PGA Frisco opened in 2022 as the PGA of America's new national campus, and the two Fields Ranch courses immediately reset expectations for Dallas-area public golf. Gil Hanse's Hanse Course and the East Course give the trip two distinct tests on the same progressive property. Old American adds the historical counterpoint 20 minutes away. Two or three days is the right format.
Courses included
The trip experience
Fields Ranch East opened on the PGA of America's new campus in Frisco in 2022, and it immediately established itself as the best public-access course in Texas. Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner designed both Fields Ranch courses on the same property, which means you can walk from the 18th green of one into the pro shop of the other without moving your car. That logistical simplicity is rarer than it should be, and it's part of what makes Dallas work as a multi-day golf trip.
East is the showcase. It plays firm and fast, and the wind off the North Texas plains is a constant presence that turns what appear to be generous fairways into genuinely demanding tee shots. Hanse and Wagner built the course for championship conditions, and you feel it: the greens are complex, the ground game matters, and your ball flight is never irrelevant. This is not a course that forgives a high, soft iron approach.
"It has that new major venue energy: everything is calibrated, the pace is managed, and the surface quality is consistent in a way that older public facilities rarely achieve."
West plays in a slightly different register. Hanse and Wagner leaned into more visual drama in the green complexes and worked in greater short-game variety across the 18. The result is a course that feels slightly more forgiving off the tee but no less demanding around and on the greens. Groups typically disagree about which course is better after playing both, and that disagreement is exactly the right outcome for a two-course complex sharing one campus.
Old American in Little Elm, about 25 minutes north of Frisco, is a Tripp Davis and Justin Leonard design on the shores of Lake Lewisville. It's been the best public course in the Metroplex since it opened in 2011, providing everything Fields Ranch deliberately doesn't: a more intimate scale, water-adjacent routing on multiple holes, and a classic character that doesn't feel like it's performing for television cameras. Rates are among the most reasonable in the area, making it the ideal midweek round when the group's budget consciousness resurfaces.
Tribute Links in The Colony adds pure links homage to the rotation. Neil Haworth modeled specific holes after originals at Troon, Carnoustie, and other Scottish venues, including a replica of the Postage Stamp par-3. It doesn't pretend to be an actual links course, and you shouldn't expect it to be, but it plays as an unapologetically fun departure from the more serious design language of Fields Ranch.
Texas wind is not optional at any of these courses. Fields Ranch is the most demanding in this regard: open, exposed terrain changes club selection on every second hole. Tribute's links-style layout is designed around wind as a design element. Old American's lakeside routing gets afternoon gusts off Lake Lewisville that alter the back nine considerably. Golfers who play a high, soft ball will need to adjust, or accept that their handicap means less here than it does at their home course.
The campus infrastructure at PGA Frisco is calibrated to a championship standard. The practice areas are extensive, the adjacent Omni resort handles groups cleanly, and the food and beverage operation is a significant step above what most public facilities offer. The Metroplex has historically underperformed as a golf trip destination compared to coastal markets, and that gap is now closed. PGA Frisco didn't just add two courses: it gave the region a flagship around which the rest of the itinerary clusters. Before 2022, a Dallas golf trip required a lot of explaining. Now it explains itself.
"Dallas golf is trending in the right direction: more public-access options, better agronomics, and at PGA Frisco, facilities that can finally compete with the state's top private clubs."
Book Fields Ranch East first. It sells out furthest in advance, and it's the course that makes the rest of the itinerary make sense.
Side trips & bonus golf
Texas Star in Euless is the easiest add: a municipal-caliber course with low rates and a convenient location near DFW airport, useful for a final half-day round before a late flight. It is not a destination course on its own, but it solves the problem of a free morning with nowhere to go. The Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington has more design interest than its public-facility price point suggests and works as a fifth or sixth round without adding much in cost or drive time.
Beyond the main itinerary, the broader Metroplex has more public golf than any single trip can cover. Groups who find the PGA Frisco courses too demanding sometimes add a second round at Old American in the same week, since the character difference gives the back half of the trip a different rhythm. Tribute is also worth revisiting if your group finds they enjoy the links-style variety more than expected.
The Metroplex has a serious dining and entertainment infrastructure that rewards at least one off-property evening. Legacy Food Hall in Plano and the Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas proper are both worth a dinner away from the resort; the drive from Frisco takes 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Neither requires advance planning, which suits groups who are still deciding between rounds.
Is this trip right for your group?
