Texas Rangers

Dallas, TX already had the world’s only golf club affiliated with an (American) football franchise, and during 2019 it doubled down when the city of Arlington built a municipal course tied to the local professional baseball squad, the Texas Rangers.

There was previously a course on the location, but the city brought in Texas native John Colligan to provide an overhaul, involving a rerouting to better take advantage of the location’s natural elevation changes. The scope of the hazards was increased to more than 110,000 square feet of sand, but not to worry: The fairways have also widened. The dry climate also required a rethink of the course’s water strategy, and now much of the club’s water comes from recycled runoff.

The long par four No. 5 will tempt players to, ahem, “swing for the fences” over a pond, rather than take the longer, safer route around. Although green speeds have not yet been published, might we suggest a marketing ploy of “faster than a Nolan Ryan” fastball? Sorry, couldn’t resist.