Briggs Ranch: Part of the Incredible Dormie Network
By Tom Lang
I had a golf travel experience earlier this season that was truly one of the best of my life.
Not to brag – just hoping to share with you why I say that in case it’s right for you:
The trip was for three days and two nights to Texas, to a Dormie Network property called Briggs Ranch, outside of San Antonio. Dormie Network is a modestly-priced private membership that allows access to multiple locations of exclusive private courses ranging from the Midwest to the east coast.
Dormie Network bills itself as an immersive experience for the golf purist, offering full member access to seven unique clubs all under a single dues structure. It’s considered a first or a secondary membership designed for group entertainment, encouraging travel and camaraderie in an exclusive yet comfortable atmosphere where every club is your home club.
I was joined at Briggs Ranch by another media member, Alan Darty of One Golf Media based in Mississippi, and retired business owner Matt Betts – full disclosure – my cousin and occasional golf travel partner from Kalamazoo.
Honestly, I’m not against, but I’m not big on group travel, either. Yet our trio had one of the best experiences any of us had shared with other golfers ever before.
“Everything impressed me about this trip, from the minute we got here, every single person we interacted with, they all seemed to not just enjoy their job, but took pride in making sure we had an incredible time,” Matt told me. “And that’s hard to do at every level.
“I think it’s their laser focus on the customer experience, that’s all focused on creating an unbelievable, memorable customer experience that’s based 100 percent on how they make you feel, based primarily on anticipating your needs. It’s a very emotional connection that they’re after, and if they can make you feel incredible, not only will you feel good about it as a consumer, you’ll feel compelled to tell everybody else about the amazing experience. And that’s why every detail they try to anticipate and elevate so you are just blown away as a consumer.
“If you are bringing other people here,” he added, “they are probably important to you for some reason, whether it be family or a customer, and knowing that that person of importance is going to receive that same level of care is priceless.”
The seven Dormie Network courses are (alphabetically):
Arbor Links in Nebraska: designed by Arnold Palmer, modern farmhouse-style clubhouse with intimate wine room
Ballyhack in Virginia: 2025 Golf Digest No. 5 best course in Virginia
Briggs Ranch, San Antionio, Texas. Tom Fazio architect, Texas style clubhouse with two large dining rooms and oversized outdoor terraces. Founded in 2001
Dormie Club in North Carolina: Top 15 best courses in NC by 2025 Golf Digest, designed by Coore & Crenshaw
GrayBull, Nebraska: David McLay Kidd design, voted No. 3 best private course in Nebraska this year by GolfWeek. Voted No. 4 best new private course in the country in 2025
Hidden Creek, Egg Harbor New Jersey: Coore & Crenshaw design, No. 150 best modern course in the U.S. this year by GolfWeek
Victoria National, near Evansville, Indiana: No. 1 best course in Indiana by Golf Digest in 2025. A Tom Fazio design that regularly has hosted Korn Ferry Tour events
“The most important thing for us is to make sure people feel like they are at home. Anywhere you go in our network, it truly is your club,” said Briggs Ranch GM Derrick Dixon. “We (Briggs) focus on hospitality. We developed a phrase we call anticipatory hospitality. It could be looked at as ‘be there before you need it.’ It’s a soft feeling of service that if we’re already there, we don’t have to come in behind you. We bring you a wet washcloth and drinks at 18 green (the tastiest non-alcoholic drink I remember having anywhere, perfect to quench a parched throat), we pay attention to what you order at the turn.”
I’m no master chef or foodie, as I’m very happy with a good steak and potatoes meal. Whether it’s the fillets served in the dining room – or brisket and pork in the eclectically-cool taco truck at the turn where they cook the meat right in front of you then wrap it in a nice soft shell that’s just the perfect size of snack to start off the back nine – the meat they offered at Briggs Ranch was the best I have tested in decades, farmed in Nebraska from a herd originally formed in France.
As far as the golf goes – that’s a treat as well. Tee times are never closer than 15 minute intervals so the pace is fun and light, and you feel unattached from everything else.
This Fazio design is a very nice combination of wide open to challenging with well-placed sand traps. Only water on course is the left side of 6 green approach where the fairway slants toward the water. On the way to the 7th tee you’ll find two fenced-in longhorn steer – Jack and Hose’ – begging you for a treat (those are provided).
The greens are the course’s defense. Most of them are very large in scope with medium undulations, but there’s only handful of pin locations available, anywhere from 3 to 4 regions. The course looks like it’s really long when you survey each shot, but it actually played shorter than what my eyes picked up. Conditions are firm so you’ll get a lot of roll, which our group experienced even just a day or two after some of the most rain Texas has ever received fell in the month of May.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to Texas, but I really want to try what’s described as a very challenging Victoria National, the Dormie Network’s location closest to Michigan.
It’s hard to describe just how wonderful the staff at Briggs Ranch treated our trio – the same way anyone would be treated – but I hope many people will give it a try. More information can be found at: https://www.dormienetwork.com/
