Cover Story - Wild Spring Dunes

I’ve been traveling the I-20 corridor for as long as I can remember - visiting family, chasing down good BBQ, and in recent years playing courses like Tempest and Pine Dunes. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what East Texas had to offer. Then came Wild Spring Dunes – something I never could have imagined.

That’s not to take anything away from the aforementioned courses, as they will deservedly stay in my rotation of local “destination” venues. However, Michael Keiser Jr. has once again created a premier golf sanctuary that will quickly become not only a national destination, but an international pilgrimage for golfers around the world. 

If you’re not familiar with the name Michael Keiser Jr, he’s the founder of Sandborn and one of the collective masterminds behind the acclaimed Sand Valley - ranked no. 21 on Golf Digest’s top 100 - in Kekoosa, Wisconsin. He’s also behind the recently opened Rodeo Dunes in Roggen, Colorado as well as Old Shores in the Florida Panhandle, which is expected to begin construction soon.

If that resume isn’t impressive enough, his father Micheal Keiser, is the owner and developer of world renowned Bandon Dunes.

Wild Spring Dunes is a public golf resort that opened for preview play late last year and is now open for play on its first of multiple golf courses planned by Keiser Jr. and the Sandborn team. The first 18-hole course was designed by Tom Doak with help of his most trusted colleagues and is a perfect showcase of his famed minimalist style highlighting the gritty, undulating land of Mount Enterprise. 

Next is the Coore & Crenshaw course, which has already been routed and could potentially open for preview play around this time next year. Additionally, a 12-hole course is planned as the next iteration of the recently opened and wildly successful Commons at Sand Valley, designed by Jim Craig. Clyde Johnson is also joining the fun with an 18-hole putting course designed for the whole family.

While not built yet, the resort will eventually include a full clubhouse, on-site lodges and a collection of homesites available for purchase. 

What started as raw, rolling hills, winding spring-fed creeks, sandy washouts and timber-covered land partially cleared by local loggers is now what many will soon call a must-visit destination in Texas’ public golf scene.

Wild Spring Dunes sits almost equidistant from George Bush Intercontinental Airport as it does from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, providing ample opportunity for the outside world to make the journey - as they surely will over time. 

For me, it’s two hours and 55 minutes from my driveway to where the asphalt gives way to gravel. The crunch of rocks under your tires then leads you down a winding road shouldered by tall East Texas pines, setting the scene for a round of golf you won’t soon forget.

Even with the permanent amenities yet to be built, the team has worked tirelessly to showcase what will eventually be a fully immersive experience on the property. The road winds and a small sign sends you up to the clubhouse where you’re greeted by the staff. You’ll drop your bag, hand over your keys and head inside to the pro shop. 

If you’re a swag junkie like I am, you can’t go wrong. The logo features a minimalist roadrunner, a familiar part of East Texas wildlife that was commonly seen throughout the grounds while Doak and his team surveyed the property. The roadrunner is tastefully featured across premier brands like Johnnie-O, Holderness & Bourne and Greyson, along with accessories from the Winston Collection. It’s a pro shop fit for a king and queen. 

After you check-in, treat yourself to a complimentary coffee, snack or a quick stretch from the on-site masseuse. Yes, you read that right - a masseuse is standing by with targeted stretches perfect for a modest walk through the pines. While the practice facilities aren’t fully built out yet, you can still get some swings in at the nets just adjacent to the massage tables. 

As your tee time approaches you’ll be shuttled from the main facilities up to Mt. Baldy. Here you’ll be reunited with your bag and greeted by your caddie for the day. 

Baldy sits prominently above the already built - Doak course, positioned between it and the future Coore & Crenshaw course, and serves as the central waypoint for the property. You’ll find coolers full of waters, body armors and other non-alcoholic beverages to get the day started. 

Additionally, there are snacks, honey sticks, scorecards, ball markers, pencils, tees and unique wooden divot tools perfect for the round - or for the collectors looking to pocket a keepsake.

The views are abundant, giving you a mere glimpse of what’s to come over the next four and half hours. Looking out you’ll see the 9th, a subtle dog leg right that you’ll want to play middle to middle right. Anything long and left can leave you blocked out - or possibly in a creek wondering how you got there. 

Just right of the ninth tee and down the hill sits the wide but shallow eighth green, where long is the play and, depending on the pin placement, three-putts can come very easily.

Not more than 40 steps away, you’ll emerge from the trees and look down on a breathtaking opening hole. In that moment, in one hole, a brief but profound moment, you’ll be given a visual thesis on what the course will be: gradual elevation changes, vast waste areas that give way to the sandy underlayment, wide zoysia fairways that naturally route across the land without feeling forced - as if the property was somehow blessed by the golf gods long before it was ever discovered. Towering pines transport you somewhere else without ever leaving the state of Texas. A reminder of how diverse and contrarian the land is between our borders. 

