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The Dallas Morning News SportsDayDFW.com M+ Sunday, May 11, 2014 9CC
TEXAS GOLF 2014
Fee is the cost of a greens fee and cart and tax for a prime Saturday tee time. Fees are from June 2013. Actual
rates may vary. To be eligible, a course must have been rated by eight panel members.
Rank Course Location Phone Designer
Year
open Fee
2013
rank
1
Memorial Park
Golf Course
Houston
713-862-4033
x-John Bredemus
y-Marr and Riviere
1936 $49 4
2
Stevens Park
Golf Course
Dallas
214-670-7506
x-Jack Burke Sr.
y-Colligan Golf Design
1922 $50 3
3
Squaw Valley GC
Comanche Lakes
Glen Rose
1-800-831-8259
John Colligan 2001 $57 5
4
Painted Dunes
Golf Course
El Paso
915-821-2122
Ken Dye 1991 $51 8
5
Quicksand
Golf Course
San Angelo
325-482-8337
Michael Hurdzan 1996 $48 NR
6
Tenison Park GC
Highlands Course
Dallas
214-670-1402
x-Ralph Plummer
y-Weibring-Wolfard
1960 $60 7
7
Forest Creek
Golf Club
Round Rock
512-388-2874
Dick Phelps 1990 $58 19
8
Greatwood
Golf Club
Sugar Land
281-343-9999
Carlton Gipson 1990 $57 NR
9
Eagle Pointe
Golf Club
Mont Belvieu
281-385-6666
Rick Forester 1999 $60 11
10
Legacy Hills
Golf Course
Georgetown
512-948-7560
Billy Casper,
Greg Nash
1996 $56 NR
11
The Campus Course
at Texas A&M
College Station
979-845-1723
x-Ralph Plummer
y-Jeff Blume
1950 $59 NR
12
Squaw Valley GC
Apache Lakes
Glen Rose
1-800-831-8259
x-Jeffrey D. Brauer
y-John Colligan
1992 $57 6
13
Texarkana
Golf Ranch
Texarkana
903-334-7401
Jim Fazio Jr. 2002 $46 9
14
Lady Bird Johnson
Golf Course
Fredericksburg
830-997-4010
Jeffrey D. Brauer 1969 $50 NR
15
Delaware Springs
Golf Course
Burnet
512-756-8471
Dave Axland,
Don Proctor
1999 $47 NR
16
Sherrill Park
Course No. 1
Richardson
972-234-1416
x-Howard-Creagh
y-Weibring-Wolfard
1973 $51 13
17
Twin Lakes
Golf Course
Canton
903-567-1112
Robert Von Hagge 1999 $60 25
18
Courses at Watters Creek
Traditions
Plano
214-509-4653
x-Devlin/Von Hagge
y-Weibring/Wolfard
1986 $56 NR
19
Hawks Creek
Golf Club
Fort Worth
817-738-8402
x-Charles Akey
y-John Colligan
1950 $60 21
20
Olympia Hills Golf
&Conference Center
Universal City
210-945-4653
Finger, Dye, Spann
Design Group
2000 $60 15
21
Roy Kizer
Golf Course
Austin
512-444-0999
Joe Finger 1974 $47 16
22
Indian Creek Golf Course
Lakes Course
Carrollton
972-466-9850
Dick Phelps 1986 $56 NR
23
Split Rail Links
and Golf Club
Aledo
817-441-4653
Phil Lumsden 2002 $49 23
24
Firewheel Golf Park
The Bridges
Garland
972-205-2795
Dick Phelps 2001 $57 17
25
Grapevine Municipal
Golf Course
Grapevine
817-410-3377
x-Byron Nelson, Joe Finger
y-Weibring-Wolfard
1979 $51 14
x-original design; y-redesign; NR-Not ranked; No longer ranked: 1. The Club at Concan, Concan; 2. Diamondback Golf Club, Abilene; 10. Cypresswood Golf Club,
Cypress Course, Spring; Robson Ranch, Wildhorse Golf Club, Denton; 18. Blaketree National Golf Club, Montgomery; 20. Trails of Frisco Golf Club, Frisco; 22.
Tierra Santa Golf Club, Weslaco; 24. Pine Forest Golf Club, Bastrop
TOP 25 MID-PRICED COURSES | $46-$60
Fee is the cost of a greens fee and cart and tax for a prime Saturday tee time. Fees are from June 2013. Actual
rates may vary. To be eligible, a course must have been rated by five panel members.
