4 Best Public Golf Courses in Dallas
Dallas is a great market for golf especially since you can play all year round. It seems like no matter where you live in Dallas, it takes at least 15 minutes to get to anywhere and that includes golf courses. No matter where you live in the city, there are good options in all directions for golfers looking to play at great courses. Below is a list of the best public golf courses in Dallas. To be considered for the list, courses need to be at most 45 minutes from city center since that is our barometer on how far someone would drive on a normal day to play a round of golf.
1) Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club – Keller, TX – 41 minutes from Dallas City Center – As one of the best public golf courses in Dallas, Sky Creek is a great course for players of all skill levels, especially those looking for a challenge. The course is very narrow and the greens usually run pretty fast. This course has hosted many state and regional events including the 2007 Texas State Public Links Championships; the 2008 Gateway Tour; the 2008 Texas Mid-Amateur Qualifier; and the 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2013 U.S. Amateur Qualifiers. Sky Creek is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design focused on environmental sustainability. If you end up playing the course, you will see lakes, streams, and a lot of wildlife adding to the atmosphere. Sky Creek is semi private and has memberships available, but if you are just looking to play for the day, the costs are $89 on weekends and $55 during the week. Learn more about Sky Creek.
2) Texas Star Golf Club – Euless, TX – 27 minutes from Dallas City Center – Texas Star is always a fan favorite when it comes to public golf courses in Dallas. This facility has great greens and is often described by many as looking like a private course. The cost to play this course is reasonable at $57 during the week and $77 on weekends which is inclusive of a cart and range balls. The one word of caution about Texas Star is there are a few funky holes, especially on the back 9 so you may enjoy the facility more the second time you play it. Beyond great golf, this golf course in Dallas is known to have delicious food so feel free to bring your non-golfer friends along. Learn more about Texas Star.
3) Fossil Creek – Fort Worth, TX – 38 minutes from Dallas City Center – Fossil Creek is located in Fort Worth making it an easy commute for any golfers living West of the city center in Dallas. The facility is known for having fantastic greens and has been rated as one of the best public golf courses in Fort Worth. This course has 451 ratings on golf advisor as of May 2020 and the majority of them are 4 or 5 stars. The course is an Arnold Palmer signature design and is managed by Arcis which is one of the best golf management companies in the business. Beyond the course, this facility has fantastic practice areas for those golfers looking to work on their game. Depending on when you play, the course costs between $41-$65 on weekdays and $65-$81 on weekends. Learn more about Fossil Creek.
4) Heritage Ranch – Fairview, TX – 36 minutes from Dallas City Center – Heritage Ranch is known for being one of the friendliest and most accommodating public golf courses in Dallas. Over the last couple of years Heritage has done a lot of work to renovate their bunkers and improve the conditions at the golf course. Heritage Ranch is located in a 55+ community so the players may seem a bit older at the course, but public play is allowed. There are 6 sets of tees which make it fun for golfers of all abilities. Heritage Ranch has an 18-acre practice facility and sells practice memberships or individual buckets of balls. The greens fees at Heritage are $61 for weekdays and $83 on weekends. Learn more about Heritage Ranch.
A couple of bonus courses to add to our list of the best public golf courses in Dallas include Bear Creek Golf Club and The Bridges Golf Club. Bear Creek is an affordable course located 24 minutes from City Center and next to the DFW airport. This is the best course if you need to sneak in a cheap, quick 9 before a flight since the facility has 36 holes. The Bridges Golf Club is a fantastic facility 57 minutes north of the city that is worth the drive. If the weather is bad, check out our list of the best indoor golf facilities in Dallas.