Bully Pulpit Club House & Retreat
Abstract
Historic Medora is a unique mix of spectacular scenery, wildlife, outdoor adventure, entertainment,
dining and shopping nestled in the beautiful North Dakota badlands. Located
just 3 miles south of Historic Medora lies Bully Pulpit Golf Course. Bully Pulpit was
designed by renowned golf course architect, Dr. Michael Hurdzan. The course is surrounded
by the dramatic landscape and is golf the way nature intended. Some holes play
meadows, some in woodlands, and others follow the meandering Little Missouri River.
I propose a clubhouse facility that will support recreational and lodging on this site.
Recreational opportunities will stretch beyond what is currently offered in the area.
Some of the regional recreational activities include mountain biking on the challenging
Maah Daah Hey Trail, hiking and backpacking, camping, swimming, miniature
golf, and trail rides on horseback. This project will expand those possibilities.
The scope of this project is large and I have already considered how to approach
it. The design will begin with a schematic master plan of the whole area emphasizing
the public/recreational buildings. The proposed buildings will include a retreat for
groups/corporate meetings and a cluster of cabins that could serve as an alternative to
standard lodging facilities and will compliment the design of the new club house for
the golf course. The architecture will be small in scale and integrated into the surroundings
and unique from each other yet also connected so they are understood as a unit.
Medora is already a favorite tourist destination in the Upper Midwest. The Bully Pulpit
Golf Course and Retreat would be one more reason to visit the North Dakota Badlands.
“The underlying premise of the design is that landscape must influence architecture.”