Last month, I traveled to northern Michigan to play in a golf tournament sponsored by CommonGround Golf Course architect, Tom Doak (pictured at the event). Each year, Tom hosts his Renaissance Cup at one of his new, renovated, or restored golf courses. This year’s course was particularly interesting as it was a “rebirth” of his original solo design—High Pointe Golf Course in Traverse City, Michigan.
Opened in 1987, the course closed in 2008 due to the economic downturn. In 2023, 36 years after its opening and 15 years after its premature closing, the course was reborn. The new course includes six restored holes from his original work and 12 new holes. The reimagined course combines the work of a 26-year-old upstart with a 62-year-old who has built 50 courses, seven of which are already among the world’s top 100.
It is interesting to note that as the original High Pointe was closing in 2008, Tom Doak and his team were building CommonGround Golf Course, which opened the following year.
Like all Doak designs, CommonGround was constructed using Tom’s trademark “minimalist” philosophy. This proven approach is grounded in the belief that the best golf courses are realized when architects spend time on the site to draw their inspiration. Tom led the routing of CommonGround Golf Course in collaboration with Don Placek, Eric Iverson, and Jim Urbina. Don Placek, an Evans Scholar alumnus from the University of Colorado, served as the project lead before construction began and played a vital role in planning, permitting, and budgeting. Once construction began in September 2007, Eric Iverson served as project lead.
Many talented shapers were involved in the creation of CommonGround, including Eric Iverson, Brian Schneider, Jim Urbina, Kye Goalby, Jonathan Reisetter, Bruce Hepner, and numerous interns. Before the golf course was named, Tom commented that whatever the name, it should reflect a communal spirit—a sense of belonging to everyone. Just as CommonGround is a place for everyone, it was built by a team that prioritized creating the best result over taking credit for their individual roles.
From the beginning, Tom’s design philosophy was informed by his in-depth study of the classic links courses of Scotland and Ireland.
During my visit to Traverse City, I reconnected with Don Placek. Don surprised me at dinner by bringing a dusty old accordion file that contained his CommonGround archives. Among the maps, letters, and other correspondence was Tom’s original response to the CGA’s request for proposal in December of 2006.
In response to the question, “Describe the firm’s design philosophy and how this philosophy will complement the mission and objectives of the CGA golf course, Tom summed it up as follows:
“We would like to build a course that is fun for all ranges of abilities, from beginners to competitors in the state championships. We want it to be easily walkable, to promote health and exercise. And we want it to be affordable to all, like the great courses of Scotland and Ireland, which are the foundation of the game and the inspiration for everything we do.”
Mission accomplished.
