Leatherwood Ranch

Cal Merritt, a former real estate man, grabbed this 40-acre farm and rock quarry when times were good back before the real-estate crash in the late 1980s. The upkeep was a problem and he wasn’t convinced that he was a cattle rancher, so following his passion for golf and building a golf course seemed like the perfect way to have some fun and make the place look pretty.

He’s definitely succeeded with his new, self-architected Leatherwood Ranch golf course, which opened for play in 1999. Here you can escape the city, avoid the crowds, and play for a fraction of what the big city courses charge. The Dallas Morning News ranked Leatherwood as the 9th best 9-hole course in the state, and Leatherwood will surely grown in popularity over the years as the metroplex spreads and golfers find out about this little gem

The design is impressively clever. It features 9 holes made up of seven par 4s and two par 3s, highlighted by small, dome-shaped greens that are extremely firm. A creek that comes into play several times, as well as a big rock quarry that adds character to the layout. The quarry comes into play on the signature hole, No. 7, which offers the risk-reward option of hitting over the quarry or laying up.

There are no bunkers, but water comes into play quite a bit. The creek comes into play on holes 1-4. No. 6 has water on the left, and hole 8 sets up perfectly for a bad slice into the water. The hardest hole is the par 4 No. 9 because of its 334-yard length.

The best part about the day at Leatherwood is the casual, laid-back atmosphere. As Mr. Merritt states, “Blue jeans are expected.” His theory that “denim is one of the most practical pairs of pants to play golf in” is something all the country club pretty boys might want to consider every now and then.

Getting there : Drive I-75 to 380 in McKinney, go east 18 miles. The course is just past the Dairy Queen on the north side.