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Tom Doak brings High Pointe back in 2024

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3 years ago

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Every great golf course architect has watched, helplessly, as capitalism plows under a design to make way for progress. Tom Doak, the genius behind many of the 21st century’s greatest designs, has lost six of his courses to progress. Beechtree, Black Forest, Charlotte Golf Links, Apache Stronghold, and the nine-hole Aetna Springs course, have all met their demise at the hands of bulldozers and cement.

It’s easy to do this sort of thing, you know, build a golf course that you don’t plan to keep. Roadways, malls, high-rises, neighborhoods, can all be built over the top of a links. Near my hometown, the Westwood Country Club in Amherst, New York, will convert to a central park for the town in 2024. When you’ve ridden a bulldozer, pushed dirt around with a backhoe, and drawn plans for holes in the dirt, watching the end must be heartbreaking.

For Tom Doak, however, one of his courses appears ready to see the light of day once more. High Pointe, Doak’s first design, was closed and the back nine was repurposed into a hop farm in 2008. The architect, back then, was also the builder. Doak built each of the greens himself, and had plans to expand the course to 27 holes at some juncture. By 2010, High Pointe was but a memory.

Ran Morrissett, the director of Golf Club Atlas and an architecture aficionado, made a supportive yet bold claim about some of the holes at High Pointe. We decided to ask the architect himself if those holes were really that good.

Is Ran Morrissett’s glowing assessment of holes 10-15 still accurate, 33 years after the original High Pointe opened? If not (and even, if so) will you adjust those holes to make them even more compelling?

Tom Doak: I have always loved that stretch of holes that Ran mentioned. In the new routing the 10th and 11th will become eight and nine, but then the 12th through 15th will retain their original numbers. The terrain back there reminded me of Sunningdale or some other heathland course; the topography is big and bold, and you’ll almost certainly have to deal with uphill, downhill, and sidehill stances for the approach shots to the par-4’s. The greens at the 12th, 13th, and 14th were all pretty daring, and I will have to see whether we can keep the contours exactly the way they were or whether I’ll need to soften them slightly, as they certainly weren’t designed for 11 or 12 on the Stimpmeter.
Are they still the best stretch of holes I ever built? Possibly not, because I’ve been blessed with many great sites in the past 20 years. But I think they are still in the conversation, anyway. The challenge will be creating a bunch of new holes that are just as original.

The original 18 holes at High Pointe golf course, courtesy of Renaissance Golf.

Fast forward to 2023, and thanks to the financial support of Rod Trump, High Pointe is on the cusp of opening its first tee for business. Nine of the original holes will be joined with nine new holes, with Doak using the benefit of over 40 years of golf architecture experience.

What has changed? Plenty. High Pointe opened for play in 1989, as a public-fee course. High Pointe 2.0 will return as a private club, with a limited membership. Since 1989, destination clubs like Sand Hills in Nebraska, Kinloch in Virginia, and Ballyneal in Colorado, have followed an Augusta National-style of national and international memberships. Will High Pointe subscribe to this paradigm? That remains to be seen.

Mr. Rod Trump is the driving force behind the return of High Pointe. He offers a bit of insight into the project and his own relationship with golf with answers to a few of our questions.

1. Please tell us a bit about who you are, what you’ve done for a living, and how you and golf intersect.

Golf is my passion. I am blessed with many, many friends who are all great people. Nearly every one of them, and all the best ones, I know because of golf.

I had the good fortune to build a few companies at a young age and sell them which afforded me the ability to figure out what I love and what I wanted to do. I’ve loved golf since the first time I put a club in my hand during college, and I’m excited by the opportunity to create one of golf’s next great homes.

2. You’re undertaking a monumental task this year, in the resurrection (more or less) of Tom Doak’s first golf course: High Pointe. This formerly-public Michigan course was closed and sold, and a portion was turned into a hop farm. We’ll get to that, but how did you become involved with Tom Doak and this venture?

At the urging of a very dear friend, I rented a house in the Traverse City area for eight weeks in the Summer of 2021. I fell in love with the area. Surrounded by water, with the perfect climate for more than three months and with daylight that lasts well into the night, what’s not to like!? And, the people there, they are great – kind, honest, genuine. Instantly, I decided this is where I wanted to spend a portion of the year for the rest of my life.

