Is there an estimated date of completion for the Lakewood reno?

I imagine 2027 at the earliest.

Pignorant said:

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Is there an estimated date of completion for the Lakewood reno?

I imagine 2027 at the earliest.

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Supposed to be October 2026.

My best friend is moving to the Grapevine area and has asked me to figure out what courses in a 30-40 mile radius are the best. They can be private as well but he doesn't want to spend more than $30K on initiation.

Any and all info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Been on here a while lurking. Just wondered why the Golden Corral buffett is ranked so high? Played there about a dozen times and have never comprehended the hype. The club is dead after 5. One would think there would be some form of hang for an all mens club.

Live in FW but $30k he should look into Club Corp.

Ill pass it along.

Do they have some pretty good courses in the DFW area? I was a quasi-member through Kingwood CC when I lived in Houston and only used it once.

Update - he is looking into the following towns - Mansfield, Grapevine, Colleyville, and Keller.

If anyone has any experiences of playing in the area and/or club suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

BigLeftMiss08 said:

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Update - he is looking into the following towns - Mansfield, Grapevine, Colleyville, and Keller.

If anyone has any experiences of playing in the area and/or club suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

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That region he's referring too (basically from the airport all the way West to 377 and then everything south, doesn't have a ton of country clubs but has a lot of good public options like Bear Creek, Texas Star, Texas Rangers, Cowboys Club, Waterchase.

Timarron Country Club is the closest club to Grapevine but will be over his budget.


Trophy Club is a 2 course country club that's good bang for your buck and about 15 minutes from Grapevine. Has a nice practice facility and should also get you access to Hackberry which is about equal distance (12-15 minutes away) just in the opposite direction.

Great info, do you know anything about Walnut Creek?

BigLeftMiss08 said:

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Great info, do you know anything about Walnut Creek?

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From grapevine area it's almost 30 miles which is way to far for a home club. Last I checked the price wasn't bad but the course is basically just like playing a nice public course so not going to blow you away.

Right on.

We spoke lastnight and he is leaning towards going the Invited Club (new Clubcorp name) route. His wife is leaning towards buying a place in Mansfield so I think he is going to go talk to the club next week to get more info.

Has anyone had any experience using Invited Colin in the DFW area? Seems like there a good amount of courses but didn't know if their were restrictions or what not.

BigLeftMiss08 said:

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Right on.

We spoke lastnight and he is leaning towards going the Invited Club (new Clubcorp name) route. His wife is leaning towards buying a place in Mansfield so I think he is going to go talk to the club next week to get more info.

Has anyone had any experience using Invited Colin in the DFW area? Seems like there a good amount of courses but didn't know if their were restrictions or what not.

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If there doing Mansfield then yes Walnut Creek would be great location wise. You also have a public course (Tierra Verde) about 10 minutes away which is actually going to be a significantly nicer course than Walnut Creek so they can do the occasional round there to mix it up.

As for affiliated courses there are 12 other invited clubs in North Texas that have golf. They are usually pretty strict with restrictions so they do put each club in a "tier" and you can only play courses that are in your tier or lower. It's to prevent people from joining these value clubs and then try to play courses with way higher dues and initiation fees.

The only DFW chart I could see for invited had Walnut Creek as the lowest of 4 tiers with only 1 other course available to play (Oakmont). The only alternative if he really wanted to explore the metroplex is get some sort of add on like X life which grants you more access to courses worldwide but at both a monthly due price increase and still having to pay some sort of fee to play the other courses. At least for me I'd rather at that point just play nice public courses nearby like Texas Rangers and Tierre Verde, there going to be on par with a lot of these midrange clubs anyways.

tur***gie24 said:

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Interesting take. What's your DFW top 15?

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In DFW in terms of private clubs here are my top 5

Top 5 Golf Courses
1 & 2) Brook Hollow or Dallas National - Both are top tier courses not just in DFW
3) Shady Oaks - Great track and great club you cannot go wrong here
4) Colonial CC - The history and course are subpurb
5) Trinity Forest - A great hang, a fun course on a fall/spring day. Just in a bad location.

Top 5 Hangs (19th Holes/Club)
1) Trinity Forest
2) Dallas National
3) Hackberry Creek
4) Northwood
5) Lakewood CC

My issue with Preston Trail is it is over hyped. I will add my business partner is a member and I play once a month with him. PT is not a fun atmosphere it is incredibily stuffy. You walk in it is a bunch of gereatrics having lunch. I joke with my partner that we need to be drinking pruin juice to fit in. There are some young members but they rarely show up. From what I have seen most young members play and bolt. Similiar golf clubs guys are hanging out after their round and having a few beers. There are some old guys playing backgammon It is joked that Preston Trail is where fun goes to die.

The greens are super fast most days but it does not make up for the course being in bad shape, and the course lacking character. Some of that just happens to be due to the McMansions surrounding the course so there is only so much that they can do with the course. Maybe this new rennovation it will help with the course and the poor culture.

