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Why aren't there more and better courses in the Fort Worth, TX area?

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Mike Bodo:
I came across an old thread Jim Hoak posted in 2014 in which asked the question why there weren't better courses throughout the state of TX. However I wish to take this one step further and hone in on a specific area that should have world class public and private golf, but doesn't save, perhaps, Colonial and ask why aren't there more and better course options in the Fort Worth, TX area?


To preface this, I frequent the Dallas - Forth Worth area two or three times a year for business. When I travel, I typically bring my sticks with me and play different public courses in the Fort Worth area. Sadly, the public golf market there is vastly underserved in proportion to the explosion in residential growth the past several years. There's simply not enough good public options to serve the demand that exists. Even the poorly maintained and condiitioned pubic courses have full tee sheets on the weekends. There are no resort golf options to speak of. However, there is a golf course called The Resort, that is a disjointed, poorly conditioned, residential public course with a couple decent views of Eagle Mountain lake, but it is far from what anyone would consider a "resort" quality course.


Most of the public courses and private clubs, for that matter, are in or near Fort Worth proper. However, given the residential boom north of Fort Worth there's virtually no golf options period, save for The Resort and Cross Timbers in Azle, TX (yeah, I'm talking to you, Jeff Brauer  ;) ). Yet, this is where the best land is. From Lake Worth north there is nothing but beautiful rolling terrain for miles. When I drive around and see all the vast, rolling, unused land in the Bonds Ranch area I pinch myself and ask, "Why isn't there a world class golf course or golf resort here?" as there are some truly beautiful vistas. Regretably, much of the surrounding land near there has been purchased for residential development, which only exacerbates the accessibilty issue even further.

Granted, there's PGA Frisco, which is outstanding, but it's a drive to get to and expensive to play. There's Kelly Ranch being built 20 miles Southwest of Fort Worth and Tiger's supposedly building a private course west of Fort Worth, but the best land in the area is devoid of anything remotely resembling a golf course and that's where majority of residential growth in the area is occurring. I don't get it?

I'm hoping a developer like Mike Kaiser reads this thread, as there's an abundance of opportunity in the North Fort Worth area for some amazing courses, but for some reason it's being bypassed for course development in other parts of the city with less good land, in addition to more remote, less populated areas in the state of TX.

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