Dormie Club Hosts Zac Blair’s The Ring3r: 93 players compete at this invite-only event
For an event that started a year ago as a fundraiser to build a website for a golf club with no course, The Ringer has quickly become an industry favorite with an intriguingly minuscule web presence. PGA TOUR Pro Zac Blair’s brainchild saw its third installment, aptly named The Ring3r, on October 25 – 26 at Dormie Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Ninety-three golfers participated in the exclusive event. Like-minded in the appreciation of back-to-basics golf, knowledge of golf architecture, and deep understanding of the game, the crowd embraced a natural approach to play, many choosing to walk the course and carry their own bags.
“It’s really just a bunch of guys who are fun to be around and love the game,” said Zac. “What started as a group of strangers really has grown to be a group of friends.”
Three Dormie Network members from the Pinehurst area attended, including Matt Oldroyd and Peter Ellman, who enjoyed the camaraderie of sharing their home club with other pure-golf enthusiasts.
“It was certainly an amazing collection of people that are super into golf, and not just country-club golf, but classic American golf club design,” said Matt, a local anesthesiologist. “It’s nice to see Dormie Network tapping into that crowd, and it was great to show off Dormie Club to people who innately appreciate that kind of golf.’”
Said Peter, a Pinehurst-based surgeon: “Zac has a great vision for how to make things fun, and the atmosphere of the Ring3r was great. The spirit of the event got back to the basics of why we start playing golf as kids: hit ball, find it, and hit it again. Golf should be fun and I think sometimes we take it a little too seriously.”
Many golfers chose to walk the course. Credit: Scott Arden
The event kicked off Friday morning with a five-person best ball match and blind two-person best ball match. The air was crisp, leaves had begun to turn, and the course played fast. Afternoon brought a six-club challenge, followed by a Glow in the Dark shootout until 10 p.m., illuminated by a flood light near the clubhouse.
Zac Blair tees up for night golf late Friday. Credit: Scott Arden
On Saturday, attendees played a double-pins Stableford format and were congratulated with fireworks (and later that evening, crystal) for each hole on which they scored an eagle or better.
David Margolis, co-founder of The Punchbowl Pack and three-time Ringer attendee, snagged a hole in one on #12 with a 110-yard uphill shot using the backstop. “I’ve practiced that shot tens of thousands of times and was glad to be able to execute,” he said. “That ten seconds as the ball was rolling toward the hole felt like two minutes.”
“With Dormie Network’s sponsorship, it was a no-brainer to show off the club and what the network has to offer,” said Zac of his choice to host the event at Dormie Club. Rumor has it that another Dormie Network club will host the next Ringer (Ring4r??), but Zac would like to bring the event back to Dormie Club in a couple years, to show the evolution of the club’s amenities once construction on the clubhouse and cottages has been completed.
With support from each of the 93 golfers in attendance, The Ring3r raised $10,000 for Youth on Course, which provides subsidized access to golf for youth ages 6 – 18, paid high school internships, and college scholarships. Online registration and live scoring were provided by Dormie Network partner GolfStatus.org, a full-service event management platform for golf fundraisers.
“For a lot of kids, it’s tough for them financially to play and chase that dream,” Zac said. “The Ringer, and the causes we like to support, are really all about bringing together people who truly love the game.”
Cover photo: All smiles at Dormie Club. Credit: Scott Arden, @putterdad
