Pecan Hollow Country Club

One of the first courses in the growing 1970s Plano community, Pecan Hollow started out as the Plano Municipal Golf Course. Don January and Billy Martindale, who had recently completed their signature Royal Oaks in Dallas, contracted with the city to help provide golf for Plano’s growing population.

The terrain here is flat, and the fairways are mostly wide open. January used the standard bunkers, water hazards, and trees in his design to cause problems for the golfer. The greens are of medium size and speed, and the course is basically pretty standard until you reach the punishing final stretch of holes. Nos. 16-18 are all 445-yard-plus par 4s with water in play–one of the toughest tests of golf in the DFW area.

Getting there : From I-75 north, take Plano Parkway east, then exit at 14th St. Turn right, drive a short distance to the course, and look for the entrance on the left side of the street.