Tom Doak's Minimalist Approach: Renowned Architect Stays True to His Roots

So what exactly does minimalism mean in the world of golf course design?

Many contemporary designers often find themselves grouped together under one stylistic label, even though they may produce quite distinct works. The term minimalism has essentially turned into an umbrella classification encompassing designs created by renowned creators like Tom Doak, David McLay Kidd, Gil Hanse, and the collaborative efforts of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, among others.

This phrase aims to differentiate from the preceding generation of golf course designers, who depended heavily on machinery and massive amounts of soil movement to craft their designs. These earlier creators often elevated greens well beyond the natural elevation levels around them, emphasized obstacles, and meticulously shaped fairways using human intervention. Picture numerous earthen formations—mounds being particularly common. Numerous courses constructed after the 1960s sought either to generate entirely artificial landscapes or significantly alter whatever terrain was naturally present at each site.

On the other hand, minimalists seek out natural terrain features to enhance their designs, generally permitting—and even promoting—the landscape to shape the ball’s trajectory post-landing. Since golf balls are spherical and tend to roll when given the opportunity, both architect choices and course settings play crucial roles in this effect.

Is it justifiable to categorize all of a designer’s creations under one label? Even among renowned architects, each project often showcases its distinct personality rather than being an identical replication. Should we apply the same descriptor—minimalism—to designs with significantly different layouts and characteristics across various parts of the world?

For his part, Doak is perfectly okay with it.

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The meaning of minimalism

"The concept of minimalism wasn't my creation, but I appreciate it for emphasizing the effective utilization of available resources while reducing unnecessary interventions," explained the designer responsible for renowned courses including Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, Ballyneal in Colorado, and Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania, along with numerous others. Recently, he has been involved with designing the updated Pinehurst No. 10 located in North Carolina as well as the compact yet intriguing Sedge Valley course at Sand Valley in Wisconsin.

For Doak, it revolves around a particular philosophy. Instead of imposing his approach onto the course, he adapts the gameplay based on the characteristics of each location, particularly when dealing with hilly, solid, and sandy landscapes.

When developing a new golf course, constructing greens and their surrounding areas is typically essential," he stated. "However, on an ideal location with natural slopes and proper drainage, minimal additional work should be necessary. There would be little reason for extensive ground disturbance or significant earthmoving in the fairways. A well-designed layout ought to address these issues primarily.

When Doak departed from his role with Pete Dye to start his own firm, it seemed like quite a bold move back then. In 1989, his inaugural independent project was High Pointe Golf Club in Michigan. At that juncture, it appeared nearly essential for him to justify his minimalist style grounded closely to nature.

Even though minimalism wasn't entirely novel, it had been mostly overlooked in the United States. In contrast, traditional link-style courses in Scotland, Ireland, and throughout the UK were inherently minimalist due to necessity. Their creators lacked access to heavy equipment during the late 1800s—imagine Old Tom Morris operating a bulldozer! These early course designers would survey the landscape on foot and select the most suitable locations for golf holes, only slightly altering them when needed. Construction relied heavily on groups of horses or laborers using manual tools like shovels. Classic architects' constraints turned out to be blessings for enthusiasts of authentic links golf, providing enduring challenges and rewards.

Tom Doak's philosophy

Doak has returned to where he started, recently finishing up the restoration of High Pointe prior to its recent relaunch following years of neglect. Throughout these decades, what insights has he gained, and in what ways has his approach changed?

I believe my core philosophy has remained largely unchanged since I established High Pointe about 35 years ago," explained Doak. "However, my implementation skills have improved significantly, and I am now more adaptable, paying closer attention to clients' initial input. Instead of repeating the same design across all projects, as one might assume from an architect with a distinct style, I aim to incorporate each client’s feedback into developing something slightly new for every subsequent project.

You know, I maintain the view that you shouldn't penalize the typical golfer excessively from the tee to the green since it would only prove too difficult for them. Thus, the area where you should increase the challenge of the golf course—because players get an opportunity to tackle it physically—is near the greens.

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It is primarily near and around the green areas where a golf course truly takes shape. As players get nearer to the pin, they experience the distinctive touch of a skilled architect. In cases where minimal alterations are made with little land reshaping, it is through the design of the greens and their surrounding terrain that an architect’s ingenuity becomes most apparent.

Between 50 and 80 percent of golfers tend to play quite a bit of their game on the ground," explained Doak. "While they can lift the ball into the air for some time, they struggle to control it as well as top players do once it lands. Therefore, how the ball behaves upon landing plays an essential role in course design. This aspect helps us create more engaging courses. Our aim is to ensure those who often keep the ball grounded still stand a decent chance at getting close to the hole.

The article was initially published on GudangMovies21: Renowned architect Tom Doak's approach to minimalism: Celebrated designer remains faithful to his principles and the essence of the sport.