Golf News
Splendid golf course will not be built at Kelly Ranch development in Fort Worth
Escalante's Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
A grand new golf course plotted for Fort Worth. Called Kelly Ranch Golf Club, it's the latest project from Fort Worth-based Escalante Golf, which owns and operates golf courses and private clubs.
UPDATE 1-19-2024: Escalante Golf has officially parted ways with the Kelly Ranch development project. According to a release, despite extensive negotiations, Escalante Golf and the project's developer, Ryan Voorhees, were unable to reach a mutually beneficial deal structure. In a statement, David McDonald, President of Escalante Golf said, "Kelly Ranch is an amazing piece of property, and we are disappointed that we won’t be able to contribute to its development in bringing a best-in-class golf and residential product to the Parker County and Fort Worth communities. While we were unable to find common ground on the project's direction, we wish Ryan Voorhees and his team every success in realizing the vision for Kelly Ranch."
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Kelly Ranch Golf Club will be located in the heart of the 2,400-acre master-planned community known as Kelly Ranch, currently being developed by Ryan Voorhees of Kelly Ranch Estates LLC.
Located on 240 acres southwest of downtown Fort Worth at US-377 and Kelly Road, the $100 million facility is anticipated to be Escalante's most noteworthy course to date.
According to a release, it'll open in spring 2025.
Designed by renowned golf course architect Tripp Davis, Kelly Ranch Golf Club will feature a playable 18-hole championship course staggered throughout rugged rolling hills with 200-foot elevation changes, reminiscent of the Texas Hill Country.
Framed by unique stands of Live Oaks and indigenous Cedar Elm trees, and playing over and around creeks running through the naturalized terrain, the course will preserve the land’s existing wildlife, water, and environment.
Davis was a member of the 1989 National Championship Golf Team and an NCAA All-American selection while at the University of Oklahoma who earned a master’s in Landscape Architecture from The University of Oklahoma and is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. His portfolio includes designing the Old American Golf Club in Dallas and redesigning Preston Trail Golf Club in Dallas.
His design at Kelly Ranch will employ his signature scalloped-edge bunker design, integrating with the existing topography and leveraging varying wind conditions. It will require precision and power from low-handicap players, while remaining fun and approachable for mid-to-high-handicap players.
Some numbers:
- 7,600-yard course
- greens will average 6,000 square feet
- golfers have the option to play from five sets of tees and combo tees
TifEagle Bermuda grass has been selected for the greens' surfaces, while the balance of the course will be sand-capped and grassed wall-to-wall with Stadium Zoysia.
Also included in the project scope is a 26-acre state-of-the-art golf practice facility featuring a 400-yard driving range, a short game area with practice bunkers and chipping & putting greens, and a short course.
There'll also be a golf clubhouse, complete with a golf shop, restaurant, bar, and outdoor terrace with elevated views of the course and surrounding terrain.
“Kelly Ranch Golf Club’s key differentiator is that it is being designed for the golf purist; it will be a golf-only environment free of distractions often found at traditional country clubs,” says Escalante Golf EVP of Clubs & Resorts Jeff Kindred in a statement. “When at the golf clubhouse, members will never hear noise from a pickleball court, tennis court, swimming pool, or a social event. Kelly Ranch Golf Club will truly be an oasis of sorts, offering golfers challenging play in a serene and natural awe-inspiring setting unlike any other club in the region.”
A limited number of Founder Memberships for Kelly Ranch Golf Club have been released. Two other membership types will be available: Resident Golf Memberships and Invitational Golf Memberships. For information, visit kellyranchgolfclub.com/membership.
With 1.5 miles of frontage along U.S. Highway 377, the Kelly Ranch development includes:
- A new elementary school, zoned within the acclaimed Aledo Independent School District
- 2,500 new custom homes priced from the mid $700,000s to $10 million+, which will be built across three distinctive luxury gated residential communities – Rio Vista, La Dorada, and Kelly Ranch
- The Shops at Kelly Ranch, a planned 65-acre high-end shopping and dining destination
- A 50-acre commercial development housing class-A office space and first-class medical and healthcare facilities
- An athletics & wellness club, also being developed by Escalante Golf with high-performance fitness, aquatics, and court sports offerings
“Our vision for Kelly Ranch Golf Club is to redefine the golf market in North Texas and create a course that exudes excellence, thoughtful design, and unparalleled scenery,” said David McDonald, partner and president of Escalante Golf. “There will be no other private golf club in the DFW region that can match the challenge and natural beauty of Kelly Ranch. It is truly in a league of its own, and will not only be the crown jewel in our property portfolio, but the crown jewel of Texas golf.”
Founded in 1991, Escalante Golf's portfolio encompasses 22 golf courses and clubs throughout 13 states, including The International in Massachusetts, the Golf Club of Houston, Sonoma Golf Club in California, Kingsley Club in Michigan, Kingsmill Resort in Virginia, Pursell Farms in Alabama, and The Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Arizona.
