The Creation Story of the Dallas Cowboys Golf Club
Few professional sports teams in the world are more polarizing than the Dallas Cowboys. On February 25, 1989, Jerry Jones purchased the Cowboys for $140 million. Soon after, Jones made headlines by firing coach Tom Landry. He then hired Jimmy Johnson, who gave the Cowboys three Super Bowl wins in the ’90s, and all was well. That last title happened in 1995, but that doesn’t mean Jones hasn’t been an active owner. Few cities (none) embrace the local team like Dallas loves the Cowboys. In fact, Jerry Jones has made it possible for fans to make the Dallas Cowboys part of their day—every day. In Dallas, the Cowboys are a lifestyle. GolferScore went to Dallas and played a round at the Cowboys Golf Club. We wanted to experience the Cowboys lifestyle firsthand.
The Famous Cowboys Golf Club
In Grapevine, Texas, and not far from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the Cowboys Golf Club. We recently had lunch at its Ring of Honor Kitchen & Bar with Hagen Cleek, the club’s general manager. In fact, Cowboys Golf Club is the first and only NFL-themed golf club in the world. Attention Cheese Heads, Raider Nation and Bills Mafia, where is your golf club?
The parking lot, pro shop, restaurant, bar, driving range, and all 18 holes promote the Cowboys star. Over the Cowboys doormat, through the front doors, and to the left is one of Coach Tom Landry’s legendary hats. Straight ahead are replicas of all five of the Cowboys championship trophies, and the inside walls convey a sense of great historical pride with photos of Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor members. Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Randy White, Bob Lilly, “Emmitt” and “Michael” are amongst the honorees.
The Ultimate Golf Package
Cleek orders the first course from the Chef Kevin Grafton-created menu: deviled eggs and the salt and pepper shrimp are divine. This ain’t a “hot dog Ferris wheel” lunch at the local municipal golf course. The second course is filet mignon for Cleek and Korean short rib tacos for GolferScore. Lunch is first ballot hall of fame.
The Jeff Brauer-designed golf course is a lot of fun to play and is in good shape. Their famous jalapeno sausages and cold beer await at the halfway house, which is accessible twice from No. 7 and 11. And of course, there is a Cowboys star painted in the middle of the fourth fairway. Something else that’s unique about this golf course is the cost. It’s a flat fee and all-inclusive: food, nonalcoholic beverages, range balls, cart and green fee is about $200 tax included.
And all of it gets a blessing from the same guy that spent more than a billion on the new AT&T Stadium. Jerry Jones said this, “The Cowboys Golf Club is a natural fit in our philosophy of being on the cutting edge of creating excellent products and services that springboard the Cowboys brand into untapped markets. We’re enthusiastic about pioneering this innovative golf concept with its potential in meeting the needs of golfers, business travelers, and corporate executives. It is indeed our pleasure to bring a part of the Cowboys mystique to this club, which promises to be in a league of its own.”
It's an All-Encompassing Lifestyle
Craving more Cowboys? No Problem.
The Dallas Cowboys, in partnership with the City of Frisco, opened The Star in Frisco in August 2016. The facility is a 91-acre development that grew from the Dallas Cowboys World Corporate Headquarters in Frisco. The Star offers a private club, shopping, dining, nightlife, athletic & fitness facilities, and hotel options.
Jerry Jones, the boss, said this “What we’re building goes beyond the Cowboys. It involves these young, talented athletes with Frisco ISD; it involves the entire Frisco community with what we’ll offer from training, health and wellness, to dining, entertainment, shopping, and more. We’ve put our heart and soul into this next chapter for the Cowboys, and we can’t wait for fans to experience everything that The Star will offer.”
A Sports Complex for the Entire Community:
•All eight Frisco, Texas high schools play home games at the Ford Center at The Star, a state-of-the-art10,000 square-foot indoor athletic facility with 12,000 seats
•Cowboys Club at The Star, an exclusive, members-only club complete with dining and entertainment options and access to Cowboys Fit•Cowboys Fit is a comprehensive experience with over 60,000 square feet of luxury gym
•The Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star is a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel, which is the tallest building in Frisco and is a 50-50 partnership between Omni owner, Bob Rowling, and the Jones family
•Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center for sports medicine
•Office, retail, and restaurant space is available to lease and offers businesses a chance to join the Dallas Cowboys at their world headquarters
The Cowboys Club at The Star is basically a private country club without a golf course. It promises its members exclusive looks inside the organization’s daily operations, training camp, and team practices. There are also members-only events, including coach and player chalk talks covering business and football operations from the driving vision of owner Jerry Jones to a breakdown of the team’s draft picks.