- ✓You want to play at least one course built for a major championship that is still publicly accessible
- ✓Your group has four or more players who enjoy modern, strategic design
- ✓You are comfortable with green fees above 50 per person per round at the headline courses
- ✓You want back-to-back rounds on the same campus without logistical overhead
- ✓Wind-influenced golf suits your game, or you are ready to recalibrate
- ✓You are flying into DFW and want a direct shot to the courses without a long drive
- ✓The four-course variety, from championship to links-style to classic lakeside, covers what your group wants in one trip
- ✗You are expecting lush, visually soft conditions: Fields Ranch plays firm and fast by design and intent
- ✗Your group needs a mix of private and public access to satisfy everyone
- ✗You are looking for a course with decades of tournament history rather than a new build
- ✗Budget is a genuine constraint: four rounds at PGA Frisco and lodging at the Omni adds up quickly
- ✗You want ocean or mountain scenery as the backdrop for the golf
When to go
- Temperatures in the 60s and 70s; ideal for 36-hole days without heat concerns
- Fields Ranch and Old American both maintain their best conditioning in spring and fall
- Wind is present and manageable; late April can bring fast-moving storms
- Book 3 months ahead for weekend tee times at Fields Ranch East
- PGA of America events occasionally affect course access in spring; confirm availability before booking
- Temperatures in the 40s and 50s with occasional cold snaps; rarely unplayable
- Rates drop 15-25% at Fields Ranch and more significantly at Old American and Tribute
- Turf goes semi-dormant in January but course conditions are still maintained
- Fewer crowds and more flexible tee time windows across all four courses
- Temperatures regularly exceed 95F; July and August can reach 105F or above
- Morning tee times only; afternoon rounds in peak summer are genuinely uncomfortable after 11 a.m.
- Some rate reduction at all courses, but heat limits playability significantly
- Afternoon thunderstorms are possible in June through August; courses suspend for lightning quickly
What a Dallas trip costs
| Item | Peak | Shoulder | Off-Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee fees (3 rounds: Fields Ranch East, West, Old American) | $450–$675 | $375–$550 | $300–$450 |
| Lodging (2 nights, Omni PGA Frisco or equivalent) | $600–$900 | $475–$700 | $325–$500 |
| Food & drink on property | $150-250 | $120-200 | $100-150 |
| Ground transport (rental car, 3 days) | $150-200 | $150-200 | $120-180 |
| Total (est.) | $1,350–$2,025 | $1,120–$1,650 | $845–$1,280 |
| Item | Peak |
|---|---|
| Tee fees (3 rounds: Fields Ranch East, West, Old American) | $450–$675 |
| Lodging (2 nights, Omni PGA Frisco or equivalent) | $600–$900 |
| Food & drink on property | $150-250 |
| Ground transport (rental car, 3 days) | $150-200 |
| Total (est.) | $1,350–$2,025 |
Per-person estimates for a 4-round, 3-night trip with a group of 4. Excludes flights. All-in: $1,400-1,900 peak, $1,100-1,500 shoulder.
How tee times and lodging actually work
- 1Book Fields Ranch earlyTee times at Fields Ranch East and West open 30 days in advance for the general public; Omni resort guests get access to an earlier booking window.
- 2No-show policyFields Ranch holds a credit card at booking; no-shows are charged the full green fee with no exceptions.
- 3Old American bookingTee times open 7 days in advance online; walk-on availability is possible on weekdays but not guaranteed on weekend mornings.
- 4Tribute Links bookingOpens 7 days in advance; walk-on availability is generally good on weekdays and more limited on weekends.
- 5Pace managementFields Ranch targets a 4-hour round and rangers actively manage pace; groups that fall behind will be asked to catch up.
Common mistakes
- !Booking only one Fields Ranch courseGroups that play only East often wish they had done West too; the campus makes same-day 36 possible and the contrast in design language is worth the extra cost.
- !Skipping Old AmericanThe course predates PGA Frisco by a decade and holds its own against both Fields Ranch courses in terms of quality and interest; leaving it off the itinerary is the most common regret.
- !Underestimating Texas windThe wind changes club selection on every other hole and catches visitors who don't adjust early; bring a lower-lofted driver and commit to punch shots sooner than feels comfortable.
- !Booking afternoon tee times in summer or late MayThe heat does not cooperate for comfortable afternoon golf; morning starts are consistently better from May through September.
- !Not reserving dinner at the Omni in advanceResort restaurants fill on weekend evenings, particularly during events; book dinner when you book tee times.
- !Arriving without a rangefinderBoth Fields Ranch courses have enough visual deception that confirming yardages pays off on approach shots.
What to pack
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Arrive + Fields Ranch EastCheck in at Omni PGA Frisco, afternoon round at Fields Ranch East. Dinner at Legacy Food Hall or on property.
- Day 2Fields Ranch WestFull day at Fields Ranch: morning round at West, practice facilities in the afternoon. Dinner at the resort.
- Day 3Old AmericanDrive 25 minutes north to Little Elm for a morning round at Old American on Lake Lewisville. Afternoon at leisure in Plano or Frisco.
- Day 4Tribute Links + DepartMorning round at Tribute Links in The Colony, checkout, afternoon flight.
Where to stay & eat
Know before you book.
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