TPC Craig Ranch

TPC Craig Ranch is the only PGA Tour-sanctioned venue in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, hosting the CJ CUP Byron Nelson since 2021. Tom Weiskopf and Phil Smith designed the layout in 2004 on rolling terrain in McKinney, north of Dallas, and a $22 million renovation by Lanny Wadkins brought the course to modern Tour standards. Access is private: members of the Invited (formerly ClubCorp) network and their guests, plus reciprocal privileges. There is no public tee sheet.

Weiskopf's routing takes advantage of natural elevation changes across the McKinney site, moving through corridors of native trees with enough space to accommodate tournament galleries. Fairways are zoysia, a warm-season grass that stays firm through the Texas summer, and greens are bentgrass maintained to Tour speeds. That combination is uncommon in the region. Approach shots hold more predictably on bentgrass, and the zoysia fairways reward a ground game that uses the firmness rather than fighting it.

The Wadkins renovation rebuilt green complexes for more viable pin positions and adjusted bunker placement so the risk-reward calculus on par 5s and driveable par 4s remained relevant as driving distances increased. From the championship tees at 7,445 yards, the course rating of 76.7 and slope of 147 confirm the difficulty.

The par 4s in particular demand attention to tee shot placement. A drive to the correct side of the fairway opens a straightforward approach. A drive to the wrong side leaves a shot that must carry a bunker, avoid water, or navigate a narrow angle to a tucked pin. The Tour pros solve these puzzles at speed; recreationally, they're equally engaging and considerably more forgiving.