Forty minutes north of Dallas, Texas, the newest mecca in golf is ready to open its door next month. The Omni Frisco Resort will be a public golf facility rarely seen in Texas or just about anywhere else over the last five to ten years, which includes just about anything a golf traveler or fun seeker could ask for.
Start with two championship golf courses designed by Beau Welling (Fields Ranch West) and Gil Hanse (Fields Ranch East). The world’s most giant natural grass putting green, known as the Dance Floor, a 10-hole short game course, The Swing, and an extensive golf academy.
Even an elaborate turf junior golf practice area run by the local Northern Texas PGA, known as the Ronny, for local golf pro Ronny Glanton, which is open to the public when not in use for junior golf activity.
Of course, if golf is not your thing, then there are 13 different bars, icehouses, and restaurants at the Omni and adjacent PGA Village, a huge outdoor HD TV Screen, an elongated 3-mile walking trail for working off all the food, golf and good times. All are open to the public from near or far away.
All that hard golfing and partying can make a person hungry, or tired, which is where the dozen-plus restaurants covering everything from liquid fireballs to fine dining and just about everything in between come into play.
There are over 500 Omni luxury rooms, four pools, a huge spa, expansive meeting spaces, and separate ranch houses for large groups, all coming in at $525 million.
Designed with the idea that golfers and non-golfers will be drawn here to explore golf’s next big thing, the PGA of America self-described as the new home of America Golf or as an American St. Andrews.
“We were always going to make everything public here because that fits into our mission of attracting golfers and even non-golfers to the sport,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.
While there will be plenty of golfing, eating, and good times, there will also be plenty of watching the best players in the world ply their craft here.
The PGA of America has already announced 26 major golf championships, including the 2023 PGA Seniors Championship, which will be the first competition in May. Along with two future PGA Championships (2027 and 2034), the KPMG Women’s PGA, plus the widely expected Ryder Cup Matches rumored to be soon announced.
North Texas is used to staging golf tournaments in this region, but the PGA of America is bringing championships, and golf fans will see a big difference”
Seth Waugh
The Beau Welling West Couse has more hills, more North Texas views, and more wildly undulated greens with less water and brush. While the East will get the play from golfers who want to tee it up where the pros do, Welling built the more player friendly of the two courses where you can take a cart (the East is mainly walking with a caddy) and enjoy the day, the North Texas scenery the avalanche of new public golfer offerings.
The East Course, which will host the majority of championships, includes a drivable par-4 on both the front and back nine holes on the 660-acre former North Texas farmland, hence the official name PGA Frisco at Fields Ranch.
There is a nearly a 300-yard par-3 (No. 13 from the championship tees) along with the largest green on the course followed by the smallest to confuse golfers’ already twisted minds.
Then, for the closing act, there is a dangerous 17th hole par 3, at 141 yards, the shortest on the course, plus a par-5 18th hole with a large stream and a 10-foot earthen wall you’ll to hit over to reach the final green after crossing native Panther Creek for the last time.
I think you could have some fireworks there,” Hanse said in an understatement. “One thing Jim (partner Jim Wagner) and I did was try to take the native land and enhance the drama.”
Gil Hanse
Hanse, who has become one of golf’s hottest architects with various renovations at Southern Hills, Oakland Hills, and the Olympic Club, leaned heavily on the risk-reward drama at PGA Frisco and lessons learned from his Olympic Golf Course in Brazil.
Playing the correct set of long ribbon tees will be critical to resort player enjoyment for the triple-figure rates, which will be charged to Omni Hotel guests and general public play. While the course can play as long as 7,800 yards, PGA Officials said that it will rarely, if ever, be used.
Another factor for the public (80% of the rounds here) vs. championship play is the fairway grass, known as NorthBridge Bermuda, which was laid on the North Texas soil early with the greens Tifeagle Bermuda grass.
With the NorthBridge Bermuda grass, the fairways can be mowed narrow or wide enough to catch the worst tee balls.
The course was ‘finished’ in early 2022, giving it a season and a half season to grow and blossom into a firm and fun, and possibly explosive golfing playing field.
Holes 10-12, all par 4, play in full view of the Omni resort, making them prime spots for tournament watching, with Panther Creek and plenty of brush running along the right side, meaning a wayward tee shot can be punished.
There is a nearly a 300-yard par-3 (No. 13 from the championship tees). The 15th hole is a drivable par-4 but moves straight uphill, surrounded by bunkers on every side. Plus, the 16th is long, straight, and bunker less, seemingly easy, but anything but.
Let the public golf explosion begin on a scale that can only be called Texas-sized.