Rank Course
Location
Phone Designer
Year
open Fee
2013
rank
1
Ross Rogers GC
Mustang
Amarillo
806-378-3086
x-Leon Howard
y-Colligan Golf Design
1968 $37 NR
2
Comanche Trail
Arrowhead Course
Amarillo
806-378-4281
Cupp Desigh 1999 $31 2
3
Ross Rogers GC
Wildhorse
Amarillo
806-378-3086
Weibring-Wolfard 2004 $37 4
4
Hidden Hills
Golf Course
Pampa
806-669-5866
Ray Hardy 1990 $31 NR
5
Pine Forest
Golf Club
Bastrop
512-321-1181
DonJanuary,
Billy Martindale
1979 $45 NR
6
Legacy Ridge
Country Club
Bonham
903-640-4800
Bill Johnston 2003 $40 NR
7
Luna Vista
Golf Course
Dallas
214-670-6322
x-Leon Howard
y-Colligan Golf Design
1969 $45 NR
8
Texas National
Golf Club
Willis
936-856-7262
Jack Miller 1977 $43 5
9
Cedar Crest
Golf Course
Dallas
214-67-7615
x-A.W. Tillinghast
y-Weibring-Wolfard
1918 $42 7
10
Raven Nest
Golf Club
Huntsville
936-438-8588
Tripp Davis 2003 $37 19
11
Lago Vista Resort Leander
512-267-1170
Leon Howard,
Dave Bennett
1971 $39 NR
12
Wedgewood
Golf Course
Conroe
936-441-4653
Devlin, Von Hagge 1988 $45 NR
13
Red Wolf Run
Golf Resort
Huffman
281-324-1841
Jay Riviere 1975 $39 NR
14
Gaines County
Golf Club
Seminole
432-758-3808
Jim Terry 1954 $33 16
15
Champions Course
at Weeks Park
Wichita Falls
940-767-6107
Jeffrey D. Brauer 2008 $39 23
16
Kingwood Cove
Golf Club
Kingwood
281-358-1155
Unknown 1968 $38 9
17
Cedar Creek
Golf Course
San Antonio
210-695-5050
Finger, Dye, Spann 1989 $43 NR
18
Lions Municipal
Golf Course
Austin
512-477-6963
Unknown 1928 $37 15
19
Van Zandt
Country Club
Canton
903-567-2336
Leon Howard 1966 $42 NR
20
Morris Williams
Golf Course
Austin
512-926-1298
Leon Howard 1964 $32 20
21
Sherrill Park,
Course No. 2
Richardson
972-234-1416
x-Howard-Creagh
y-Weibring-Wolfard
1976 $44 17
22
Jimmy Clay
Golf Course
Austin
512-444-0999
Joe Finger 1974 $38 11
23
Links at West Fork Conroe
936- 441-6193
Rick Robbins 2004 $40 25
24
Battleground
at Deer Park
Deer Park
281-478-2080
Tom Knickerbocker 1996 $45 NR
25
Mansfield National
Golf Club
Mansfield
817-477-3366
John Colligan 2000 $43 13
x-original design; y- redesign. NR-Not ranked; No longer ranked: 1. Quicksand Golf Course, San Angelo; 3. Comanche Trail, Tomahawk Course, Amarillo; 6.
Cleburne Golf Links; 8. Henry Homberg Golf Course, Beaumont; 10. Delaware Springs Golf Course, Burnet; 11. Texas A&M Golf Course, College Station; 14.
Brock Park Golf Course, Houston; 18. Pecan Valley Golf Course, River Course, Fort Worth; 21. Bay Forest Golf Course, La Porte; 22. Squaw Creek Golf Course,
WillowPark; 24. Keeton Park Golf Course, Dallas
TOP 25 ECONOMY COURSES | $45ANDBELOW
Growing the game has long
been a focus for the U.S. Golf
Association and the PGA of
America. In short, it involves
attempts to reverse the trend
of fewer people playing the
game and more courses clos-
ing than opening around the
country.
One recent trend in renova-
tions and new construction in-
volves practice facilities. Tar-
get greens on driving ranges
can be used for short-game
practice and to introduce play-
ers to the game.
People have been talking
about how to get people en-
gaged in golf, said Don McNa-
mara, who owns the Long Cove
development on Cedar Creek
Lake in East Texas near Mala-
koff. The biggest thing today
is time.
McNamara believes Okla-
homa-based architect Tripp
Davis provided a solution with
the Old Mine Proving
Grounds, a 14-acre practice fa-
cility with nine playable greens
anda handful of bunkers.
The driving range is 40
yards wide and up to 400 yards
long. Nine greens ring the
range. There are no set tee
boxes, giving players the op-
tion of where to tee off from
when playing the short course,
which will be open when the
range is closed and vice versa.
