Whispering Pines takes No. 1 spot on The Dallas Morning News’ Texas Golf course rankings

Golfers never putt on aerified greens or play around a construction project at Whispering Pines.

Unlike almost every other golf course in Texas, Whispering Pines is closed for two months twice each year, January-February and July-August. That is when maintenance is done so that pristine conditions greet the membership for the eight remaining months.

“We have members that will schedule surgery around our closing months,’’ said Chris Rowe, Whispering Pines’ director of golf. “We tried staying open throughout the year once. But our club has a national membership and nobody is playing golf in Texas in July and August. When you have only one group playing in August and you still have all your staff on property, it doesn’t make sense to be open.’’

Another notable golf club that closes in the summer is Augusta National, which Rowe jokes is known as the “Whispering Pines of Georgia.’’

The formula for Rowe and Whispering Pines, located on Lake Livingston 22 miles northeast of Huntsville in Trinity, is working well. For the fourth consecutive year and for the 15th time in 19 years, Whispering Pines has been voted No. 1 in the state by The Dallas Morning News’ Texas Golf panel.

“It never gets old,’’ said Rowe upon receiving news of the ranking. “I enjoy getting the call. But we continually preach to our staff that we can’t afford to relax because everybody is aiming at us.’’

It took seven years from its 1999 opening for Whispering Pines to gain the top spot for the first time in 2006.

Perennial contender Dallas National Golf Club landed in the No. 2 spot for the fourth year in a row. Since 2006, Dallas National has finished atop the ranking four times (most recently in 2020) and second to Whispering Pines on 14 occasions.

Dallas is well represented with three courses in the top four. Brook Hollow Golf Club, which turns 104 this year, moves up one slot to No. 3 and Preston Trail Golf Club climbed from sixth a year ago to fourth.

River Oaks Country Club in Houston, among the oldest courses in the top 50, was one of the big movers, climbing 13 rungs from last year’s ranking to No. 11. The course opened in 1923 and was originally the handiwork of famed designer Donald Ross.

Heading the list yet again as the state’s top courses open to the public is Black Jack’s Crossing in Lajitas. The Lanny Wadkins’ design along the Rio Grande near the Big Bend ranks No. 13 overall.

What’s new

Four new courses elbowed their way among the top 31 courses statewide.

The Covey at Big Easy Ranch, one of three courses in the top 10 designed by Chet Williams, is this year’s Best New Course landing at No. 10 overall.

Located 9 miles north of Columbus in Colorado County, the property was a popular hunting ground, hence the course’s name. It offers a hunting membership in addition to golf.

Williams has called the property and its dramatic elevations one of the best he’s had a chance to work on.

Highland Pines Golf Club makes its debut at No. 19 in the state. Owner Dennis Wilkerson, who introduced the Tour 18 concept on courses in Flower Mound and Humble in the early 1990s, made Highland Pines the first public course to open in the Houston area in 15 years.

The course in Porter, located north of Houston, is the first in the world to have Lazer Zoysia greens with the goal to produce a feel similar to Northern bentgrass greens.

The two courses at Omni PGA Frisco Resort, Fields Ranch East and West, are ranked third and fourth in first-year courses and among public courses. The East course, designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, debuts at No. 27 in the state, and Beau Welling’s West course is four slots behind at No. 31.

How the ranking is done

Selection of The Dallas Mornings News’ Top 100 was voted on by 80 panel members composed of golf professionals, course architects, superintendents, amateurs and others involved in the golf industry. Many of the amateurs compete in state and national events.

Panel members are asked to consider seven criteria similar to what national publications use: versatility, shot making, design, afterthoughts, beauty, maintenance and enjoyment. Voters can only consider courses they have played, preferably within the last five years.

Courses must receive votes from at least 13% of the panel members to be eligible for Top 100 consideration. This year, the minimum was 10 votes, which are tabulated in a system designed to account for outliers, high and low.

More DMN golf rankings

- Ranking the top 100 golf courses in Texas: Nos. 1-50

- Ranking the top 100 golf courses in Texas: Nos. 51-100

- Whispering Pines takes No. 1 spot on DMN’s Texas Golf course rankings

- The top 50 Texas golf courses open to the public, ranked

- The top 25 nine-hole golf courses in Texas, ranked

Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.