Play this hole down the right middle and you’ll be fine, miss the green on the right and you’ll be in trouble. 

And just like that, the green complex on the first hole is an arduous introduction to the protection of the course. While the majority of the greens are large and feel challenging to miss, their natural undulation and consistent speed can provide more protection than you’d anticipate. 

Trust your caddie, there are breaks you just don’t see. 

With each passing hole, no matter the score, you find yourself in awe of what’s next. From the attention to the most minute details, to the topography and architecture of the course, nothing is overlooked. 

The tightly mown first cut from one green to the next tee box and eventually into the fairway is a subtle design aesthetic I personally enjoy. Broken-tee caddies and coolers in white pine boxes both prominently display the roadrunner throughout the course. 

Just three holes in, you’re met with a postcard worthy par 3 playing right around 170 yards. With plenty of room to bail out short and left, anything on the right side feels destined to have you scrambling up from a desolate waste area. 

From here, the course begins to give way to the sprawling land. A short walk from the green and you will find a double-blind shot par 4, and both times I played it, I mistook it for a par 5 because of its imposing length. 

Looking across the opening allows your mind to wander as you spot the 5th green perched on the hill, visualizing your shot on the short par 3 before you even tee off. The first of a few snack stands waits just steps away from the 6th tee box as you begin your gentle walk back toward Mt. Baldy. The drivable 7th is a real scoring opportunity and one you should capitalize on before the second half of Doak’s creation reveals itself.

The smooth opening eight holes are a chance to take in the land and appreciate the serene silence, often complemented by the harmonious percussion of a great golf shot. As Mt. Baldy disappears from sight, the back end of the course quickly reveals its teeth. The par-3 10th, playing over 200 yards, is the first of many beautiful challenges. Hitting and holding this green for a green in regulation is a win. If you can shape the ball, you’d be smart to play it out right over the short grass and let it roll up to the green. Honestly, a bogey here felt like par.

The remaining holes paint a more dramatic picture than your introductory holes. The climbs are steeper, the ravines deeper and the fairways, at points, tighter with more choke points. It’s much quieter and more grand altogether. The 12th plays as a shorter par 4 on the scorecard but is entirely uphill, with an immense green complex that can quickly get you out of position. High and right is the future home of an on-course pit stop before the tucked-away 13th tee box. With trouble down the left in your landing zone, Doak left one of a few prominent pines in the middle of the fairway as a proverbial north star for your tee shot. Get it far enough out of trouble, and you’ll be lucky enough to roll down the hill and have a rare chance at an eagle.

At this point, you are the furthest from Mt. Baldy. It’s time to begin the narrowing trip back to the aforementioned waypoint. Before your finishing hole, you’ll find yourself tucked back in the trees staring down the signature 17th. It is a gradual left-turning fairway with towering pines long and bunkers protecting the front of the green from the aggressive line. If you leave the driver in the bag, you’re settling for par; take a risk and keep it up the left side, maybe even toward one of those greenside bunkers if your game allows it, and you’ll have a late look at birdie.

Finally, you’re sharing a tee box with the long 10th hole and have one of the few chances you’ll get to chat with other players. Here, players can share the highlights of their round and offer any tips they have as others continue theirs. While the 18th is still growing in, it feels like a fitting conclusion to a special day. A dry creek down the right invites wayward tee shots; stay tight left and end on a high note. While the area around the green is still growing in, an eventual “island” surrounded by the creek has a high probability of stealing errant approach shots. The 18th finishes as one of the flattest holes on the property and is a fitting end to a day full of highs and lows, good shots and bad shots, but a true understanding of what Wild Spring is and what it will become.Booking is broken down into categories, Peak (Sept-Nov), Shoulder (Dec), Non-Peak (Jan & Feb) and Shoulder (Mar). According to those categories, the pricing is broken down below. 

September ­– November (Peak) $275 / $140 (replay)

December (Shoulder) $195 / $100 (replay)

January & February  (Non- Peak) $195 / $100 (replay)

March (Shoulder ) $260 / $130 (replay)

While all of the facilities aren’t built out yet, that shouldn’t detract from the course. I mean, that’s what we’re talking about here isn’t it? Those will fill in with time and only improve your experience. There is a waitlist if your date isn’t available. That can be handled with the on-site tee time assistant. Finally, during the high heat summer months, the course plans to offer a limited cart program. I understand, this price may seem daunting to you, however, I’d argue that this experience is one that should be experienced at least once. 

Mark my words, Wild Spring Dunes will be a top-30 golf experience in the U.S. when it’s all said and done.