A good friend, who happens to coach several players on the PGA Tour, mentioned High Pointe to me and it instantly became my mission. That very day, I reached out to Tom, and once we spoke, reincarnating High Pointe became my mission in life.

3. How will High Pointe 2.0 differ physically (the layout, the land) from the original version, the OG, if you will?

I honestly believe 2.0 will be better. The land is spectacular. Young Tom was afraid to move earth, but a learned Tom knows how to maximize the value of the land. While it is all sandy soil, the new land is more compatible with the original back nine. Tom had originally routed a third nine for the original High Pointe and thought if it ever happened the back nine and the third nine would make for the best 18 holes. Tom was excited right out of the gate by the opportunity to take all of the land (500+ acres) and make the best 18 holes.

In addition, we are bringing back to life what Tom describes as “the meat of the golf course.” Holes 10 through 15, which Ran Morrisset has described as, “to this day, the best six holes Tom has ever routed,” will all be re-born. I believe High Pointe 2.0 will feature the best of the original golf course blended with the product of the hands of an old master who is truly one of the best of all-time.

4. Version 1.0 was a public-access course. High Pointe 2024 will be a private club. Why the change in paradigm?

The Traverse City area has grown tremendously and the climate of the area is about as good as it gets anywhere in the continental U.S. for 110-120 days; the temperature, the extended hours of daylight, the low humidity. Additionally, High Pointe is just 15 minutes from an airport, which services many commercial flights as well as private aviation. The area is ripe to participate in what will be a rop national golf club, and it’s the best financial model to ensure Tom’s first born lives on, forever and ever.

What is guaranteed, however, is the adherence of the entire project to a standard of environmental excellence. As first reported by Beth Milligan in the Traverse Ticker, High Pointe will follow the Best Practices Guide for Golf Courses, established by the state of Michigan. For an idea of what High Pointe looks like currently, see the slideshow below. Anticipate an update on progress in early 2024.

 

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Adam

    Feb 23, 2023 at 10:44 am

    I used to play High Pointe every fall in high school for an invitational tournament and loved it. I’m glad it’s making a comeback but it’s a gigantic disappointment that it’s going to be so private. Especially with Doak making comments after visiting golf in Scotland and saying we’ve done it all wrong in the states with making the game so inaccessible and costly.

    Reply Report comment

    • Mel

      Feb 26, 2023 at 9:37 pm

      Yeah. Unfortunately you won’t be playing it again, and either will I.

      Reply Report comment

      • Ronald Montesano

        Feb 27, 2023 at 1:56 pm

        Never say never. I don’t have any inside information, but I’m hopeful that there will be opportunities for folks to play the course.

        Reply Report comment

        • Jbone

          Feb 28, 2023 at 7:47 pm

          Probably just some media to let us know how we’re missing out.

          Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Feb 27, 2023 at 1:55 pm

      Never say never. I don’t have any inside information, but I’m hopeful that there will be opportunities for folks to play the course.

      Reply Report comment

      • Chuck

        Feb 28, 2023 at 10:28 am

        There are many private golf clubs in northern Michigan. Some great ones. Wequetonsing; Belvedere; Kingsley; True North; Harbor Point. And none of them are terribly difficult to get on if you work at it, especially in the ‘shoulder’ seasons before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.

        The one very notable exception is Crystal Downs. And I do think that when folks think about “private golf in northern Michigan,” they naturally think of Crystal Downs, which is quite exclusive all through the playing season. (Not a secret, since Tom has published articles and books on the subject; he is a Crystal Downs member.)

        Reply Report comment

        • Mel

          Feb 28, 2023 at 3:29 pm

          Hmmm…. Work at trying to get on a golf course and pay 300 bucks? No thanks. I’ll play Arcadia for that, which involves a click of a button. Just not a fan of the grotesquely hoity toiity here.

          Reply Report comment

  2. Rich

    Feb 23, 2023 at 10:40 am

    I was excited until finding out it’s going to be private. Bummer.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Feb 27, 2023 at 1:56 pm

      Never say never. I don’t have any inside information, but I’m hopeful that there will be opportunities for folks to play the course.

      Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

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4 weeks ago

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Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

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4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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