AOL Founder Steve Case Selects Doak to Design Innovative Golf Course Community
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, (November 2, 2007) – Golf course architect Tom Doak will design a golf course in Costa Rica for American Online co-founder Steve Case. Case is the latest revolutionary businessman to choose Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design, the Traverse City, Michigan-based firm which created the acclaimed Pacific Dunes golf course in Oregon for Chicago greeting card magnate Mike Keiser and the dramatic Cape Kidnappers Golf Club in New Zealand for "Tiger Fund" founder Julian Robertson. Both seaside courses are ranked among the world’s top-100. Doak also co-designed Sebonack – the new next-door neighbor of The National Golf Links and Shinnecock Hills- in Southampton, New York for former car leasing giant Michael Pascucci.
So why is Doak the darling of gold-plated entrepreneurs?
"I’ve been lucky to work around successful people for most of my life. All of my clients understand that I’m in business because I love to build great golf courses, not just to design lots of courses and make as much money as possible," said Doak, 46, on being entrusted to with the dreams and visions of these wildly successful mavericks. "I think they also appreciate that we treat them the same, whether they are a billionaire or a potato farmer from Tasmania — we keep close track of every detail of their project because we care about it as much as they do."
Case, chairman of Revolution LLC, and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, announced Doak’s participation in the creation of a 650-acre luxury destination resort community called Cacique, Costa Rica, scheduled to open in 2010.
"The site for the course is across the road from the seaside part of the resort. It sits entirely within a steep jungle bowl of ridges and deep valleys, with the resort perched well above it on one side so that nothing intrudes on the golf experience. We’ll certainly make the course walkable even though the site is fairly steep and we anticipate that many golfers will take carts, or possibly caddies," said Doak.
Like Case, Doak imagines some innovate yet appropriate concepts for the course. "Cacique is the first golf course for Revolution. Their clientele is a bit different than other resorts, so we are trying to think through what that should mean for the golf course. Right now we’re exploring the idea of building a much shorter front nine and a more challenging back nine, so that the first few holes will be free in the evenings for family play and for the people who aren’t so interested in what score they post, while the challenge builds steadily for those playing the full 18 holes."
The $800-million resort will be built under the new Revolution Places division of Case’s company. Revolution Places will create high-end developments that provide consumers with treasured and limited for-sale vacation real estate.
In order to create Cacique, Costa Rica, Case will bring together world-class brands to provide owners and guests with a broad range of experiences, services, amenities, and activities to suit their every desire. Cacique, Costa Rica will integrate prestigious partners including Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design, One & Only Resorts, Mirval: Life in Balance Spa, Exclusive Resorts, and Agassi-Graf Tennis and Fitness Centers.
"We are bringing together the best of the best to deliver an ownership and guest experience like no other resort in the world. Importantly, we will preserve the local environment and culture when developing resorts," said Case.
"We’re not trying to build quantity; we’re trying to build quality," said Doak. "We all love what we do. Unless each property is different than the rest of our portfolio, and special in its own right, what’s the point of building another? We’d just as soon relax and enjoy the ones we’ve already built. But when those special places come along, we appreciate how rare they are and we are committed to making the most of them."
Doak, known for his minimalist golf architecture philosophy, which preserves the natural landscape and features, is a perfect compliment to Case’s innovative vision. Cacique, Costa Rica will be a departure from the gated, manicured environment of conventional developments. Instead, it will preserve the essence of the local culture and natural beauty.
Doak’s designs are unique and creative alternatives to ubiquitous signature golf courses. Doak’s course designs look to protect and respect the natural terrain, and are ranked among the top 100 courses in the world by Golf Magazine, including the highly acclaimed Pacific Dunes and Cape Kidnappers, as well as Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania, Australia and Ballyneal in Colorado.
The development of Cacique, Costa Rica will feature highest-end services and amenities with a focus on intelligent, environmentally friendly designs that reduce energy and water demand and take advantage of spatial, wind and solar patterns to maximize natural ventilation, shade and daylight. Cacique, Costa Rica will establish a comprehensive recycling and solid waste management program to neutralize the impact of this development on the surrounding environment. Additionally, Cacique will create on-site treatment facilities to re-use wastewater and will purchase its electrical power for the community from renewable sources.
For more information, please visit www.renaissancegolf.com.
Contact:
Dave Richards, (248) 642-6420, dave@resortandgolf.com