Childress, TX Doak & Hanse

[Keith Phillips]

Tom, is the Florida location public info?

[Tom_Doak]

Tom, is the Florida location public info?

Not really.  It is an 18-hole private course in the southeast part of the state, but the client prefers not to try to describe it, and wait until we have some holes shaped before we start showing it to people.  There's been some discussion of it locally if you are around golf down there, but not too much - we prefer to be mysterious.  I'm guessing that will flip by the end of this year.

[John Handley]

What we really need is a Tom Doak designed golf course in the Austin, TX area! 


There are good courses in the Austin area:

Austin CC - Pete Dye
Austin Golf Club - Crenshaw
Barton Creek - Crenshaw/Coore, Fazio, Fazio, Palmer
Spanish Oaks - Bobby Weed
Austin CC - Pete Dye
The Hills - Jack Nicklaus
Cimarron Hills - Nicklaus
Driftwood - Tom Fazio

And there are plans for two more: Loraloma by David McLay Kidd and Travis Club by Beau Welling.

Probably the most exciting one underway is about 45 minutes from Austin airport called Luling being designed by Kyle Franz.


Tom - If you get the chance, we'd love to see you do something here in the heart of Texas!

[Tom_Doak]

What we really need is a Tom Doak designed golf course in the Austin, TX area! 

Tom - If you get the chance, we'd love to see you do something here in the heart of Texas!

Well, that's not going to happen anytime soon.  To sign up for this job I had to agree not to do another new course near Dallas or Austin for a few years, as the client expects to recruit members from those cities.  Normally, I don't sign things like that, but I'm 62 and I'm not going to do a lot more courses, and I've got two to build in Texas as it is. 

[Matt Schoolfield]

There are good courses in the Austin area:

Austin CC - Pete Dye
Austin Golf Club - Crenshaw
Barton Creek - Crenshaw/Coore, Fazio, Fazio, Palmer
Spanish Oaks - Bobby Weed
Austin CC - Pete Dye
The Hills - Jack Nicklaus
Cimarron Hills - Nicklaus
Driftwood - Tom Fazio

As someone who grew up in Austin, I will point out that you've left an important architect off the list:

Riverside GC - Perry Maxwell

The first and second holes have been altered significantly, but most of the scrappy muni still holds quite a pedigree.

[Michael Chadwick]

I figure this deserves a bump, if only for noting my speculative enthusiasm.


As I understand, shots have been struck on Tom's design as it continues growing in, and Gil and the Cavemen have broken ground on the second 18 hole course.


My hunch, from the limited images that have made its way out of the young club, is that Childress Hall is likely the best naturally gifted site in America Tom has had at his disposal since Ballyneal. The terrain seems to combine elements of Prairie Dunes with Ballyneal, with maybe a dash more desert character mixed in as well? One has to think the ceiling at Childress Hall is comparable, which should thrill any architectural enthusiast.   


I think Eric Iverson has done the lion's share of the work. His most recent green I've played is Old Barnwell's par-3 11th. Calling that green pad muscular would be an understatement! It'll be interesting to see how the routing and shaping both reflects, and restrains itself against, the more severe elements of Childress Hall's site.


Significant, too, is that (unless I'm forgetting something) Childress will be the first private facility to feature both Doak and Hanse designs. Kudos to Colin, the ownership, and founding members for not only recognizing the potential of the site, but selecting architects capable of harmonizing with it. I recognize the club is among a more recent group of ones opting against publicity, but I'm quite bullish its two courses will have the potential to catapult themselves among the ranks of some of America's most revered modern designs. Excited to follow along!