Michigan’s Tom Doak Designed Three of Top Five
Traverse City, MI – A unique ranking by Golf Magazine of the 50 greatest golf courses in the world built in the past 50 years is a personal triumph for 45-year-old Michigan architect Tom Doak. Three of his designs are among the top five courses.
The lofty recognition of Doak’s designs also reinforces his status in the industry as the one of the most sought after architects in the world. The Doak courses honored are Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Oregon ranked No. 2: Cape Kidnappers, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, No. 4; and Barnbougle Dunes, Bridport, Australia listed at No. 5.
The No. 1 course selected by the magazine is Sandhills in Mullen, Neb., designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.
Another Doak design, Ballyneal in Holyhoke, Colo., and Sebonack in Southhampton, N.Y. a co-design with Jack Nicklaus, were also in the top 25 courses with rankings of 24 and 22 respectively.
“I thought when we were building Pacific Dunes that we’d better enjoy it, because we might never get a site that beautiful to work with again,” Doak said. “Instead, our success in Bandon gave us the opportunity to work on several other great pieces of ground — first at Cape Kidnappers, then Barnbougle Dunes, and then Ballyneal and Sebonack and Stone Eagle and Rock Creek right behind them.
Doak credited the public’s growing awareness of golf architecture and his client’s diligence in seeking outstanding property for the opportunities he has had to showcase the talent of his team.
“It makes me shake my head to think that even some of the greatest architects, like Donald Ross or A.W. Tillinghast, never had a piece of property like some of the places we’ve been working,” he said. “That’s a testament to the amount of interest that has been paid to golf course architecture over the past ten years, and a handful of clients who understood that a special project starts with a special site. And even though development is at the bottom of a cycle right now, there are still people out there who want to create something special.”
The rankings are part of Golf Magazine’s celebration of its 50th anniversary edition featuring the greatest golfers, instruction, equipment and courses of the past half century.
Doak and his Renaissance Golf Design company, based in his hometown of Traverse City, Michigan, have designed more than 30 courses world-wide.
For more information visit www.renaissancegolf.com.
Contact:
Resort & Golf Marketing
Dave Richards, (248) 642-6420, dave@resortandgolf.com
