Author: Mark De Grasse

The future of golf is teeing it up right now, and the numbers are extraordinary. Junior golf participation in the United States has surged 58% since 2019 — the largest gain of any age group in the sport. Close to 4 million kids ages 6 through 17 played golf on a course in 2025, the most since 2004. The game hasn’t been this young in over two decades.

The Surge in Numbers

The National Golf Foundation’s data tells a compelling story. Junior participation growth has been sustained over several years — not a pandemic blip. Programs that removed financial and access barriers have been central to this success: Youth on Course offers $5 green fees at over 1,500 courses nationwide; First Tee combines golf instruction with life skills education; and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf has been particularly effective at bringing girls into the game for the first time.

Girls Are Leading the Way

Today, 35% of junior golfers are girls — up from just 15% in 2000. That’s a generational transformation. The golf culture these young women are growing up in is more inclusive and welcoming than the one their parents experienced. It also means the future adult golfer population will be more diverse — a long-term positive for the sport’s health and sustainability.

Junior Golf in Texas

Texas is one of the premier states for junior golf development. The Texas Golf Association runs an extensive junior program with events statewide. First Tee has chapters in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin — giving kids in every major metro access to the game regardless of economic background. U.S. Kids Golf runs Texas Opens drawing hundreds of young players annually. The infrastructure is world-class, and participation is following.

What Texas Golfers Can Do

Take a junior to the course. Volunteer at a First Tee chapter. Advocate for affordable junior green fees at your home facility. The kids who pick up a club today are the playing partners, club members, and golf consumers of 2035 and beyond. Investing in junior golf now pays dividends for the entire Texas golf ecosystem for decades to come.

When Tiger Woods designs a golf course, people pay attention. And when he sets it on 900-plus acres along Bear Creek in the Fort Worth area, Texas golf fans have every reason to be excited. Bluejack Ranch — a TGR Design project expected to open in spring 2026 — is one of the most ambitious golf developments in the state.

What Is Bluejack Ranch?

Bluejack Ranch is far more than a golf course. The property includes a working dude ranch, a lighted short course, and a television production studio — all wrapped around a championship layout bearing the fingerprints of Tiger Woods’ design philosophy. TGR Design courses are known for generous fairways followed by demanding approaches into creative green complexes that punish anything less than precision.

Tiger’s Design Philosophy

Woods has been clear about what he wants in a design: courses that reward aggressive play while creating meaningful risk-reward decisions for every level of golfer. TGR Design courses feature multiple tee options, varied approach angles, and greens that offer legitimate birdie chances alongside serious bogey threats. Bluejack Ranch should deliver all of that on a dramatic Bear Creek canvas.

The Fort Worth Golf Legacy

Fort Worth is already home to Colonial Country Club, one of the most storied venues in American golf. Adding a Tiger Woods-designed layout to the DFW ecosystem is significant. Between Colonial’s history, TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, and Bluejack Ranch, the Metroplex is assembling a golf collection that rivals any region in the country.

Why It Matters for Texas Golf

Texas has produced more PGA Tour winners than almost any other state. Ben Hogan grew up here. Byron Nelson set records here. Scottie Scheffler honed his game here. A Tiger Woods course near Fort Worth adds another chapter to that legacy and gives the next generation of Texas golfers a world-class venue to aspire to play.

Austin’s golf scene is booming, and 2026 is adding one more impressive name to the list. Travis Club, a new private course designed by Beau Welling, is expected to debut west of Austin in mid-2026.

Who Is Beau Welling?

Welling got his start under Tiger Woods’ TGR Design team before going out on his own, building a portfolio of strategic courses that consistently earn recognition from the architectural community. His recent Texas work includes Halbert National Golf Course along the Brazos River near Fort Worth — a stunning Fazio-adjacent project — and his renovation philosophy at Stowe Country Club showed a willingness to make bold changes that improve playability.

The Austin Golf Boom

Austin has seen one of the most dramatic demographic expansions of any American city in the past decade. The influx of tech professionals, finance executives, and entrepreneurs — many of them avid golfers — has driven demand for premium private club experiences. The area west of Austin features rolling Hill Country terrain, cedar and live oak, and dramatic elevation changes. When an architect works with this land rather than against it, results tend to be exceptional.