I just have never gotten the hype surrounding the course when there are way better places in Dallas. Lee Trevino, David Graham are members and they just let Scott Scheffler and Jordan Speith in, but from my perspecitve I am not a jock sniffer and could careless if they are members. Yes its all men, cool every golf course in DFW has a 19th hole that is all mens as well with better culture.

AggieGolfer2000 said:

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Maybe this new renovation it will help with the course and the poor culture.

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Is Preston Trail currently in the process of starting a renovation ?

I actually really like the course and the track. It's fun to play, but they're in a weird position now in terms of the equity landscape.

In the last 8 years every single Dallas equity country club has either had a renovation or is currently doing a renovation (Northwood, Brook Hollow, Bent Tree, DCC, Royal Oaks). Even on the Tarrant county side of the metroplex the 2 heavy hitters (Colonial and Vaquero) just finished renovations.

The golf landscape is fierce right now in DFW so curious how the next 5 years plays out with them, right now it does seem like they're the odd man out living on past reputation but like we've seen in the past that can change real fast.

My business partner is a member and I play at Preston Trail once a month with him. They are having a $100k assessment to redo the course. Issue is they are house locked and have a chicken coup on the 11 tee box. I do think they are living on their lore of the past. I can say I do not see what "big deal" is about PT.

When my business partner got in I was pumped to play it. After the round I was pretty disappointed not only the course but the hang was awful. We had 1 beer and felt like we had outstayed our welcome. The buffett is nothing special and the overall hang does not exsist. The reality is PT is most guys 2nd or 3rd club so it does not have a great hang. The overall atmosphere does not allow for a good time. There are some old guys playing Backgammon after 4 but normally you go into that lockeroom its dead. The membership is pretty stale and old. I've been going to PT for over a decade and PT is just not a fun time, to quote another guy in our office "Preston Trail is the graveyard for fun!"

I think the golf landscape in Dallas is changing drastically especially with the growth. Dallas does not have a ton of new country clubs being built. I moved to Dallas from Ohio and in Ohio there are dozens of top quality country clubs that are all affordable. I think the pricing at some of these places has gotten insane for what you are getting.

You are spot on with the get in price vs what you get being out of whack.

I was on a flight next to a member of Philadelphia Cricket Club. They have 36 holes of elite golf and a beautiful clubhouse.

My jaw dropped when he told me the initiation fee was $30K.

Yes, I just can't justify the price relative to membership and course quality at basically any DFW club these days. Covid turned everything on its head. Jack the prices up, jack the membership up, jack the traffic up, all while quality slides because of said traffic and less desperation to keep the membership happy. Pay massive prices for what is becoming a public golf experience

I worked in the DFW golf business for nearly 30 years. The prices now are crazy, but so is the economy in DFW. People are paying crazy prices for golf because the clubs keep charging more and more for renovations and amenities(non-golf). Clubhouse renovations. Tennis to Pickleball renovations. Etc
I will tell you that having played golf all over the state, until recently(last 5-10 years) with some of the ultra high-end courses opening in various areas - mainly Ausitn and Houston - the quality of golf course conditions(private clubs) in North Texas was way better than anywhere else in the state. The rest of the state is/has caught up for the most part.

Did Bent Tree need a $36mil Clubhouse?
Did Dallas National really need a reno?
Shady Oaks and Colonial and DAC were due.
Craig Ranch needed it if they wanted to keep the Nelson.
Does Lakewood really need one?

There are many factors in play. One is the amount of money Equity Clubs can keep in the bank and maintain their non-profit status. Another is the drive to get families to use all facets of the clubs - not just golf.

The biggest driver in dues and costs is now how the prices to maintain a golf course have sky-rocketed.
Firewheel just completed a renovation of the Old Course. Irrigation alone was well over $3mil. Ten years ago it would have been closer to $1 Mill.
Fertilizer and chemical costs have skyrocketed.
Equipment - a fairway or rough mower, before COVID, was $50-$60K. They are over $100K now. A riding greensmower is now right around $50K. These are items that have a 4-5year replacement cycle. The basic utility vehicles you see crews drive around in are over $8k - double pre-COVID.
A sprinkler head - most courses have 1200-1500 - retails at $400-$600. It wasn't long ago they were under $200.
A golf course that cost $12-$20mil build 20-25 years ago now costs $40-$50mil.
We won't even mention what labor costs have gotten to. I will say that golf course maintenance crews were probably the most taken advantage of labor segment I ever saw and their wages reflected it. Not now. Extrapolate that to kitchen help as well.

I tell people COVID did more for golf participation than Tiger ever did. Unfortunately, the boom in participation coincided with an explosion in costs.

I'm shocked when I look and all the courses being built in Texas right now are very high-end properties with virtually no public golf being built.
36 Fly-in holes in Andrews?
3 courses on the West side of Austin
Tiger's course west of Fort Worth
The club(s) around Granbury
36 - invitation only holes in Luling
Wild Spring Dunes
A rumored course across I20 from Hideaway
The courses outside of Houston
I hear the new Club in Celina is going to be $50K Initiation
PGA Frisco

In my years in golf, this usually signals a downturn in the industry. The big-money is generally late to the boom. However, I've never seen such a concentration in high-end facilities so maybe it won't be this time.

