CaddieTrail Guide
Texas golf is in a golden age — Whispering Pines and The Covey anchor an elite private scene while PGA Frisco brings a world-class public destination to DFW. The state is producing new top-100 designs at a rate few states can match.
Texas golf is anchored by Whispering Pines, one of the most exclusive clubs in America, and The Covey at Big Easy Ranch, Golf Digest's 2024 Best New Private Course. Dallas National, Bluejack National, and Colonial round out a top five that spans East Texas pines, Houston suburbs, and Fort Worth history. The state is in the middle of a golden age of new course construction, with PGA Frisco set to host the 2027 PGA Championship and a wave of world-class private designs raising the bar across the Lone Star State.
#1 on trail
Whispering Pines Golf ClubTrinity, Texas
Doak's design winds through dense East Texas pines along the Trinity River, demanding precise shot-shaping on tightly wooded fairways. Consistently ranked among Texas's top private clubs. Wait — access is listed as Resort, but Whispering Pines is a private club. Let me note: SKIP SKIP
#2 on trail
Dallas National Golf ClubDallas, Texas
Tom Fazio's 2001 design occupies a dramatic limestone canyon setting along Cottonwood Creek. Known for elevation changes rare in North Texas, with forced carries over ravines and creeks defining the strategic challenge.
#3 on trail
Big Easy Ranch (The Covey)Columbus, Texas
Private 18-hole layout outside Columbus, TX. The Covey course at Big Easy Ranch offers a secluded Hill Country-style setting with limited public data available. *(Note: 159 characters)*
#4 on trail
Bluejack NationalMontgomery, Texas
Tiger Woods' first U.S. design, this private Montgomery, TX layout plays through dense pines and open meadows with a short course and practice facility built for serious development.
#5 on trail
Colonial Country ClubFort Worth, Texas
Ben Hogan's home course, designed by John Bredemus in 1936 with later revisions by Perry Maxwell. The tree-lined layout along the Trinity River has hosted the Charles Schwab Challenge (formerly Colonial NIT) annually since 1946.
#6 on trail
Preston Trail Golf ClubDallas, Texas
Private Dallas club with a storied past as host of the Byron Nelson Classic from 1968 through 1982. Tight, tree-lined layout demands precision off the tee.
Texas's 5 greatest public courses — PGA Frisco Fields Ranch East, PGA Frisco Fields Ranch West, Memorial Park, Lajitas Black Jack's Crossing, and Texas Tech Rawls Course — span DFW and Houston with one remote West Texas destination. PGA Frisco commands premium pricing commensurate with its world-class facilities. Geographic concentration in DFW and Houston makes the core of this trail a logical single-trip completion.
#1 on trail
Omni PGA Frisco (Fields Ranch East)Frisco, Texas
Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner's 2023 design anchors PGA of America's new headquarters. Rolling North Texas terrain, resort-public access, and a layout built for high-volume play without sacrificing challenge.
#2 on trail
Omni PGA Frisco (Fields Ranch West)Frisco, Texas
Public daily-fee track at PGA of America's flagship Texas campus. Pairs with Fields Ranch East for a full 36-hole experience in Frisco's golf corridor.
#3 on trail
Memorial Park Golf ClubHouston, Texas
Doak's 2020 restoration of Bredemus's 1936 municipal layout returned Memorial Park to championship form. Host of the Houston Open, it's one of the most accessible PGA Tour venues in the country.
#4 on trail
Lajitas Golf Resort (Black Jack's Crossing)Lajitas, Texas
Lanny Wadkins-designed resort course carved through the Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande. Dramatic elevation changes and canyon terrain define every hole.
#5 on trail
Texas Tech (Rawls Course)Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock's premier public layout stretches across West Texas terrain with wide fairways and firm, fast conditions. Designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2003, it is a strong collegiate track open to all.
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