What to Expect

Travis Club will be a private membership club. Expect a design that rewards course management over raw power — Hill Country golf means uneven lies, strategic bunkering, and greens that demand local knowledge. If you’re in the Austin market evaluating private clubs, Travis Club belongs on your radar now before membership fills.

Central Texas Golf Is Having a Moment

Between Travis Club, the continued excellence of Barton Creek Resort, and the growth of golf participation across Central Texas, the region is becoming one of the most interesting golf markets in the country. Austin’s terrain, mild winters, and passionate golfer base create ideal conditions for exceptional courses. The private club landscape has historically lagged behind demand — that’s changing in 2026, and Travis Club is leading the way.

Texas is about to have one of the most talked-about golf courses in America — and it’s not at a private club in Dallas or a resort in the Hill Country. It’s 2,400 secluded acres in Mt. Enterprise, a small East Texas town that most golfers couldn’t find on a map. Wild Spring Dunes is coming, and the golf world is paying attention.

Who’s Behind It

Wild Spring Dunes is Tom Doak’s latest design, built in collaboration with the Keiser family — the visionaries behind Bandon Dunes in Oregon and Sand Valley in Wisconsin, two of the most celebrated golf destinations in the country. If you know those names, you understand the standard being set. The Keisers build destination golf courses for people who take the game seriously, and they don’t cut corners.

Doak, widely considered one of the finest course architects working today, brings a minimalist philosophy to his designs: work with the land, not against it. His best courses — including Pacific Dunes at Bandon and Ballyneal in Colorado — feel like they’ve existed forever, as if the game was invented specifically for that piece of ground. By all early accounts, Wild Spring Dunes is shaping up to be his Texas masterpiece.

The Land: What Makes It Special

Mt. Enterprise sits in the Pineywoods region of East Texas, a landscape characterized by rolling terrain, native pine forests, sandy soils, and a topography that feels nothing like the flat prairie most outsiders associate with the state. The 2,400 acres that comprise Wild Spring Dunes reportedly evoke elements of Pinehurst’s wiregrass and pine-needle setting and Pine Valley’s rugged isolation — two of the most revered golf environments on earth.

Sandy soil is golf architect gold. It drains quickly, firms up beautifully, and allows for the kind of ground game that links-style courses are known for. When Doak gets sandy soil to work with in a secluded setting, the results tend to be extraordinary. Early preview rounds have described Wild Spring Dunes in exactly those terms.

The Timeline

Founder preview play began in early 2026, with a grand opening scheduled for fall 2026. The course will eventually be joined by a second championship course designed by the legendary duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw — two more architects whose work consistently lands on best-courses lists. When both courses are open, Wild Spring Dunes will rival any golf destination in the country.

The property will operate as a lodging-and-golf destination in the Bandon/Sand Valley mold, meaning guests stay on-site and play multiple rounds across multiple courses. It’s built for the serious golfer who wants to immerse themselves in the game for a few days, away from everything else.

What It Means for Texas Golf

Texas has always had great golf. It has elite private clubs, strong municipal facilities, and a Tour presence that few states can match. What it has lacked — until now — is a true destination golf resort with the caliber of Bandon Dunes. Wild Spring Dunes fills that gap in a way that should put Mt. Enterprise on every serious golfer’s map.

The course sits roughly two hours from both Dallas and Houston, making it accessible for a long weekend trip from either metro without requiring a flight. That’s a significant advantage for Texas golfers who’ve had to travel to Oregon, Wisconsin, or Scotland to experience this caliber of design. It’s now going to be in their backyard.

Get On the Radar Now

Wild Spring Dunes is expected to be heavily subscribed when it opens to the public. If you’re a serious golfer in Texas, get on their contact list now at wildspringdunes.com. Grand opening tee times will go fast, and this is the kind of course people will be talking about for decades.

Texas golf just got a lot more interesting. Wild Spring Dunes is coming, and it’s going to be something worth waiting for.

Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer in the world. He’s also, inexplicably, winless in majors through the first half of 2026 — and the reason why is becoming one of the most compelling storylines in the sport. For Texas golf fans who have been watching the Fort Worth native dominate the Tour all season, the question keeps coming up: when does Scheffler finally close one out on a Sunday?

Runner-Up Four Times in Five Starts

Let that sink in. Over his last five events, Scottie Scheffler has finished runner-up in four of them — including The Masters and the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink. His ball-striking is as elite as anyone who has ever played this game. His course management is exceptional. His mental game is largely bulletproof. And yet the putter keeps costing him majors.

At the PGA Championship, Scheffler was in the thick of it through 36 holes — he even shared the first-round lead. Then came Friday, when he finished 124th of 156 players in strokes gained: putting, losing a stroke and a half to the field in a single round. Saturday was worse. By the time Aaron Rai was lifting the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday, Scheffler was watching from a distance, another near-miss added to the 2026 ledger.

The Pattern Is Familiar

This isn’t a new story. At last year’s U.S. Open, Scheffler’s putting faltered in the same way — elite ball-striking undermined by inconsistency on the greens, a T-7 finish that felt like a missed opportunity. The 2026 major season has simply reprised that theme on a bigger stage, multiple times.

Here’s the thing: when Scheffler’s putter is even average, he’s unbeatable. He leads almost every Tour metric that matters — strokes gained: approach, GIR percentage, scrambling. At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, he actually ranked eighth in putting and still nearly won the tournament. That version of Scheffler — the one where the flat stick cooperates — is the scariest player alive.

The Texas Connection

Scheffler grew up in the Dallas area, played college golf at the University of Texas, and still calls Texas home. For the Texas golf community, watching him compete at this level — and watching him come so close, so consistently — has been equal parts exhilarating and agonizing.

He’s not just a world No. 1 who happens to live in Texas. He’s a product of Texas golf — the junior programs, the university system, the competitive culture that this state breeds into every kid who picks up a club. His success at the Tour level reflects well on all of it, even when the majors slip away.

Is the Major Still Coming?

Almost certainly yes. Scheffler is 29 years old. He won the Masters in 2022 and 2024. He’s played in every major since turning pro and has contended in the majority of them. The putting woes are real, but they’re also the kind of thing that top players work on obsessively — and Scheffler is not the type to accept a weakness and move on.

There’s also this: runner-up finishes at majors aren’t just near-misses. They’re validation. They say you belong, you can compete, you do the important things right. Scheffler finishes second because he gets himself in position to win, which is the hardest part. The closing part will come.

What to Watch at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship

The 2026 calendar still has two more majors remaining — the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. If Scheffler arrives at either venue with a putter that’s cooperating even at a Tour-average level, history suggests he will be the most dangerous player in the field. Watch his strokes gained: putting in the first round. If that number is positive, it might be his week.

Texas golf is watching. And when Scheffler does finally win his next major, the celebration in this state is going to be something special.

If you watched the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch and felt like you were witnessing something historic — you were. Wyndham Clark shot a final-round 60 to win his first PGA Tour title since 2024, outlasting Scottie Scheffler and S.W. Kim in a week that featured not one but two rounds in the 60s from players in contention. This was Texas tournament golf at its most electric.

Clark’s 60: A Round for the Record Books

Final-round 60s to win a PGA Tour event don’t happen often. Wyndham Clark did it at TPC Craig Ranch, firing a bogey-free round with a string of birdies that methodically dismantled one of the most demanding setups on Tour. Clark’s game was dialed in from the jump — he was hitting approaches to tap-in range on the front nine, and his putter never wavered on the back.

The 60 matched some of the lowest rounds ever recorded in Tour history under Sunday pressure, and it came against a field that included the world’s top-ranked player. That context matters. This wasn’t a runaway on a soft setup — Clark went low when it counted most.

S.W. Kim’s Round-2 Masterpiece

Clark wasn’t even the only player to shoot 60 during the week. S.W. Kim fired an 11-under 60 in the second round, putting up one of the most impressive scoring performances of the season. Two 60s in four days at the same event is nearly unprecedented, and it speaks to both the quality of the field and the conditions at TPC Craig Ranch when things set up just right.

