How a Custom Dormie Headcover gets designed

Ever wonder what goes into a Dormie Workshop design? Before we put anything through the workshops, our talented design team gets to work creating something out of thin air. Mike Piggott, our lead designer, is behind many of your favourite Dormie pieces. Mike has been with Dormie for over three years now, though his experience with the company started long before that.

“When I was in university, Dormie had a ‘design your own cover’, growing up I’d always been into drawing so I entered the contest with a bunch of different drawings for the competition. At the time, none of them got in.” he laughs.

Fast forward to today and Mike leads our team of creative and technical designers. For Mike, golf isn’t just a part of the job, it’s his lifestyle. Even in the office, he’s sporting a Malbon tee and golf shorts, all the while carrying a single handicap. He’s so committed to golf that he has ideas for courses and brands long before he gets any briefs.

A one-of-a-kind headcover design for a course

“Sometimes when it comes to the courses we’re asked to design for, I already have an idea in my head about who they are and what a cover might look like.” he says, pulling down a headcover from Kapalua golf course. The cover is a homage to Kapalua Plantation Course’s 18th hole. It’s a gorgeous course, rendered stunningly by Mike and the team here at Dormie.

Talking through the design, he talks about the different techniques that went into making this cover.

“When you mix embroidery and applique, it works really well,” Mike explains “And then throw in laser etching and it looks even better,” he says, referring to the etching done onto the leather for the mountains, rendering their edges and giving them depth.

When you put it all together, the cover takes a famous course and turns it into something real, tangible. And Kapalua’s logo is elevated from a trademark into an actual element of the piece, a butterfly on the horizon.

A custom headcover design.

Looking at some other pieces we did, we can see all of those elements come into play. Take a look at our 3 Wishes Putter Cover, available on our website. Here, the lamp is made of intricate embroidery to really get all the highlights and details. The smoke that rises up is a long, flowing piece of leather applique, and the sand that it rests upon is a naturally tanned full-grain leather.

Headcover designs for tournament gifting and more.

Or check out some pieces we made for clubs. For The Summit Club, we used a large, smooth, flesh-toned piece of applique to contrast it with the detailed embroidery on the cards and chips themselves. For Kiawah Island Club, we used a technique called reverse applique, laser cutting out the border of South Carolina from the headcover to frame the embroidered flag beautifully.

Check out more of Mike and the team’s designs on our Instagram page or on our website. Looking to create some custom covers for your club, your event, or just yourself? Send us a message and let’s make something unforgettable.