Maridoe - Texas - USA

The Columbian Country Club was formed in 1881, moving to Carrollton in 1952 when Ralph Plummer designed a new course. The club folded in 2008, becoming the Honors Golf Club Dallas and then Maridoe Golf Club before Steve Smyers completed a remodel in 2017.

The property is now owned by oil baron Albert Huddleston, who has high hopes the course might become a PGA Tour stop or even a venue for either the US Open or PGA Championship. It’s certainly long enough (7,800 yards) and tough enough (with a slope rating of 155) to stage a top professional event.

Holes are arranged around a large, 25-acre lake in the middle of the property, which yielded more than half a million cubic yards of silt during construction to help add a little more contouring around the layout. Dirt was recycled but so too were trees such as huge oaks, crape myrtles and even thorny mesquites.

Drought-tolerant native grasses (like purple threeawn, blue grama and Topgun Buffalograss) have been introduced to out of play areas, giving Maridoe more of a natural feel, and Champion ultradwarf grass has been used for all the closely mown areas on the course, keeping the playing surfaces firm and fast.

“With its minimal amount of high-maintenance turf and maximum amount of natural habitat, Maridoe will be the poster child for future design,” says architect Steve Smyers. “Brown is beautiful.”

The course hosts the US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball championship in April 2021.