King-Collins Golf Course Design

What King-Collins Golf Course Design does

King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design is a boutique golf course architecture firm headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, founded in 2023 when Trevor Dormer joined the existing King-Collins partnership of Tad King and Rob Collins. The firm provides full-service golf course design, from initial conceptual routing through construction oversight, with a philosophy rooted in Golden Age-inspired layouts, bold strategic elements, artistic bunkering, and large-scale earthworks that transform challenging terrain into walkable, playable courses. Its portfolio of 14+ projects includes Sweetens Cove (Tennessee), Landmand Golf Club (Nebraska), Royal Dornoch (Scotland), Palmetto Bluff (South Carolina), Inness (New York), Red Feather, Marcella, Bounty Club, 7 Mile Beach North Course, Overton Park, Signal Mountain, and The Miracle, plus the upcoming Purebred Farm course for Kohler Hospitality in Wisconsin, a 14-hole, 47-acre walking-only multi-loop layout scheduled for fall 2025 construction and fall 2027 opening.

The firm differentiates from larger "Signature" architecture firms by emphasizing that each hole is individually crafted rather than branded by a celebrity name, and by claiming an unusual ability to execute massive cuts and fills that turn steep terrain into playable grades. Its technical capabilities center on multi-loop course routings, pedestrian-friendly walking-only designs, and precedent-setting earthwork, with craftsmanship positioned as the core deliverable. The firm is engaged in book publishing (The Secret Home of Golf by Jim Hartsell) and earns sustained coverage in Golf Digest, The Fried Egg, Lying Four, and Golf Course Industry. It has no disclosed AI/ML, software, or technology platform components; the product is design services delivered through talent, reputation, and direct client engagement.

King Collins Dormer operates a project-based professional services revenue model, with custom design fees determined by scope, terrain complexity, and client requirements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales, targeting high-end resort operators (e.g., Kohler Hospitality), private golf clubs, and premium developers, with projects won through reputation, portfolio, and direct relationships rather than formal RFP. The firm is founder-owned with no disclosed external capital, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A activity, and operates two segments as primary: luxury golf resorts/hospitality and private golf clubs/developers, with municipal/public golf as a secondary segment. Geographic footprint spans North America and Scotland (UK), with no claim of global operations.

Name

King-Collins Golf Course Design

Legal name

King Collins Dormer

Website

https://kingcollinsgolf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

King Collins Dormer is a boutique Chattanooga-based golf course architecture firm offering custom design and construction oversight for luxury resorts, private clubs, and premium developers, with a portfolio of 14+ projects led by principals Tad King, Rob Collins, and Trevor Dormer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Course Architecture & Design Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Golf Resorts (THAGACAH)

Keywords

• Golf course architecture
• Golf course design
• Resort golf development
• Course renovation services
• Golf master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Golf Course Design Services: Custom golf course architecture and design services for new course construction and renovation projects. Revenue is generated through project-based design fees, likely structured as milestone payments throughout design and construction phases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design is a boutique golf course architecture firm that creates custom, strategy-driven golf course designs and oversees construction for new courses, course renovations, and resort/community golf developments. The firm is engaged from initial concept and routing through the final day of construction, with each hole individually crafted rather than relying on a "signature" brand. It also publishes a book documenting its work and the creation of Sweetens Cove.

Product overview

King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design is a golf course architecture firm offering design services through a portfolio of named projects. The company was founded in 2023 as a partnership between Tad King, Rob Collins, and Trevor Dormer. Their portfolio includes major projects such as Sweetens Cove, Landmand Golf Club, Royal Dornoch, Palmetto Bluff, and the upcoming Purebred Farm course for Kohler Hospitality. The firm also publishes 'The Secret Home of Golf,' an authorized history of their work on Sweetens Cove. Their design philosophy emphasizes bold, timeless, strategic, and artistically inspired courses with meticulous craftsmanship from initial design through final construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golf Course Design Services Full-service golf course architecture and design offering that creates bold, timeless, strategic, and artistically inspired golf courses for new construction, course renovations, and resort/community developments. The service covers concept, routing, Golden Age-inspired strategic design, large-scale earthworks, bunkering, and full design-through-construction oversight for clients such as luxury resorts, private clubs, and developers.
• The Secret Home of Golf (book) Authorized history book by Jim Hartsell documenting King-Collins Golf and the creation of Sweetens Cove, published by Back9 Press.

Quantifiable outcome

• Landmand Golf Club predicted to rank among Golf Digest's 100 Greatest courses, competing with legendary designs like Sand Hills and Caprock Ranch.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Coore & Crenshaw: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw's firm shares KCD's strategic, minimalist, ground-golf design philosophy and similar boutique operating model. Both target prestigious private clubs and luxury resort commissions.
• Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design: Boutique firm producing acclaimed strategic designs (e.g., Kingsbarns, The Grove). Comparable in scope, target client (luxury resorts and private clubs), and design philosophy emphasizing natural terrain.
• David McLay Kidd Golf Design: Scottish-born architect whose firm designs strategic, walkable courses for high-end resort and club clients — directly comparable in philosophy, boutique scale, and customer mix to King Collins Dormer.
• Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects: Established multi-generational golf course architecture firm serving private clubs, resorts, and resort developers. Comparable in core service offering (golf course architecture) though at larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak): Tom Doak's firm is renowned for walking-only, strategic, ground-golf designs — nearly identical design ethos to KCD's Golden Age-inspired, walkable layouts. Comparable boutique scale and similar clientele of high-end clubs and resort operators.
• Gil Hanse Golf Design: Boutique golf course architecture firm recognized for strategic, minimalist designs on high-profile commissions (e.g., Olympic Golf Course). Closely comparable to King Collins Dormer in scale, philosophy, and target client base of luxury resorts and private clubs.
• TGR Design (Tiger Woods): Tiger Woods's golf course design firm focused on strategic, player-friendly layouts for high-end resort and private club clients. Comparable boutique scale and premium clientele.

Broad incumbents

• Nicklaus Design: Jack Nicklaus's design firm operates at significantly larger scale with global portfolio across private, resort, and tournament venues. Directly competes for marquee luxury resort commissions.
• Fazio Design (Tom Fazio): One of the most prolific golf course architects with hundreds of designs for top-100 private clubs and luxury resorts. Larger and more established than KCD, but directly competes for the same high-end resort and private club commissions.

Emerging players

• Lohla Golf + Co. / Olana Golf Club: Newer entrants in the high-end golf course and club development space working with marquee architects. Represents the broader emerging wave of premium boutique golf experiences where KCD competes for design commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kingcollinsgolf
• Instagraminstagram.com/kingcollinsgolf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about King-Collins Golf Course Design