Richardson’s Canyon Creek Country Club held a grand re-opening for its club members and the media at the end of last week.
The event allowed members to see the changes made to the venue and adjustments implemented on the course before the club commences on a second phase of remodeling on its interior.
“Once we complete the transformation, Canyon Creek Country Club will rank among our finest clubs in the Invited Clubs portfolio,” David Pillsbury, CEO of Invited, which operates Canyon Creek, said in a press release. “Our Members now can enjoy a modern, fun, playable but challenging golf experience with enhancements throughout the course. … The transformation won’t stop at the course as the entire property and experience will be elevated. We aim to elevate every aspect of the Member experience and create a premier, family-first Club marked by unparalleled service and a full range of first-class amenities.”
The primary draw of the exterior renovations is the extended golf course, which has changed from a Par-70 to a Par-72. The club also upgraded the surface of the course to TifTuf Bermuda Grass, redesigned its greens and bunkers, changed some hole locations, and updated its irrigation system to limit water use.
“We’ve lengthened the course quite a bit to just over 7,000 yards,” Canyon Creek’s Head Golf Professional Heather Stewart told The Dallas Express. “We’ve changed up the grass from being a 419 Bermuda to TifTuf on the tee decks and fairways and to champion Bermuda on the greens, which is a more drought-resistant, Bermuda-type grass. [In the] Long run, that will help us down the road with water when we’re in a drought condition, so we won’t have as big a footprint in using water.”
The club also changed its 18th hole from a Par-4 to a more challenging Par-5 allowing members to see the creek from the course, and extended the driving range for a more enhanced experience.
“We’re excited for those changes,” Stewart said. “We lengthened the driving range for the membership and added a short game area. It was there [before], but much smaller. … We pushed the 18th Green into where it used to be our old nursery, which members never saw because it was covered. … Nothing to do with playability but just to make the course more picturesque that we’re opening up the creek now, taking a lot of the kind of scrubby trees out to really enhance the view as people are playing the golf course.”
The club has decided to honor the roots of the City of Richardson by implementing a railroad theme to the course, an ode to city founder A.S. Richardson, who was the secretary of the Houston and Texas Central Railway. The new decor includes a “BoxCar” concession stand at the turn for golfers and members to grab a quick bite.
The club has also added 10 new courts for pickleball and other racquet sports, similar to Invited’s renovations at Farmers Branch’s Brookhaven Country Club, and renovated its pool area for a more “resort-style” look and experience.
“We went and put in a new travertine flooring decking for the pools,” General Manager Lisa Neel told The Dallas Express. “We upgraded the bar with new stonework and all new furniture — resort-style furniture and cabanas. We’ve added refrigerators, we’ve added TVs, and we’ve added phone chargers, and new furniture in all the cabanas as well. … We went in and did all new tiling in the restrooms on the floors around the walls, and then we went in and made a very colorful splash pad that’s got all kinds of bright colors all over it for the kids.”
The next phase of the club’s renovations will involve changes to the interior of its clubhouse, including new bar and dining areas, a new fitness club, a kids club, and a refurbished pro shop.
“This reinvention plan is the most in-depth of its kind in our Club’s history,” Neel said in a press release. “We encourage families, Members, and prospects alike to join this exciting journey with us…With roots in the Richardson community stretching back to 1963, we have a rich and proud history. But, in many ways, we are just getting started. We are thrilled for what this next chapter has in store for everyone who calls our club home, whether you’ve just moved to the area or are a long-time member of the family.”
The project is expected to be finished by Summer 2024.