For 27 years, AVIDGOLFER has been offering Metroplex golfers rankings on every daily fee course in the area. We put in the legwork to see all the courses annually, so you don’t need to. If you are looking for your next great round of golf, we have you covered from stem to stern.
This year was another of multiple renovations. We had several courses that underwent moderate to complete overhauls this year, from Cowboys Golf Club, which has almost completed a complete renovation of all greens, cart paths, tee boxes, driving range, short game area, as well as a new 18-hole putting course designed by the great Beau Welling. Texas Star also renovated all 18 greens in 2025, and Meadowbrook Fort Worth reopened after a two-year, $15 million complete overhaul. Other courses around the area updated things as well, including Sugar Tree, which changed ownership and will now be called Brazos Club.
The constant arms race to one-up other daily fee courses continues year after year, with municipal courses jockeying to keep pace with privately owned properties or companies like Arcis, which owns multiple properties in the Metroplex, including several daily fee options.
When looking at courses around the area, we consider several factors. Course conditions, course layout, architectural elements, overall aesthetics, amenities, food, and customer service all carry weight in our rankings system. 2025 was no different in the way we look at courses, but with all the recent renovations, the rankings are quite a bit different than in years past, especially on the west side.
We hope you enjoy … and let the debating begin!
Best Overall: West
Texas Star Golf Course
Texas Star Golf Course in Euless has been a part of the DFW golf landscape since 1997. This Keith Foster design stretches to almost 7,000 yards and plays to a par 71. Located just minutes from DFW airport in the heart of the Metroplex, it draws thousands of rounds annually from locals and travelers alike. Nestled among tall oaks, Hurricane Creek weaves its way through the property, adding challenge, particularly on holes 9, 11 and 18. There are multiple risk-reward holes and several that feature dramatic elevation changes, really making this piece of property unique.
Texas Star has been so close, yet so far from being our top course on the west. Going back a decade, Texas Star has never finished outside the top six in our west-side rankings and has finished No. 3 four times and No. 2 four times. In 2025, Texas Star underwent a complete greens renovation that took several months. While this was taking place, the rest of the course went basically untouched, and that, combined with the mild summer, left the fairways and tees at the 28-year-old layout in absolutely pristine condition.
AVIDGOLFER made the trip to Euless shortly after the course reopened and found top-of-the-food-chain, country club conditions, not only on the course, but the practice area as well. No wholesale changes were made to the layout, except a bunker removed from the fairway on No. 15 (which makes the hole much better), and a couple other simple aesthetic updates such as letting some of the native grasses grow, which adds another beautiful element to the course. Time will tell if they are able to maintain these magnificent conditions as play resumes, but for now, the course is in better shape than any other daily fee we saw in 2025.
The facilities remain solid at Texas Star, with a driving range, chipping area and putting green, all of which are in great shape. The clubhouse offers everything you need, and the Raven’s Grille still serves a nice breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Customer service is top-notch, with a bag drop and friendly staff to greet you as you arrive. But, at the end of the day, the course conditions were enough to buoy Texas Star to the top spot in 2025.
Best Overall: East
Fields Ranch West Course
The PGA of America in Frisco is known as the “modern home of American golf” and with the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, 10-hole short course “The Swing,” 2-acre putting course known as “The Dance Floor,” retail, ranch houses, restaurants … the property has everything you could ever want as a golfer. In addition to every amenity imaginable, the pair of championship courses shine bright as the heartbeat of the property. The Gil Hanse Fields Ranch East Course will host the 2027 PGA Championship and is every bit the test of golf it should be to host the best players walking the planet. On the other side, you have Beau Welling’s Fields Ranch West Course. While Hanse designed a course that is a behemoth, Welling crafted a layout more befitting a resort. Forgiving off the tee, but tighter as you approach greens, Welling built something that is mischievous, quirky, but also loads of fun. Sure, there are a couple of greens on the West Course that have sparked a bit of controversy (the Biarritz on No. 13 comes to mind), but overall, you would be hard pressed to find a course that is more fun that what Welling gave us in Frisco. The overall conditioning of both courses is sublime, with lush fairways, tight surrounds and slick putting surfaces.
