What’s it like playing the sparkling-new golf courses at Omni PGA Frisco Resort in Frisco, Texas? You are about to find out.
Where I played: The all-new PGA Frisco Resort
Courses: Fields Ranch East, Fields Ranch West, The Dancefloor (putting) and The Swing (10-hole short-course)
Course type: Public resort (dynamic depending on package, $277 for East public, $222 for West public)
Difficulty: Like most Texas courses, the first thing you need to ask yourself is, “Is it windy?” My two rounds featured a constant 15-mph wind coming from the south, with gusts reaching 25-30 mph. So the answer to my question was “yes.” It made navigating the consistent undulation throughout the property challenging at times, and the figure-eight-style routing of the Gil Hanse-designed East Course meant a healthy mix of into the wind, crosswind and downwind holes.
On top of that, the East Course features small greens with fast runoffs and tight landing areas. To put it bluntly, there are no-go zones — hit it there and you will struggle. But low scores are possible, especially with the expertise of your provided caddie. Listen to them, and the grain and wind can be used to your advantage with the guidance of an experienced looper. For me, the difficult characteristics of this course led to a fun, challenging round that rewarded good shots and made me work to recover from the bad ones.
The Beau Welling-designed West Course is more of your prototypical resort golf experience with a Texas-sized spin. The undulation is severe — you will almost never have a level shot — but that’s precisely what made it enjoyable. There is plenty of fairway to aim at and the large greens give you a variety of strategic options. Miss the green, and you still have possibilities. A creative wedge player could spend hours around each green trying shots off the sharp slopes and runoffs. There might be blowup holes on your card, but there are also opportunities for balls to hit slopes and roll right up to the hole for a tap in. This is golf’s version of a playground; plenty of fun awaits for every type of golfer.
How to get there: The Omni PGA Frisco Resort is only 30 minutes away from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, making it easily accessible from almost anywhere in the country. Once there, if you do want to go out you’re only 35 minutes away from downtown Dallas.
Fun facts: Fields Ranch East will host a number of upcoming championships highlighted by both the men’s and women’s PGA Championships (and presumably a Ryder Cup). It’s clearly built for the biggest events in golf, but championship golf is just a small part of what makes this resort golf-trip worthy. The resort includes a high-tech PGA Coaching Center, The Swing 10-hole short course, the massive 75,000-square-foot Dancefloor putting course, restaurants and shops. It’s just about anything you’d ever want on a golf trip.
Notable/favorite holes: I loved the par-5 3rd hole. Even downwind it’s a true three-shotter with a tee shot that requires precision for long hitters with bunkers down the left side. The short layup is wide with plenty of landing areas to choose for your approach, but your lie won’t be flat. No chance. The long layup will leave a much easier pitch for your third, but it requires you to clear a cross bunker 100 yards in front of the hole. Just don’t miss long of the green. The downhill chip will have you hoping to keep it within 30 feet of the hole no matter where the pin is. Worse yet, you might even roll all the way off the false front and into a bunker.
While there are several interesting holes on the front of the East Course, come tournament time and most of the talk will revolve around the back, especially Nos. 15-18. The driveable par-4 15th might be the star, where an accurate drive puts eagle in play. A sharp incline with bunkers line the right side, and there are mounds behind the hole that will help you hold the green. Miss those and you’ll be left with a delicate downhill, downwind chip with bad-intentioned bunkers lurking down the slope. Laying up short of the bunkers or on the top ridge to the left side is an option, too, but the narrow green leaves a nervy approach.
I loved: The sharp contrast between the two courses. Both are big ballparks, but they have distinct characteristics that separate them. The championship test of the East Course is challenging no doubt, and some people might think it’s too difficult. But good shots are out there for the taking and they are rewarded with scoring opportunities. Plus, it’s interesting playing where the pros play. (That may be cheesy, but it’s true.)
The West course keeps you engaged throughout the round with a variety of shots. At multiple points I was clubbing up or down by two or three clubs because of the wind and extreme slopes. The green complexes are large and interesting to the point where if you miss one, you almost get excited to plan out a creative chip to play. It’s a course you can have fun playing multiple times during a stay.
I didn’t love: This depends on your feelings about runoff areas. There are a lot of them, and some are very extreme. People might say they make both courses overly difficult, but I think they’re an enjoyable test. The East was made with big events in mind, which makes it a long walk, but you won’t be playing (or even walking) from the tips at 7,800 yards like the pros will.
Parting thoughts: At PGA Frisco, they want to be a home of modern golf and it’s accounted for in every detail. But it’s the perfect destination for your crew, no matter the skill level, and has the lodging, restaurants and amenities to boot. Check it out yourself. And if you can’t get there soon, you’ll see it through your TV screens soon enough.