See all the perfect tales from The Dallas Morning News’ 16-page Texas Golf part that ran in Sunday’s print version.
AT&T BYRON NELSON
Rain is a four-letter phrase within the golf neighborhood — and not simply within the literal sense.
It brings cancellations, postponements and different logistical nightmares to tournaments large and small. It serves as a kryptonite to pristine programs that assemble small armies to fine-tune each minute element main as much as a serious occasion, solely to have Mother Nature say “not so quick” and throw a wrench in everybody’s plans. Good luck even listening to the phrase spoken aloud by organizers when match week rolls round, lest they tempt destiny and jinx their approach into weather-induced disarray.
But a latest memorable downpour brings no such complications or heartaches to the mind belief behind the AT&T Byron Nelson’s newest venue change. Instead, it stands alone on an island as a rain occasion tied to nothing however fond recollections of the day the place “a dream got here true,” in accordance with enigmatic developer and businessman David Craig. One that was more than 20 years within the making.
It was 7:30 a.m. on March 4, 2020 — simply two weeks earlier than the 2020 Nelson at host course Trinity Forest grew to become a casualty of the pandemic. Craig, the namesake for the two,200-acre Craig Ranch improvement in McKinney that features TPC Craig Ranch, had gotten what he known as his “dream workforce” to congregate at the course to make a pitch for it to turn into the new house of the Nelson, one thing these at the TPC Four Seasons had already achieved the earlier month.
On the visitor checklist: mayors, ex-mayors, metropolis managers, CEOs, COOs, presidents, VPs and administrators. Oh, and rain. Lots and plenty of rain.
“Frankly, no person ought to have proven up,” stated ClubCorp CEO David Pillsbury, one of many members in attendance that day. “It was raining so laborious it didn’t make any sense to even be on the street.”
Maybe the members of Craig’s hand-picked crew scheduled to take part within the assembly shouldn’t have proven up, as Pillsbury urged. But they did. All of them. And the dream-teamers in attendance made positive their inconvenient trek into unfavorable climate circumstances wasn’t for naught as they made their case that it was time to maneuver the Nelson to Collin County for the primary time in match historical past.
A month later, TPC Craig Ranch was formally introduced because the new house for the Nelson for the subsequent 5 years.
Read more about the AT&T Byron Nelson’s new home.
More on the AT&T Byron Nelson.
COURSE RANKINGS
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In contact sports activities, it’s stated a very powerful means is availability. In actual property, it’s location, location, location.
Chet Williams had each issues going for him 21 years in the past when he first stepped foot on what would turn into Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity. Williams at the time was a design affiliate for Jack Nicklaus. He had labored on eight to 10 programs for Nicklaus by then.
So when Corby Robertson referred to as Nicklaus Design searching for an architect to assist him form the rugged property close to Lake Livingston right into a top-tier golf course, Williams bought the decision. His house close to Waco was only a 21/2-hour drive away. Any of the opposite designers would have come from Florida, which meant a flight to Houston and then a virtually two-hour drive up Interstate 45.
It’s laborious to think about it figuring out higher for Williams or Robertson. After dropping to No. 3 in The Dallas Morning News’ Texas Golf rankings final 12 months, Whispering Pines has returned to No. 1 for the twelfth time. It replaces Dallas National, No. 1 in 2019 and 2020 and the one different course to high the rankings since Whispering Pines was first ranked No. 1 in 2006.
Read more about The Dallas Morning News’ No. 1 golf course here.
More rankings
The top 100 Texas golf courses, Nos. 1-50, ranked
The top 50 Texas golf courses open to the public, ranked
The top 25 high-priced golf courses in Texas that cost $80 and above
The top 25 mid-priced golf courses in Texas that cost $55-$79
The top 25 economy golf courses in Texas that cost $54 and under
The top 25 nine-hole golf courses in Texas, ranked (2021)
PGA FRISCO
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Two of the world’s most anticipated new golf programs in many years, the East Course and West Course of the PGA Frisco challenge, are on monitor to open subsequent summer time. With the anticipation and pleasure come quite a lot of high-profile tournaments already dedicated to the programs. In complete, the 2 programs are already penciled in to host 26 championship occasions with tie-ins to the PGA of America, with more absolutely on the way in which.
One occasion, specifically, is on the minds of many concerned within the challenge.
“Assuming we’ve achieved our job correctly and the gamers react effectively to it and the course stands up as a championship check, I might assume that the Ryder Cup is probably going,” stated Gil Hanse, the East Course architect. “This goes to be house. [The PGA of America] goes to be proud to indicate it off. All the indications I’ve gotten from the management of the PGA of America and from their officers is that they’re actually enthused about each golf programs.”
BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL GOLF HOLES
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The finest and lovely holes are usually not an unique bunch, however they’re a good fraternity. Fifteen programs accounted for the 36 finest and most lovely holes in Texas.
Texas’ most lovely 18
| Course | Location | Hole | Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordillera Ranch | Boerne | 16 | 3 |
| Omni Barton Creek* | Austin | 9 | 3 |
| The Hills | Austin | 7 | 3 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 15 | 3 |
| Austin CC | Austin | 18 | 4 |
| Black Jack’s Crossing | Lajitas | 14 | 4 |
| Boot Ranch | Fredericksburg | 10 | 4 |
| Dallas National | Dallas | 9 | 4 |
| Palmer Course at La Cantera | San Antonio | 18 | 4 |
| Univ. of Texas GC | Austin | 15 | 4 |
| Univ. of Texas GC | Austin | 18 | 4 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 7 | 4 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 14 | 4 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 18 | 4 |
| Austin CC | Austin | 3 | 5 |
| Dallas National | Dallas | 10 | 5 |
| Walden Golf Club | Montgomery | 11 | 5 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 17 | 5 |
*Fazio Foothills
Texas’ finest 18
| Course | Location | Hole | Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordillera Ranch | Boerne | 16 | 3 |
| Dallas National | Dallas | 5 | 3 |
| The Hills | Austin | 7 | 3 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 15 | 3 |
| Colonial CC | Fort Worth | 5 | 4 |
| Dallas National | Dallas | 8 | 4 |
| Dallas National | Dallas | 9 | 4 |
| Preston Trail GC | Dallas | 16 | 4 |
| The Woodlands CC* | The Woodlands | 17 | 4 |
| The Woodlands CC* | The Woodlands | 18 | 4 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 7 | 5 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 13 | 4 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 14 | 4 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 18 | 4 |
| Dallas National | Dallas | 10 | 5 |
| Walden Golf Club | Montgomery | 11 | 5 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 5 | 5 |
| Whispering Pines | Trinity | 17 | 5 |
*Tournament Course
NEW COURSES ON THE RISE
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Much of the eye in North Texas has been on the $500 million PGA Frisco development with two new golf programs within the grow-in stage for a deliberate 2022 debut. But there are a smattering of different programs all through the state below development or having opened within the final 12 months. Read about the highlights here.
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