One other note regarding the layout at Fields Ranch West. Although it’s a par-72, the scorecard features five par-5s and five par-3s. The outward nine is a par-37, and the inward nine is a par 35, including back-to-back par 5s to finish the round. You haven’t seen another layout like it … we can guarantee it.
The comfort station that sits atop the hill between the two courses offers some fantastic on-course snacks, including one of the top glizzies in the game. Caddies and forecaddies are some of the best in the area, and tee times are spaced nicely to prevent backups on the course. You add all of these things up, and what you are left with is the best overall experience for a day on the course in DFW.
See Chart for official rankings. Golf courses and clubs are listed alphabetically within their price category.
Platinum Courses • $125+
Bridlewood Golf Club (West)
Fields Ranch East Course (East)
Heritage Ranch Golf & Country Club (East)
Old American Golf Club (East)
Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club (West)
Texas Rangers Golf Club (West)
The Tribute Golf Links (East)
Tour 18 Dallas (West)
Wildhorse at Robson Ranch (West)
Bridlewood Golf Club is one of DFW’s most popular courses. Located in Flower Mound, this D.A. Weibring design is always in great condition. Although they do have a membership option, it is still technically open to public play. This does make securing a tee time tough, but if you can manage to get on, you will love the layout and the great pizza in the clubhouse after your round.
We often catch grief for ranking the PGA Frisco courses in our public rankings. Yes, they do have members (a very limited number) and sure, it is a resort property … but at the end of the day it is still technically open to the public. In fact, Frisco residents get a substantially discounted rate to play there. The championship Fields Ranch East Course located on property is a Gil Hanse design and an absolute behemoth. It requires brute length, precision and a top-of-the-food-chain short game. That being said, the property is wonderful and course conditions are magnificent. With Fields Ranch East set to host the PGA Championship in 2027, add it to your bucket list now so you can say you played it before the best in the world take it on in a couple years.
Heritage Ranch Golf & Country Club is another course that boasts a small membership but it’s still accessible to the public. This layout is one of the most fun you will find anywhere, and course conditions are always second to none. The Arthur Hills design offers a picturesque combination of water features, rolling vistas and stately trees that frame holes wonderfully. The clubhouse is massive, and The Corral Grill offers great food and drink. Heritage Ranch is the total package.
Old American Golf Club is several years removed from hosting the LPGA, but the course continues to maintain the highest level of agronomy and also boasts one of the most challenging layouts anywhere in the area. The views of Lake Lewisville add beauty, but also makes conditions routinely breezy across this Tripp Davis/Justin Leonard track. It can be a tough customer, but you’ll never walk away disappointed with the conditions or the overall experience.
We love Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club in Keller. They maintain the course to a high standard, and once you play the first few tough holes, the layout can yield some birdies. We’ve always felt flipping the nines would make the layout a bit more palatable, but it’s still a great challenge and a great course from start to finish. Sky Creek also has a great driving range, clubhouse and restaurant. Although a little pricy, it’s worth the extra money to see this great overall facility.
Texas Rangers Golf Club has been a perennial favorite since it opened back in 2019. Although they will no longer be hosting the Korn Ferry’s Veritex Bank Championship, we expect the course to continue to thrive. Rangers renovated several tees in 2025, which should help overall turf conditions. If you are looking for a course that is user-friendly and offers a chance at birdie on almost every single hole, we highly recommend checking it out. Not to mention, the clubhouse is magnificent, and the Home Plate Restaurant is one of the finest places to belly up to the bar for a drink in Metroplex daily fee golf.
The Tribute Golf Links is one of our favorite overall golf experiences in the Metroplex. The Tribute takes 18 holes from courses like St. Andrews, Muirfield and Royal Troon and brings them to the shores of Lewisville Lake. The sister course of Old American, the courses share a 50,000 square-ft. practice facility that rivals any of the best in the area. If you never make it to St. Andrews to play No. 1, No. 17, and No. 18, The Tribute is the next best thing.