The idea is you take a
chance, McNamara said. Out
here, the risk is low. You de-
cide how hard or easy you
want to make it. Out here, you
decide.
The short course, with tee
shots typically ranging from
85 to 133 yards was part of a
grander plan for the develop-
ment. Davis, who designed
The Tribute and Old Ameri-
can in The Colony, had routed
an 18-hole course on the prop-
erty, and three of the holes
were near completion.
However, McNamara lis-
tened to prospective property
owners and shelved plans for
the longer course because it
did not fit the family-friendly
vision of the development.
One of the objections voiced
was the length of time fathers
would probably be away from
their families on weekend get-
aways if there were an 18-hole
course on the property.
PGA Tour player Hunter
Mahan of Dallas has visited
the Proving Ground and was
impressed.
For beginners, its a com-
fortable and fun place to fall in
love with the sport, he said.
For me, its the professional
quality practice facility that I
need to prepare for competi-
tion. At the same time, its the
place where I see myself
teaching my daughter to play
because it offers a flexible,
family-friendly course where
we can play in bare feet and
simply enjoy the pure fun of
the game.
Expanding practice area:
At Hawks Creek Golf Club in
Westworth Village, construc-
tion is ongoing to nearly dou-
ble the size of the practice ar-
ea. A major consideration in
the design was to introduce
children and other beginners
to the game, said Arlington ar-
chitect John Colligan.
For example, he said, a pro
will be able to take a group of
kids to the putting green just
outside the clubhouse door to
get them familiar with the
game and etiquette. A short
walk away is the new chipping
area. From there, they can
proceed to the driving range
for longer shots.
Theyre in a position
where they can get comfort-
able hitting the ball and with
the game, Colligan said, re-
moving the intimidation fac-
tor a beginner might feel.
It will offer the full gamut
of experiences you can have on
the golf course, Colligan said.
Whatever you want to work
on, this setup will offer that
for you.
Developer opts for shorter course
RENOVATIONS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION
Long Cove
The Proving Grounds at Long Cove development near Malakoff combines a driving range with a nine-hole short course. It
features champions Bermuda greens and 419 Bermuda fairways.
Facility offers
golf experience
without time
commitment
By MARK KAZLOWSKI
Staff Writer
mkazlowski@dallasnews.com
Two venerable Dallas cours-
es are undergoing significant
renovations, and another is ex-
pected to soon. All three are
ranked among the 50 best
courses in the state.
I No. 31 Lakewood Country
Clubs renovation includes a
new irrigation system, all new
zoysia tee boxes, rebuilding of
all bunkers, extensive tree re-
moval, reshaping the lake on
No. 11, cart path work, moving
and rebuilding the 18th green
and all new bridges.
Head professional Gilbert
Freeman said Austin architects
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
are putting their artistic fin-
gerprints on Lakewood.
Among other things, they felt
the shapes and sizes of the
greenside bunkers did not fit
with the shapes and sizes of the
greens.
He said Coore and Cren-
shaw are making the course
more challenging for the more
skilled player but not at the ex-
pense of the average player.
Several old fairway bunkers
that were in play for the short
hitter have been removed, and
new bunkers were created to be
in play for the longer hitters.
Freeman said the course
may be open for play in August.
I At No. 25 Royal Oaks
Country Club, work began in
February to redo all the bun-
kers and greens. Head profes-
sional emeritus Randy Smith
said some of the greens will be
moved, and miniverde Bermu-
da will replace bentgrass on the
greens. Chet Williams is the ar-
chitect on the project.
Its a much better grass for
this part of the country, Smith
said.
The course should be ready
for play by September, he said.
I At No. 22 Northwood
Club, four new tee boxes and
four new bunkers have been
added, but for now most of the
work is being done on paper.
Davis is redesigning all greens
and tees along with bunkers,
creeks and new lakes. Head
professional Bob Elliott said no
date has been set for the work
to begin.
Woods to design Texas
course: Tiger Woods first for-
ay into golf course design in the
U.S. will be an 18-hole course in
Montgomery to be called Blue-
jack National. Construction is
expected to begin this summer
with its completion slated for
the fall of 2015. The private
course will replace the Blake-
tree National Golf Club.
New greens at Texas Star:
Texas Star will close June 16 for
a renovation. The bulk of the
project will be to replace its
bentgrass greens with mini-
verde Bermuda. Bunker sand
will also be replaced and tee
boxes leveled. Plans are for the
course to reopen in October.
Mark Kazlowski
Prominent Dallas clubs are undergoing signicant face-lifts