Kim’s round kept him in the conversation heading into the weekend, and he finished as one of the co-runners-up along with Scottie Scheffler — cementing this tournament as one of the most competitive events of the 2026 season.

TPC Craig Ranch: A Texas Track Worth Playing

TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas has quickly established itself as one of the premier public golf experiences in the DFW Metroplex. The Keith Foster-designed course opened in 2004 and became the permanent home of the Byron Nelson in 2021, giving the tournament a modern, purpose-built venue that photographs beautifully and plays even better.

The course features generous fairways that reward aggressive play off the tee, but the approach windows are tighter than they look, and the green complexes are nuanced enough to make putting feel like chess. For average golfers, Craig Ranch is challenging but fair — and the facility amenities are top-notch, from the practice range to the pro shop.

If you live in DFW and haven’t played Craig Ranch yet, put it on your list. Playing a Tour venue is always a special experience, and Craig Ranch gives you that in spades. Tee times are available year-round through TPC’s booking platform.

Scheffler’s Near-Miss: Still the Man to Beat

Scottie Scheffler’s near-win at the Byron Nelson added another chapter to his 2026 narrative. The world No. 1 and Texas native has been runner-up multiple times this season, including at The Masters, and his consistency in contention is remarkable — even when he doesn’t lift the trophy. Scheffler played beautifully at Craig Ranch, but Clark simply played better on Sunday.

For Texas golf fans rooting for the Fort Worth native, it’s only a matter of time before Scheffler converts. His game is elite. The wins will come.

Why the Byron Nelson Matters for Texas Golf

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson is named after one of the greatest players in golf history — a Texan who set records that still stand today. Byron Nelson’s 1945 season (18 wins, 11 of them consecutive) remains the most dominant single-season performance in Tour history. The tournament bearing his name carries that legacy into every May, honoring Texas golf’s past while showcasing its future.

Wyndham Clark’s 2026 victory — a 60 to win in Texas — is exactly the kind of moment Nelson would have appreciated. Bold, precise, and executed under pressure. That’s Texas golf at its finest.

Every year, the PGA Tour comes home to Texas. And every year, Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth delivers one of the most beloved weeks on the schedule. The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge is no exception — a stacked field, a classic course, and a $9.9 million purse that has the world’s best players sharpening their games right here in the Lone Star State.

Colonial: Where Legends Are Made

Colonial Country Club isn’t just another Tour stop. It’s a living museum of golf history, a par-70 layout that has hosted the Charles Schwab Challenge (and its predecessors) continuously since 1946 — making it one of the longest-running PGA Tour events at the same venue in history. Ben Hogan called it home. Lee Trevino won here. More recently, Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler have contended, keeping Colonial relevant in the modern era.

The course measures just over 7,200 yards but plays deceptively difficult. The tree-lined fairways demand accuracy off the tee, and the small, undulating greens punish anything but precise approach shots. Wind off the Trinity River can make what looks like a straightforward approach feel like threading a needle.

The 2026 Field: Ludvig Åberg Leads the Way

The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge tees off May 28–31 with 132 players competing for the title. Ludvig Åberg entered the week as the betting favorite, and for good reason. The young Swede has been one of the best ball-strikers on Tour this season, and his calm, methodical game suits Colonial’s demand for precision over power.

The field also includes a mix of veterans and rising stars hungry for a title at one of Texas’s most iconic venues. For DFW-area golf fans, this is your must-attend event of the year. Colonial opens its gates to the public throughout the week, and the atmosphere — from the azaleas lining the fairways to the legendary Hogan’s Alley — is unlike anything else in Texas golf.

Why Hogan’s Alley Still Matters

Holes 3 through 5 at Colonial — known as “Hogan’s Alley” — remain the defining stretch of the golf course. The tight, tree-lined par-4 third, the demanding par-3 fourth, and the long par-4 fifth have separated contenders from pretenders for eight decades. Playing these holes under Sunday pressure is a different experience entirely, and it’s where Schwab Challenge titles are won and lost.

Modern players have occasionally questioned whether classic courses like Colonial are still relevant in an era of 350-yard drives. Colonial’s designers had an answer before anyone was asking the question: accuracy beats distance here, every time. The scoring average at Colonial historically runs higher than many modern Tour venues, even with advances in equipment.