Tour 18 Dallas has been on a wild ride the last few years. This course has seen its share of struggles, but it would seem that it is finally beginning to see some consistency for the first time in a while. Greens were as good as they have been in quite some time this year, and overall conditions are vastly improved from years past. We have always contended that this should be one of the finest courses in the area … and while it may not be that just yet, Tour 18 is finally trending in the right direction, and we’re happy to see it.
Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch is off the radar for a good majority of the Metroplex. This active adult community near Denton offers 27 holes, each one in immaculate condition. Seriously, not just daily fee immaculate, it rivals many high-end country clubs. The only downside to the courses is the abundance of homes tee to green on almost every hole, but that really doesn’t take away from the overall fun of the golf course. It can be a little tricky to get a tee time here, but if you can snag one, you’ll love it as much as we do.
Elite Courses • $80 – $125
Bear Creek Golf Club West Course (West)
Buffalo Creek Golf Club (East)
Frisco Lakes Golf Club (East)
Indian Creek Golf Club Creek Course (East)
The Golf Club at Fossil Creek (West)
The Golf Club at Twin Creeks (East)
The Trails of Frisco Golf Club (East)
Tierra Verde Golf Club (West)
Waterchase Golf Club (West)
Bear Creek Golf Club is one of Arcis Golf’s most complete facilities. This 36-hole property features the East Course and the West Course. The West routinely finds itself in our rankings with its interesting topography which offers elevation changes we don’t see much of in DFW. The clubhouse is solid and their outdoor patio “The Backyard” is a great place to chill and enjoy some drinks or lunch pre- or post-round. It’s no surprise with their level of customer service and attention to detail, Bear Creek is a hot spot for local charity tournaments and corporate outings.
Buffalo Creek Golf Club is tucked along the eastern shores of Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall. This Kemper Sports managed property is easy on the eyes and fairly straightforward off the tees. Conditions are very consistent from tee to green and the layout won’t beat you up too badly regardless of handicap. We really enjoy this golf course and even if you live on the west side of DFW, it’s worth making the drive east to go play it.
Frisco Lakes Golf Club is undoubtedly one of the most popular golf courses, not only in Frisco, but anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Every time we make the trip to Frisco Lakes, it is absolutely slammed. Despite the overwhelming number of annual rounds, the course is usually in really solid shape, and we love No. 7 and No. 8. Also, don’t forget to pop in the clubhouse after your round and have a Marana’s pizza.
Indian Creek Golf Club Creek Course is one of the more dynamic and challenging layouts in Metroplex daily fee golf. This 7,235-yard loop features strategic bunkering, undulating greens and a final nine that plays near the Elm Fork of the Trinity. No. 12 is one of the longest par 3s in the area, topping out at a whopping 260-yards from the tips. The Arrowhead Grill in the clubhouse offers quality food, from your standard dog to a patty melt. Don’t forget to add the ranch-dusted house-made potato chips!
Arcis Golf is one of the most prominent course management companies in the country. They own almost 70 courses nationwide, and we’d be willing to bet The Golf Club at Fossil Creek is at the top of their portfolio list for most interesting layout. This Arnold Palmer design offers interesting doglegs, water in abundance, a pair of kooky par 5s, and a handful of tiny greens. The course will test your game, and at times … your patience, but we really enjoy playing Fossil Creek.
Another Arnold Palmer design managed by Arcis is The Golf Club at Twin Creeks in Allen. The course is great, but the main story from this property in 2025 is the enhanced clubhouse which offers a new retail space, extended patio, and larger banquet and meeting spaces. There is also a vintage Airstream which offers grab-and-go options as you play. Overall, this is a must-see property with the newly renovated clubhouse and the great Palmer-designed golf course.
