Byron Nelson is moving in 2021, where will it go ? (UPDATE: Craig Ranch 2021-2025)

[RichardsonTX]

PGA just announced that 2020 will be the last year of the Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest

Was a weird situation because the players hated Four Seasons yet the fans hated Trinity Forest, PGA is looking to make both happy.

Assuming it stays in North Texas what are some potential options ? I would say

Northwood: Best over-all choice. It has the historic value of holding the US open, was just recently completely renovated, and it's in a prime location of Far North Dallas TPC Craig Ranch: This was rumored to be a potential choice in the mid 2010s. I know it along with Northwood they do a bunch of qualifier tournaments at the present moment Preston Trail: Use to host the Byron Nelson back in the day. Don't have much info though on this course since it's super exclusive (no females, limited amount of members, no minors allowed). Pro's that have gotten the privillage of playing there say it's breathtaking

 

[jdanlaw]

Best bet is back to the Four Seasons, which was a favorite of the players’ families, until new PGA courses in Frisco are ready.

[cjblake09]

I bet this is what happens.

[CMCSGolf]

What about Maridoe?

Either way, this is a shame. Making the call after two years is quick, especially when they didn't get the best weather to showcase the course. Even if this isn't the ideal course for a tour player, it had a unique identity that differentiated it from many of the other generic tour events.

[RichardsonTX]

I like the Maridoe idea (unique course)

 

I'm not sure on the PGA frisco course. It would make logical sense but with it holding the US open in 2027 and Ryder club later down the road I don't know if they want to keep spamming the course yearly on no offense something that's considered a B-level event ("Ryder cup at the historic Byron Nelson grounds", doesn't have a good ring to it). It would make logical sense though, especially if they moved it there after the US open is held there

[cjblake09]

Maybe TPC Craig Ranch but i guess they could not even keep the Web.com event a couple years ago.

[TexasTurf]

The biggest problem is no one showed up. The weather hurt it. The location hurt it. The design or the course hurt it (all of the holes look exacly the same on TV). The walkpaths were all in between holes, not down fairways.

 

We pulled in the parking lot last year at Fair Park and there were only several hundred cars. Got on the bus. 20 scary minutes later you're at the course. Then its a challenge to find an area to watch the players.

 

I think the weather screwed them for sure. I love the zoysia. The design is lacking becasue they are built on a landfill and can't dig. Location sucks.

 

That being said, it looks like a very fun and good course that I have not have played yet. It was a good experiment but the people didn't show up.

[Tailgater]

The PGA pulled the plug awfully quick but I have to admit it was quite terrible as a fan. The lack of trees and lack of scenery made it boring as hell.

I bet it will go back to the Four Seasons.

[Jungleland]

Having played Preston Trail quite a bit I cannot see any circumstance where the tour would go there with the climate we live in today.

Have a few friends on the Salesmanship club, they have long maintained that this was likely to go back to the Four Seasons at some point, a lot of politics and AT&T influence behind the Trinity Groves decision - think Corporate Social Responsibility

[LICC]

Agree the course did not show well on TV. The tournament is also on a tough spot on the calendar.

[RichardsonTX]

Forgot about Preston Trails no females/no minors rule (yeah that wouldn't fly in todays world, even if they let them in for the tournament).

 

[Jungleland]

If any of you guys get the chance to play PT, when you check in at the Pro Shop, ask to see the Mickey Mantle letter, that alone if worth the trip.

[Roadking2003]

And on TV it was a very ugly course.

[Roadking2003]

I played it 40 years ago and we were right behind Mantle. Awsome!

[hardpan1]

I have wondered why Trinity Forest comes across so bad on TV...links style course, not a lot of definition...But, we watch the Open every year on TV and those guys know how to showcase a links course in a favorable manner...ie: Is it a lack of know how on the part of whomever is broadcasting the event?

[farmer]

The Open rota are not always madly appealing visually, but they are not as obviously a constructed artifact as Trinity Forest. It looks like what it is: a course built on a landfill.

[Roadking2003]

It's confirmation bias. Everyone knows that those courses are good because they are "Open worthy".

[jarederco]

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/golf/2020/04/14/sources-att-byron-nelson-to-be-moved-to-mckinneys-tpc-craig-ranch-for-5-years-beginning-in-2021/

[GSDriver]

Trinity Forest was a huge waste of money, IMO. Horrible venue for tournaments. Hope the Nelson doesn't come back. There are plenty of public courses in the area could be held on, which would make more interesting event.

Maybe once PGA HQ completes, they'll hold it there.

[RichardsonTX]

I had a hunch in the opening post that Craig Ranch would be a potential landing spot. It was a rumored location before the trinity forest developement + it's fairly close to the Frisco HQ which will most likely be the long term landing spot

[NorthTexasGlfr]

I'm not sure about the Byron Nelson moving out to Frisco. They already have the 2027 PGA scheduled there. And you also have to remember that it's the PGA of America moving to Frisco not the PGA Tour. Two different entities.

[RichardsonTX]

There's two courses so they can have both in 2027. Would actually be cool since it would be back to back weekends.

I don't see how it doesn't end up in Frisco. You have an event that doesn't have a long term home and you have a new state of the art venue with two courses (I don't see why it wouldn't go there).

 

 

[Tailgater]

I am curious to see what will happen to Trinity Forest in the next few years. Will it be a public course by 2023?

[NorthTexasGlfr]

 

I don't see a course with an initiation fee around $185,000 and monthly dues around $1300 going public anytime soon.

[callawayjay]

Yet vaquero is nearly going to be that club that goes public. Members leaving left and right.

[NorthTexasGlfr]

Only because they had millions of dollars stolen from them by an employee and had to assess the members quite a sum of money.

[callawayjay]

I believe to the tune of 4-5x over a year.