Monday was the grand opening ceremony for the new multi-million four-story PGA of America National Headquarters in Frisco.
“Welcome to our field of dreams,” PGA CEO Seth Waugh told the crowd of several hundred PGA of America pros, officials, City of Frisco leaders, and employees. “This is a rare project which has turned out better than we ever dreamed it would.”
The new PGA Frisco headquarters is situated 30 miles north of Dallas and about 7 miles north of The Star, the 91-acre development which includes the Cowboys’ headquarters and training facilities.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Cowboys greats Drew Pearson, Tony Dorsett, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, and LPGA Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth were among Monday’s attendees.
Most of Monday’s guests were invited to see the inside of the four-story, predominately glass and limestone building for the first time. The building features indoor hitting bays, a chipping and bunker practice area, and instructional technology.
The new $33.5 million, 106,621-square-foot building sits on a 30-acre practice facility and overlooks the entire PGA Frisco campus, which is slated to open fully next spring.
The entire $550 million, 600-acre campus will bring the first men’s major golf championship to North Texas since the 1963 PGA Championship at Dallas Athletic Club, won by Jack Nicklaus.
The PGA is already selling tickets and looking for sponsors and volunteers for the 2023 PGA Senior Championship, set to take place May 24-28, at the new Gil Hanse-designed PGA Fields Ranch East course named for the local farming family which once owned the land.
Already, 26 tournaments, including the 2027 and 2034 PGA Championships, have been scheduled for the next 15 years at PGA Frisco.
“This area has been known for golf tournaments (the Byron Nelson), but we’re going to bring golf championships here to PGA Frisco and keep it coming,” Waugh said. “There [is] a difference between a golf championship and a tournament. We’re making this the home of championships.”
The PGA officially committed to moving its headquarters from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to Frisco in December 2018. This is the first time since 1956 that the PGA has been based outside of Florida, having been based in Palm Beach Gardens since 1981.
Its new address in Frisco, 1916 PGA Parkway, is a nod to the PGA’s year of inception.
PGA Frisco was created from a public-private partnership between the PGA of America, the City of Frisco, the Omni Resorts & Hotels/TRT Holdings, the Economic Development Council, and the Frisco Independent School District.
Frisco ISD students will be able to utilize PGA Frisco, and internships will be offered year-round to students at the University of North Texas.
“We’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s one of those instances where the reality may end up being better than the dream,” Waugh said. “Our building is beyond all of our expectations.
“And then what we can do with the whole campus is both exhilarating and a little daunting. I woke up this morning thinking, ‘Man, there’s so much possibility here. It’s so unique to anything else that exists in the game.’ And now it’s that awesome responsibility of fulfilling the promise, right?”
The state of Texas’ economic development office projects that PGA Frisco will drive $2.5 billion in economic impact over the next 20 years.