The Trails of Frisco Golf Club, much like Frisco Lakes, is a popular spot for those in the area. It sees a lot of play, but still manages to maintain well above average course conditions throughout the year. Like many courses, they offer a membership program, which can make it a little tough to get on the tee sheet, but it’s a great option if you live up in the Frisco area.
Tierra Verde Golf Club has been a south Arlington must-play for over a quarter century. Tierra Verde was the first golf course in Texas and the first municipal course in the world to be certified as an Audubon Signature Sanctuary. Native areas and local wildlife are unfettered by a lot of noise, homes or even the use of harsh chemicals on the course. Each hole stands alone, with well above average conditions and routing that will give players plenty of looks at birdies. The Ventana Grill enhances the experience with great food (we recommend the shaved steak burrito bowl).
Last year we said: “Waterchase Golf Club has assured us that construction on a clubhouse is to begin in early 2025, with completion later in the year.” Well, another year has gone by, and we’ve seen no progress on a permanent clubhouse at Waterchase, although, they now have a scale model of the new one in their existing clubhouse. Despite that, Waterchase had a great year from an agronomy standpoint. Waterchase was in the top few courses we saw in 2025 for overall tee to green turf conditions. It was so cherry this year, two-time U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau popped in to shoot some YouTube content and raved about it (he shot a course record 62).
Top Luxury Courses • $60-$80
Brazos Club (West)
Firewheel Golf Park Bridges Course (East)
Grapevine Golf Course (West)
Hawks Creek Golf Club (West)
Meadowbrook Golf Course (West)
Sherrill Park Golf Course No. 1 (East)
Southern Oaks Golf & Tennis Club Club (West)
Tangle Ridge Golf Course (East)
The Bridges Golf Club (East)
The Courses at Watters Creek (East)
Brazos Club, the club formerly known as Sugar Tree, underwent an ownership change recently and the J.J. Killeen and company are already making improvements to the course. They have added a new lodge that is perfect for hosting corporate events or stay and play trips with multiple foursomes. The course is looking great, and the back nine views of the Brazos really make this a must-play, even though it is a little bit of a hike.
Firewheel Golf Park’s Bridges Course has been one of AG’s favorites since all the way back in 2001. In 2025, the Bridges was in really good shape, as greens rolled nicely, and tees and fairways were very consistent. The clubhouse is modern and clean with everything you might need for your round. The Branding Iron Grill offers favorites like the Firewheel Burger or even beer battered fish & chips.
Grapevine Golf Course has three fantastic nines. The Bluebonnet, Mockingbird and Pecan are all fun and enjoyable. Grapevine used to be one of the best overall value courses in the whole state, but as word has gotten out and the areas around Grapevine have grown, they are now competitively priced with others in their category. Grapevine is one of the most popular tee times in the whole Metroplex, making it tough to get on, but if you do, we think you’ll love it. In our opinion, Persimmons Bar & Grill in the clubhouse has some of the best food of any daily fee course in DFW.
Suddenly, the west side has an abundance of great golf courses. With the recent renovations at Cowboys, Texas Star and Meadowbrook, the west is as good as it has been in years. Hawks Creek Golf Club in Westworth Village is another western course that has been the epitome of consistency for the better part of two decades. The greens at Hawks are some of the best we see every year, and the rest of the course almost always keeps pace. The clubhouse is a little dated, but definitely unique. A recent rate increase means it’s not the amazing value it used to be, but it’s still every bit a course you should add to your regular rotation.
Meadowbrook Golf Course is a new addition to the best of list for 2025. For years, this east Fort Worth property languished away slowly. But, after a $15 million renovation, Meadowbrook is back and better than ever. We always knew this was a great piece of land with lots of rolling, interesting topography. Architects John Colligan and Trey Kemp took full advantage with a complete re-routing of the layout, new turf, new irrigation and tree removal to open up some of the vistas across the property. The clubhouse remains the same, but there is a good chance it will be updated in the next couple years. It’s good now, but with a little more grow-in time, it will get even better.