Tips for Attending the Charles Schwab Challenge

If you’re heading out to Colonial this week, here’s what to know. Parking fills up fast near the course — arrive early or take advantage of remote parking and shuttles. The best free vantage point on the course is the hill behind the 18th green, where you can watch approach shots, chip-ins, and the Sunday celebrations. Bring sunscreen; Fort Worth in late May is no joke.

Weekly badges and daily tickets are available through the tournament’s official site. If you’re a serious golfer living in DFW, this event is worth at least one day of your time every year. Watching Tour pros navigate Colonial up close is a masterclass in course management, and the lessons translate directly to your own game.

The Bigger Picture for Texas Golf

The Charles Schwab Challenge is more than a tournament — it’s proof that Texas golf has always been at the center of the game’s story. Colonial’s legacy, Fort Worth’s passion for the sport, and the quality of the field that shows up every May all point to the same conclusion: this state doesn’t just host great golf, it defines it.

Whether Åberg locks it down or a dark horse emerges from the pack, the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge promises another unforgettable week at one of the most storied venues in the sport. Texas golf fans, this one’s for you.

J.J. Spaun had a statement to make at TPC San Antonio, and he delivered it in the most Texas way possible — with an eagle, a clutch birdie, and a final-round 67 that left the field watching from behind.

Spaun claimed the 2026 Valero Texas Open by one shot, his first PGA Tour victory since capturing the U.S. Open title last summer. It was a performance that silenced any doubters who wondered whether the defending U.S. Open champion had what it takes to win again on Tour — and he did it in his home state.

How Spaun Won It

Heading into Sunday at TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course, Spaun wasn’t the obvious pick. He had struggled with consistency earlier in the 2026 season, missing cuts and battling a game that felt slightly off. But something clicked on Sunday. He made the turn in solid shape and then turned the tournament his way with a booming eagle on the back nine that sent the San Antonio crowd into a frenzy.

A birdie shortly after put clear daylight between him and his challengers. His final-round 5-under 67 was the low score of the day among the contenders, and when the last groups came in, the math was simple: Spaun by one.

“I’ve always loved playing in Texas,” Spaun said after the round. “There’s an energy here that just brings out your best. This one means a lot.”

A Win That Matters for the Masters Pipeline

The Valero Texas Open holds a unique spot on the PGA Tour calendar — it’s the last event before The Masters, and a win here traditionally provides a massive confidence boost heading into Augusta. Spaun, fresh off his U.S. Open victory last year, now heads to Augusta National carrying serious momentum.

It also reinforces what Texas golf fans have long known: San Antonio is a legitimate major championship venue. TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course demands every club in the bag, and the Valero Texas Open consistently produces clean, battle-tested winners.

TPC San Antonio: A Texas Golf Gem

The AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio is one of the finest tournament venues in the state. Designed by Pete Dye and Greg Norman, the course stretches across the Hill Country terrain with dramatic elevation changes, native vegetation, and greens that reward precision over power. Wind plays a factor almost every round, making course management critical — a quality Spaun demonstrated all week.

For Texas golfers who haven’t made the trip to TPC San Antonio, this is your reminder to go. The facility is world-class, the practice amenities are exceptional, and the chance to play where the pros play the week before The Masters? That’s a bucket-list experience right in your backyard.

What’s Next for J.J. Spaun

With this win, Spaun will be one of the more interesting names to watch at Augusta National. His ball-striking has always been elite — he consistently ranks near the top of the Tour in strokes gained: approach — and if his confidence carries over from San Antonio, he could be a genuine threat on a course that rewards precise iron play.

He’s also moved up significantly in the FedEx Cup standings, giving him flexibility in scheduling through the summer. Don’t be surprised if you see Spaun’s name near the top of leaderboards throughout the rest of the 2026 season.

For Texas golf fans, this is a moment to celebrate. The Valero Texas Open continues to deliver compelling golf, memorable moments, and winners who go on to make noise on the biggest stages. J.J. Spaun’s 2026 title is the latest in a long line of great Texas Open champions — and if this week is any indication, he’s just getting started.