Fort Worth-based Escalante Golf, one of the nation’s premier owners and operators of golf courses and private clubs, has unveiled plans for its most noteworthy golf course project to-date – the $100 million Kelly Ranch Golf Club, located on 240 acres of rugged rolling hills just 20 minutes southwest of downtown Fort Worth at US Highway 377 and Kelly Road. Designed by renowned golf course architect Tripp Davis, Kelly Ranch Golf Club will be one of the finest private golf clubs in North Texas upon its completion in the spring of 2025.
Kelly Ranch Golf Club will feature a playable 18-hole championship course staggered throughout rugged rolling hills with 200-foot elevation changes, reminiscent of the Texas Hill Country. Framed by unique stands of Live Oaks and indigenous Cedar Elm trees, and playing over and around creeks running through the naturalized terrain, the course will preserve the land’s existing wildlife, water, and environment.
Davis’ design will employ his signature scalloped-edge bunker design, seamlessly integrating with the existing undulating topography and leveraging varying wind conditions. It will require precision and power from low-handicap players, while remaining fun and approachable for mid-to-high-handicap players.
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On the 7,600-yard course, greens will average 6,000 square feet, and golfers will have the option to play from five sets of tees and combo tees. TifEagle Bermuda grass has been selected for the greens’ surfaces, while the balance of the course will be sand-capped and grassed wall-to-wall with Stadium Zoysia.
Also included in the project scope is a 26-acre state-of-the-art golf practice facility, featuring best-in-class technology, a spacious 400-yard driving range, a short game area with practice bunkers and chipping and putting greens, and a short course. Adding to Kelly Ranch’s pure golf pedigree will be a golf clubhouse, complete with a golf shop, restaurant, bar, and outdoor terrace with elevated views of the course and surrounding rolling terrain. The clubhouse’s design will be influenced by the land’s flow and views – a blend of modern aesthetic with refined elegance that engages both the golf course and context of this unique Texas landscape.
“Kelly Ranch Golf Club’s key differentiator is that it is being designed for the golf purist; it will be a golf-only environment free of distractions often found at traditional country clubs,” said Jeff Kindred, EVP of Clubs & Resorts at Escalante Golf. “When at the golf clubhouse, members will never hear noise from a pickleball court, tennis court, swimming pool, or a social event. Kelly Ranch Golf Club will truly be an oasis of sorts, offering golfers challenging play in a serene and natural awe-inspiring setting unlike any other club in the region.”
A limited number of Founder Memberships for Kelly Ranch Golf Club have been released, and two other membership types will soon be available, including Resident Golf Memberships and Invitational Golf Memberships. For information on membership levels and benefits, visit kellyranchgolfclub.com/membership.
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Kelly Ranch Golf Club will be located in the heart of the 2,400-acre master-planned community known as Kelly Ranch, currently being developed by Ryan Voorhees of Kelly Ranch Estates LLC. With 1.5 miles of frontage along U.S. Highway 377, the development plan includes:
- A new elementary school, zoned within the acclaimed Aledo Independent School District
- 2,500 new custom homes priced from the mid $700,000s to $10 million+, which will be built across three distinctive luxury gated residential communities – Rio Vista, La Dorada, and Kelly Ranch
- The Shops at Kelly Ranch, a planned 65-acre high-end shopping and dining destination
- A 50-acre commercial development housing class-A office space and first-class medical and healthcare facilities
- An athletics & wellness club, which is also being developed by Escalante Golf and will feature high-performance fitness, aquatics, and court sports offerings
“Our vision for Kelly Ranch Golf Club is to redefine the golf market in North Texas and create a course that exudes excellence, thoughtful design, and unparalleled scenery,” said David McDonald, partner and president of Escalante Golf. “There will be no other private golf club in the DFW region that can match the challenge and natural beauty of Kelly Ranch. It is truly in a league of its own, and will not only be the crown jewel in our property portfolio, but the crown jewel of Texas golf.”
ABOUT ESCALANTE GOLF
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Escalante Golf is one of the nation’s premier owners and operators of luxury U.S. golf courses and private clubs. Its property portfolio encompasses 22 golf courses and clubs throughout 13 states, including The International in Massachusetts, the Golf Club of Houston, Sonoma Golf Club in California, Kingsley Club in Michigan, Kingsmill Resort in Virginia, Pursell Farms in Alabama, The Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Arizona, and more. Escalante’s expertise produces an unrivaled degree of excellence, seen in each daily-fee, semi-private, and private asset it owns. The company’s boutique approach to property ownership and management eschews the notion of “flipping” real estate for immediate return. Rather, Escalante stays grounded in careful stewardship and long-term maintenance of its assets, seeking sustained excellence for generations to come. For more information, visit www.EscalanteGolf.com.
ABOUT TRIPP DAVIS AND ASSOCIATES
Tripp Davis and Associates (TDA) was founded in 1994 and has its headquarters in Norman, Oklahoma. TDA practices golf architecture with an unparalleled passion for craftsmanship of unique landscapes and strategic details. Tripp Davis, a decorated amateur golfer, was a member of the 1989 National Championship Golf Team and an NCAA All-American selection while at the University of Oklahoma. Davis earned a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from The University of Oklahoma and is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Davis’ portfolio ranges from original designs such as the Old American Golf Club in Dallas and Turtle Dunes Country Club in Acapulco, Mexico, as well as restoring, renovating, or redesigning existing courses such as Preston Trail Golf Club in Dallas, the Atlanta Athletic Club in Atlanta, and The International in Boston. For more information, visit www.tdagolf.net.