Sherrill Park Golf Course No. 1 is perennially one of our favorite daily fee courses. Although there are two courses at Sherrill Park, No. 1 shines year in and year out with solid course conditions from tee to green and plenty of character in its layout. Plenty of water features make the course a challenge, and with Head Pro Ronny Glanton still at the helm, their attention to customer service continues to shine bright in the City
of Richardson.
Southern Oaks Golf & Tennis Club has been a constant on our best of list for years. This Burleson-based Mark Brooks designed course is lined with mature oaks and pecans, and features some great par 3s, including the 17th, which is a muscular 245-yarder with a punchbowl style green that funnels most shots to the hole if you can hit the putting surface. New additions to the driving range include Toptracer technology which displays shot shape and ball flight data. With these additions, Southern Oaks now has one of the best range facilities on the west side.
Grand Prairie municipal Tangle Ridge Golf Course is another mainstay in our rankings. Although a Grand Prairie property, the course is actually very close to Cedar Hill, meaning this is a track that offers very unique topographical changes throughout the round. Some highlights include the par 4 6th, par 3 9th, and par 4 14th. Staff are always friendly and courteous, and course conditions were as good in 2025 as they have ever been. Once you’ve played Tangle Ridge, you can’t wait to go back.
The Bridges Golf Club in Gunter is an objectively pretty golf course. The gentle movement of the terrain offers subtle elevation changes and panoramic views of rolling meadows. Some of this beauty is slowly being claimed by the rapid urban sprawl, but we still think the course is really good … if they would just cut the tree down in the middle of the fairway on No. 18, we would like it whole lot more.
The Courses at Watters Creek in Plano has 33 total holes to refine your golf game. The Traditions Course, The Players Course and The Futures Course. Traditions is the 18-hole layout, which is always in nice condition and offers plenty of interesting architectural elements. The Player’s Course is nine holes of fun that can really dial in your wedge and short game, and The Futures is a six-hole short course perfect for juniors or kids just learning to play. Stop and hit Grill 33 before or after your round or practice session for their Blackjack Burger or a great Philly Cheesesteak.
Best Outlying
Tempest Golf Club (Gladewater TX)
Pine Dunes Golf Club (Frankston, TX)
The Cliffs Resort (Graford, TX)
The Links at Land’s End (Yantis, TX)
White Bluff Resort (Whitney, TX)
Turtle Hill Golf Course (Muenster, TX)
Tempest Golf Club is about two hours east near Kilgore. If you are looking for a great little day trip, Tempest certainly checks that box. They also offer stay and play packages which are budget friendly. The course recently underwent some turf additions which only made this already wonderful piece of property even better. Plus, they have one of the largest American flags in the state right behind the No. 9 green. Tempest is a must-play and well worth the short drive.
Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Club is another course sitting just about two hours away. This one is located in Frankston, TX and over the last several years has become increasingly popular. It was always known to the golf purists in the Metroplex, but now word is out and it’s starting to see more play. It should be on every DFW golfer’s bucket list. It’s that good.
The Cliffs Resort is perched on a cliff 200 feet above Possum Kingdom Lake. One of the premier lakes in the state, Possum Kingdom is a hangout for many from the DFW area who own lake properties there. Summers are happening with plenty of boat traffic and the annual 4th of July extravaganza. The golf course at The Cliffs is very different from anything you will find in DFW. It’s an unforgettable layout.
Located in Yantis, Links at Land’s End is another great little course for a stay and play that won’t break the bank. Sitting on the banks of Lake Fork, this course offers great views of the water and some challenging holes that you won’t forget. It has a rustic feel, but the course is absolutely worthy.
A pair of courses highlight White Bluff Resort on Lake Whitney. The Old Course has a bit more character, while the new course can play a little tougher. Both are fun and can yield some birdies, and you should always be on the lookout for wildlife. The Inn, Bluff Point Condos and Log Cabins offer three different options to stay.
Turtle Hill Golf Course is a hidden gem in Muenster. It’s great for a little weekend getaway or retreat. The best part about this course … it’s only $50 on the weekend, so you can have some fun and not bust the ban