ciao

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