Course rater's notebook: Cherry Hills sparkles after Tom Doak restoration
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. – Tom Doak said he hasn’t sought out renovation or restoration work in recent years after having done plenty of such work earlier in his career. But working with Eric Iverson of Renaissance Golf, they made an exception at iconic Cherry Hills Country Club.
Commissioned in 2007 and finishing in 2022, Doak and Iverson touched almost every part of Cherry Hills. They restored Little Dry Creek that meanders across the course, reintroduced cross bunkers at No. 17, renovated other bunkers and restored greens to the original form as designed by William Flynn in the 1920s.
Doak said the work was focused on how the members play the course more than hosting large tournaments, of which Cherry Hills has seen many.
“The funny thing is, the best players in the 1920s hit the ball about as far as club members do today,” Doak said. “So if it was designed for Bobby Jones, it works really well for the membership at Cherry Hills right now.”
The course features some of the best “tilt” greens in the world, with sometimes strong slopes across the entire length of a putting surface instead of many internal contours. It can be more difficult to build tilted greens with notable slopes today because greens speeds have increased as agronomy has improved.
“We’re envious that they got to build greens like that back in the day, when that was easy to do and made sense,” he said “It’s hard to build just a simple, tilted green now, because it’s either half a percent too much slope and it doesn’t work at all, or half a percent too little and it’s boring. But we didn’t really have to do much to those greens. They’re really good.”
Editor's note: Golfweek's Best course raters judge courses in 10 categories on a points basis of 1-10, then offer a non-cumulative overall rating.
1. Routing
How well the holes individually and collectively adhere to the land and to each other.
Set inside a shallow valley, the clever design features a figure-8 front nine at the interior with the back nine looping counter-clockwise around it. Little Dry Creek – don’t let the name fool you, it’s full of water – meanders through the western side of the property and features prominently on six holes (while crossing another), especially since the 2022 restoration.My rating: 8 out of 10
2. Integrity of design (classic courses only)
The extent to which the existing holes either conform to the original design intent or, for those courses that have been renovated, the extent to which the holes embody a character that is cohesive rather than fragmentary.
Doak and his team focused on restoring William Flynn’s original shapes and forms wherever possible. Especially important was the emphasis placed on Little Dry Creek, the effects of which had been somewhat negated in past work over the decades.My rating: 8
3. Overall land plan
Ease of integration of all built-out elements with native land, including course, clubhouse, real estate, roads, native topography and landforms. Extent to which land plan facilitates long views of surrounds and/or interior views of property.
From the stately clubhouse on the eastern flank of the layout, views stretch across the course on the edge of the High Plains to the distant Rocky Mountains. The back nine, in particular, makes great use of the surrounding hillsides. Surrounding homes that have been built in recent decades are in view but really only in play for truly errant shots.My rating: 8
4. Greens and surrounds
Interest, variety and playability of putting surfaces, collars, chipping areas and greenside bunkers.
Restoring the greens and surrounds to William Flynn’s original forms was a key part of the Doak team’s work. Most of these are tilt greens, meaning they feature high and low sides. The subtleties of the interior slopes blend beautifully into the overall tilts. A missed approach on the wrong side of such a green leads to a delicate pitch over the green’s highest point onto a downhill surface.My rating: 9
5. Variety and memorability of par 3s
Differentiation of holes by length, club required, topography, look and angle of approach.
The par 3s range from 165 to 242 yards off the back tees, but they are much closer in length as a group from the member tees, with two of the holes playing to the exact 188-yard length on the scorecard. Adjusting each hole’s playing length to various pin locations each day is crucial to prevent such parity in length.My rating: 6
6. Variety and memorability of par 4s
Range of right-to-left and left-to-right drives and second shots required, as well as spread of length, topography and look of the holes.
Long, medium and short: Cherry Hills presents a little of everything with its par 4s. Well-placed fairway bunkers force players to make strategic decisions off the tees as they angle for the best approach lines into tilted greens. Holes move well in every direction.My rating: 8
7. Variety and memorability of par 5s
Variety of risk/reward opportunities on tee shot; how interesting the second shots are; variety of third shots required.
For members the layout plays as a par 72 with the uphill 18th hole a par 5, but it’s a par 4 in championships. The par 5s vary greatly, including the island-green 17th. The reintroduction of cross bunkers on the 17th is a favorite aspect of Doak’s renovation. No. 5, also playing uphill at its end, features one of the most tilted greens on the course, perfect for challenging approach shots played with a wedge.My rating: 7
8. Tree and landscape management
Extent to which ornamentals, hardwoods, conifers and other flora enhance the design and playability of a course without overburdening it or compromising strategic flexibility and agronomy.
Cherry Hills was never totally overgrown, but hundreds of trees were cleared in the restoration. This opened playing lines allowing for strategic width of fairways, promoted better turf conditions and improved views.My rating: 8
9. Conditioning and ecology
Overall quality of maintenance, discounting for short-term issues (weather or top dressing); extent of native areas; diversity of plant life and wildlife.
Too much emphasis is often placed on the pursuit of speed and smoothness of putting surfaces. That said, it’s impossible to play Cherry Hills without being blown away by the condition of these greens. From tee to green, Cherry Hills is a lofty (and typically unobtainable) example of what can be achieved by well-financed, modern agronomy.My rating: 9
10. “Walk in the park” test
The sense of the place as worthy of spending four hours on it.
From the plaque commemorating Arnold Palmer driving the first green en route to winning the 1960 U.S. Open, to the climb back up the hill on No. 9 and again on 18, Cherry Hills is one of the definitive greats of American parkland golf. It’s a walk to be savored.My rating: 8
Overall rating
This is not a cumulative score.
The restoration has put Cherry Hills back into position to host top-tier championships. The focus on classic design elements shines through, especially on some of the best tilt greens found anywhere, forcing players to strategize off the tee to set up the best angle of attack to any pin positions.
My rating: 7.8
More rater's notebooks of Tom Doak's work
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Course rater's notebook: Cherry Hills sparkles after Tom Doak restoration