In the mean time, those who want to be members of private clubs better have a ton of disposable income.

There's also Maverick Golf Club west of Fort Worth that will have 18 holes, a 12 hole course and a 9 hole par 3, only a few miles from Tiger's course. Insanity.

_lefraud_ said:

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There's also Maverick Golf Club west of Fort Worth that will have 18 holes, a 12 hole course and a 9 hole par 3, only a few miles from Tiger's course. Insanity.

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And it's going to be significantly nicer than Bluejack Ranch. Discovery does things to the next level. It's also still unclear how Bluejack Ranch plans to obtain water to maintain its course and property.

_lefraud_ said:

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There's also Maverick Golf Club west of Fort Worth that will have 18 holes, a 12 hole course and a 9 hole par 3, only a few miles from Tiger's course. Insanity.

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I consider that one of the "Granbury" courses.

Discovery does everything next level.

I'm not very smart because when they were building Vaquero I didn't think it would ever work. All their courses were vacation destinations or 2nd or 3rd home spots. I was not convinced Southlake/Westlake would work for that model.

Turns out athletes, proximity to the airport and a general lack of knowledge, on my part, as to how much money some people have proved me very wrong.

William Larue Weller said:

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_lefraud_ said:

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There's also Maverick Golf Club west of Fort Worth that will have 18 holes, a 12 hole course and a 9 hole par 3, only a few miles from Tiger's course. Insanity.

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And it's going to be significantly nicer than Bluejack Ranch. Discovery does things to the next level. It's also still unclear how Bluejack Ranch plans to obtain water to maintain its course and property.

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I know of what you speak about the water for Tiger's place. They must have some idea because they are moving right along.

TMfrisco said:

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William Larue Weller said:

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_lefraud_ said:

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There's also Maverick Golf Club west of Fort Worth that will have 18 holes, a 12 hole course and a 9 hole par 3, only a few miles from Tiger's course. Insanity.

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And it's going to be significantly nicer than Bluejack Ranch. Discovery does things to the next level. It's also still unclear how Bluejack Ranch plans to obtain water to maintain its course and property.

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I know of what you speak about the water for Tiger's place. They must have some idea because they are moving right along.

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It's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out in the next 5-10 years.

What are the 36 Fly-In holes in Andrews you referenced?

Andrews, TX? Like 45 minutes north of Midland?

Plus Childress Hall. Plus David McClay Kidds new course/community near Lake Travis.

Theres alot of growth in high end private.

RigsTx said:

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What are the 36 Fly-In holes in Andrews you referenced?

Andrews, TX? Like 45 minutes north of Midland?

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Childress Hall. One of the courses debuted in the Golf Digest Top 100.
But Fly-in in Andrews? Crazy!

The Milkman said:

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Plus Childress Hall. Plus David McClay Kidds new course/community near Lake Travis.

Theres alot of growth in high end private.

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Yes, Loraloma as well as Driftwood(Discovery Land).

TMfrisco said:

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RigsTx said:

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What are the 36 Fly-In holes in Andrews you referenced?

Andrews, TX? Like 45 minutes north of Midland?

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Childress Hall. One of the courses debuted in the Golf Digest Top 100.
But Fly-in in Andrews? Crazy!

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Childress Hall is right near Childress, TX off 287.

beb06 said:

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TMfrisco said:

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RigsTx said:

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What are the 36 Fly-In holes in Andrews you referenced?

Andrews, TX? Like 45 minutes north of Midland?

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Childress Hall. One of the courses debuted in the Golf Digest Top 100.
But Fly-in in Andrews? Crazy!

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Childress Hall is right near Childress, TX off 287.

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You're certainly correct, I swear all the original propaganda I saw said Andrews. But, then again, my memory isn't what it used to be.

When I moved to Dallas from Ohio, it blew my mindeven back in 2008how expensive some of the clubs were. I'm a member at Inverness Club in Ohio, a Top 50 course. I paid $10K to join, and I still keep the membership because it's incredibly cheap as a non-resident. In the Midwest, you can still join a really good club for relatively reasonable money. I joined Lakewood in 2010, and the initiation was $15K.

What really blows my mind now is how much these clubs cost today, especially when you factor in the constant assessments. I think COVID just exacerbated an issue that was already brewing in North Texas golf. Nobody built traditional country clubsthey built golf clubs. We're clearly at a peak or close to it. The first thing to go in a recession are golf clubs.

Northwood was on the verge of bankruptcy during the Great Financial Crisis, and Lakewood was struggling to keep members back then. Recently, one of my associates at the firm asked me about joining a club, and I told him to use that money as a down payment on a house instead, and wait for a reset in intiation fees.

My wife is from Toledo, so we're back in Ohio often. I don't miss much about living there, but the golf in the Midwest is incredibleand not just incredible, but still genuinely affordable.

Avid Golfer 2026 info is out and prices continue to climb.

The Nelson seems like a pretty good deal at $80k. Two courses and Ritz amenities.

Also, Vaquero is not messing around.