Starting your week with what's really important — News and Views on the world of golf from a Canadian.
Season 6 of Monday Morning Golf |
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For those of us not living in year-round golf climates, the clock has sprung forward, the sun actually has a slight warming effect, and we can imagine a not-so-distant future where we are teeing it up. The time is near.
For the pros, it's Players Championship week. The PGA Tour's flagship event and one they are trying harder than ever -- and that's saying something -- to convince you is major. Maybe not quite A MAJOR but if you watch the commercials you better believe it's MAJOR.
In the tour's defense, after covering the event for more than a decade (follow my on-site coverage this week), it certainly has all the trappings of a major championship: An excruciating test, a familiar venue, all the game's biggest stars (minus Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau of course), a rich history, and plenty to be gained for the winner.
One thing I can confirm after talking to players at TPC Sawgrass over the years is that they undoubtedly treat this week like a major championship.
Before we get to Ponte Vedra though, I recently visited the new home of the PGA of America, Omni PGA Frisco.
Enjoy... |
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A visit to PGA of America HQ in Frisco, Texas |
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It was 9 p.m. when we walked off The Swing, a fully-lit short course at Omni PGA Frisco, but aside from the stars you'd think it was mid-afternoon with golfers still strolling to the first tee.
Nearby at the massive two-acre putting course known as The Dance Floor, die-hards removed leather covers and compared $500 flat sticks, while business at the $5 putter rental was brisk as non-golfing friends and family happily joined the stress-free fun of after-dinner putting contests.
Did I mention this was a Wednesday night?
There are plenty of things that stand out about a golf trip to one of America's newer premier golf destinations, but the fact Omni PGA Frisco doesn't turn into a ghost town at 9 p.m. is certainly worth mentioning.
The golf world is full of great spots that fill you with wonder while the sun is up, only to leave you with little more than a row of empty Yuengling bottles and dreams of a morning tee time once night sets in.
The new home of the PGA of America impressively ticks all the boxes for golfers looking for a modern destination, to the point that it seems like they've taken best practices of top golf spots and combined them into one resort.
At the heart of any great resort is the golf, and PGA Frisco's Field Ranch courses offer something for all players. Aside from all the non-traditional fun, there are two 18-hole courses onsite with the major championship Fields Ranch East capable of testing the world's best players and Field Ranch West to remind you what making a birdie feels like.
But more on that in a moment. |
How's this for a practice green? Meet the Dance Floor at Omni PGA Frisco. |
The Swing short course is fully-lit for night golf and great post-round fun. |
Located a little more than half-an-hour north of Dallas, Frisco is a fast-growing suburb where you will find the headquarters of both the PGA of America and the Dallas Cowboys. Omni PGA Frisco opened to the public in 2023, the same year it hosted the Senior PGA Championship.
Any recent golf traveler has seen the growing trend of golf-adjacent activities at popular destinations. Maybe a resort adds a top-tracer range, or indoor hitting bays, or a putting course, or a short course, or some simulators.
Or maybe a new destination like PGA Frisco just builds all of these from the beginning and drops it on a somewhat unexpecting golf world.
This isn't to say the resort came out of nowhere, Construction began in 2020 and word of the resort had been trickling through the golf community for years before that. But for buddy trip enthusiasts who have hit many of the top venues and are looking to come up with the next incredible landing spot, this Texas gem still flies under the radar.
That likely won't be the case for very long with resort set to host the 2027 PGA Championship, the 2029 Senior PGA Championship, and the 2031 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. But for now, Omni PGA Frisco is still very much a spot you can raise some eyebrows with among your golf pals upon your return.
In total, the resort has two 18-hole courses, one 10-hole fully-lit short course, one of the largest real-grass putting courses in the world, 13 restaurants, plenty of shops and 500-room hotel with plenty of conference space if you're planning on making it a working golf trip.
Of course, it wouldn't be Texas if you didn't have opportunity for some barbecue. The first night of our trip we dined outside at the Ice House where platters of perfectly smoked meats and heaping sides left little room for plates or elbows on the picnic tables. If you can still move after eating, inside the Ice House are six indoor hitting bays where you launch balls onto the Fields Ranch outdoor practice facility with Toptracer technology showing off your ball flight.
If you're looking for a steakhouse, Trick Rider restaurant lives up to the Everything is Bigger in Texas motto with both its offerings and its ambience, which include massive Tomahawk steaks, a hand-cut crystal horse chandelier and horseshoe-shaped bar. |
As for the centerpiece of PGA Frisco, you better bring your A-game to the championship Fields Ranch East as it's been designed by Gil Hanse to offer a stern test every day, and a diabolical test when the Texas wind is blowing. With championship tees that stretch to nearly 8,000 yards, the starter kindly told us to enjoy our day and expect to shoot five shots above our handicap.
For all its challenges, if you play the correct tees for your skill level, the East course is great fun. There is almost nowhere to lose golf balls off the tee, which removes the constant digging into your bag that's been known to derail the fun of a round. The greens are small and the course is big, but challenging yourself is what this game is about. Fields Ranch East is walking-only except for medical exceptions and requires a caddy, who will come in handy all day as you navigate the exposed Texas terrain.
Over at Fields Ranch West, there is plenty more reward to go with your risk and plenty more square footage of greens to aim for. The West course works its way along Frisco's Panther Creek, and with more than 75-feet of elevation changes it is more protected from the wind. The birdie opportunities that the Beau Welling designed West course presents pair quite nicely with its menacing big brother East course.
With major championships already scheduled and potential Ryder Cups being teased, there is a feeling when visiting that you are getting a sneak preview of future moments in sports history.
One interesting thing about Omni PGA Frisco resort is that its success as a destination wasn't a simple two-foot putt. Yes, it had the backing and strength of the PGA of America, but it's not on the ocean or in the mountains. Nor is it links land (although the windswept land demands a few of the same shots), and it didn't have a historic name to lean on. This resort was built from the ground up with a big vision that had to be imagined from a blank canvas.
Impressively, the result is more than a collection of the latest golf trends. There is a sense of place and great energy at this somewhat unlikely venue. For all its future plans, Omni PGA Frisco already works as an incredibly well-thought out and beautifully executed resort for the modern golfer. |
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A few iPhone pics along the way... |
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