New Golf Course Construction in Texas: Texas Golf Course Boom To Include "The Quarry II"

By David R. Holland, Contributor

You love The Quarry Golf Club in San Antonio.

Are you ready for another one?

Actually it's called Longhorn Ranch and Golf Club, and it's located at the old Longhorn Cement Plant at I-35 and Harry Wurzbach Parkway in northeast San Antonio, only three minutes from the airport and eight minutes from downtown.

And if you think the huge hole that is home for nine holes at The Quarry was big, Longhorn will have all 18 holes located within the 232 acres below ground-level.

"The Quarry Golf Club's back nine is down in only 88 acres," said Jack Parker, who offices out of his Tapatio Springs Resort & Conference Center in Boerne. "Longhorn will be a longer course, but The Quarry actually has steeper walls and I think is more dramatic. Longhorn has one wall that is very steep, but the other walls flatten out. The new clubhouse, however, will be at a higher elevation over the course than you have at The Quarry."

Keith Foster has already done his design work on Longhorn Ranch and Golf Club and as soon as the final funding is in Parker and his group will turn the first shovel. Look for this new course to open in the November 2001 time frame.

It's all part of a golf course boom in Texas and the nation.

"San Antonio is fast becoming a giant market for golf," Parker said. "We already have been discovered by midwest golfers and Canadians. At Tapatio Springs we are 80 percent booked and 95 percent are from the midwest and Canada.

"What we have here that Phoenix, Scottsdale and Palm Springs don't have is better year-around weather. Our summers are much more bearable, probably 10 degrees cooler," Parker said.

Tapatio Springs is only 30 minutes from downtown San Antonio, but because its elevation is 2,000 feet and downtown is 660 feet, it has a guarantee that you will play golf in weather under 100 degrees.

"If the temperature hits 100 at Tapatio Springs the cost of the day is on us. I haven't had to make a payoff yet," Parker said. "Our average high is 87 at Tapatio."

The Longhorn Ranch area also has a shopping center and residential area planned and at one time the NBA's San Antonio Spurs considered the site for a new arena.

The San Antonio boom also includes Buddy Cook's The Golf Club of Texas at Briggs Ranch which opened in December. Cook wants to build five more courses in a series known as the "Golf Trail of Texas". Located at the historic Briggs Ranch, this one is a Lee Trevino Signature Course designed by Randy Russell and Roy Bechtol. It is 7,125 yards long and traverses Lucas Creek.

Booming Texas trails only California and Florida in new golf course construction according to The National Golf Foundation, which keeps abreast of new and planned construction nationwide.

There were 30 new golf courses or renovations opened in 1999. In the year 2000 there are more than 45 new courses or renovations planned for Texas.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area would you believe a new course named The Dallas Cowboys' Golf Club? That one should open this summer.

Others opening this summer in the Metroplex include The Tribute at The Colony, which simulates famous Scottish-course holes. Also opening in the spring or summer are Frisco's Stonebriar Resort Course and Blackstone Golf Club, Benbrook's Whitestone Golf Club, Fort Worth's The Creeks at Beechwood, Mansfield National Golf Club and Rowlett's WaterView Golf Club.

And how is the quality of these new layouts? The new Houstonian Golf Club at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa was just named to Golf Magazine's "Top Ten You Can Play" list of new public-access courses in its March 2000 issue.

There are about 850 courses in Texas now and that total should spurt to 900 within the near future.

Here's a list from the National Golf Foundation of projects planned or under way:

Texas Courses Under Construction or Planned

Name, Type, Category, Class, Number of Holes

Bexar County: Olympia Hills Golf & Conference Center, Municipal, Real Estate Development, New 18. La Cantera Golf Club Palmer Course, Daily Fee, Resort, Expansion, 18. Longhorn Ranch and Golf Club, Daily Fee, 18.

Bowie: Rattle & Snap Golf Club, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 27. Oak Grove Golf Club, Daily Fee, Military Expansion, 9.

Brown: Feather Bay Golf Course, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 18.

Burnet: Horseshoe Bay, Private Resort, Expansion, 18.

Collin: Panther Creek Ranch, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 18. Stonebriar Country Club Private, Real Estate, Expansion, 18. Heritage Ranch Golf Course, Daily Fee, Resort, New, 18.

Dallas:Fire Wheel Golf Park, Municipal, Real Estate, Expansion to 27. Waterview Golf Course, Municipal, Just Golf, New, 18. Dallas Country Club, Private, Just Golf, Reconstruction, 18. Pinnacle Park, Daily Fee, RealEstate/Resort, New, 18.

Denton:The Tribute, The Colony, Daily Fee, RealEstate/Resort, New, 18.

Ellis:Old Brickyard Golf Course, Municipal, Just Golf, New, 18. Prestwick Golf Course, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 18.

Fort Bend: Sienna, Plantation Golf Course, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 18.

Galveston: Magnolia Creek Golf Course, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 36.

Harris: Houstonian Club Golf Course, Private, Just Golf, New, 18. Josey Ranch, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 36. The Club at Carlton Woods, Private, Just Golf, New, 18. Royal Oaks Country Club, Private, Real Estate, New, 18. Wildcat GC at Pierce Junction, Daily Fee, Just Golf, New, 36. Houston National, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 36. Newport Golf Club & Conference Center, Daily Fee, Just Golf, Expansion, 18. Gleannloch Farms Golf Club, Daily Fee, Real Estate, Expansion, 9.

Hidalgo: Palm View Golf Course, Municipal, Just Golf, Reconstruction, 18. Los Lagos Golf Club, Municipal, Just Golf, New, 18.

Hunt: Hartline's Golf Center, Daily Fee, Just Golf, Expansion, 9.

Kendall: Buckhorn Golf Course, Daily Fee Just Golf, New, 18.

Lee: Giddings Country Club, Daily Fee, Just Golf, Expansion, 9.

Montgomery: Lake Windcrest Natl GC, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 18.

Nueces: The Newport, Private, Real Estate, New, 18.

Rockwall: A 1 Golf Center, Daily Fee, Just Golf, New, 9.

Smith: Arrowhed Golf Club, Daily Fee, Just Golf, New, 18.

Somervell: Squaw Valley Municipal, Just Golf, Expansion, 18.

Tarrant: Grapevine Municipal GC, Municipal, Just Golf, Expansion, 9. Whitestone Golf Club, Municipal, Real Estate, New, 18. Mansfield National Golf Course, Daily Fee, Real Estate, New, 18. The Creeks at Beechwood, Daily Fee, Real Estate/Resort, New, 18. The Dallas Cowboy's Golf Club, Grapevine, Municipal, Resort, New, 18.

Travis: Austin Golf Club, Private, Just Golf, New, 18.

Upshur: Ore City Golf Center, Daily Fee, Just Golf, New, 9.

Williamson: Legacy Hills Golf Club, Daily Fee, Real Estate, Expansion, 9.

David R. HollandDavid R. Holland, Contributor

David R. Holland is an award-winning former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, football magazine publisher, and author of The Colorado Golf Bible. Before launching a career as a travel/golf writer, he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force reserve, serving during the Vietnam and Desert Storm eras. Follow Dave on Twitter @David_R_Holland.


Reader Comments / Reviews Leave a comment
  • Renovation List

    Kyle Larson wrote on: Aug 28, 2016

    This is a great list.
    Thanks, nice work.
    Kyle Larson
    Larson Golf Services, LLC.

    Reply