Constructed west of Fort Worth, on property donated to the General Dynamics Recreation Association by Marvin Leonard of Colonial Country Club and Shady Oaks fame, Squaw Creek Golf Course was designed by Ralph Plummer, a former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
It served the GDRA and later the Lockheed Martin Recreation Association for 45 years when the Corporate Employees Recreation Association took the reins. With the sale of a 20-acre tract by the LMRA to a development group, the decision was made to invest $2.75 million into freshening up the course.
John Colligan, ASGCA, and Trey Kemp were selected to bring Squaw Creek back to its original luster. “I was introduced to Squaw Creek in 1983 by a neighbor and played there at least once a week for many years” Colligan said. “Mr. Plummer did a great job routing the course on a unique piece of property and it is truly an honor to have the opportunity to breathe new life into this great layout.”
The course was routed along Squaw Creek and around a 14-acre lake constructed by the Soil Conservation Department. The property is rolling with over 60 feet of vertical change and there are many acres of Live Oak, Elm and Pecan, all of which Plummer used to his fullest advantage.
Presented with all of the assets the property had to offer and the great layout, Colligan and Kemp found little reason to alter the overall routing. Instead, they addressed how technology has altered the course.
All the tees on the course were renovated to increase length of the course where possible and also their size with the increased number of rounds over the years. More forward tees were added for ladies, seniors and beginners to make the course more enjoyable for every level of play.
The fairways were designed to hold shots and for improved drainage. The common Bermudagrass will be converted to 419 and the new irrigation system has been designed to make more efficient use of water.
Greens and their surrounds have been completely redesigned and reshaped to be traditional in appearance and more user friendly for the higher handicap player while presenting more of a challenge to the better player. Green sizes have increased to handle more play and are being constructed to the standard United States Golf Association profile. The putting surfaces have mellow contouring and are being sprigged with MiniVerde Bermudagrass. The traditional style bunkers on the course have been designed to improve the strategy of the layout, improve the aesthetics, and are constructed to the highest standard with Better Billy Bunker liner and Premier White bunker sand for better playability and easier maintenance.
The new course is complemented by the 14-acre driving range and state of the art short game practice facility which was designed by Colligan Golf Design and opened in 2015. This practice facility has been the catalyst for a new First Tee program for those counties west of Fort Worth.
