Grapevine Golf Course - Pecan Course Review

Grapevine Golf Course - Pecan Course Review

Grapevine Golf Course has 27 holes of some very good golf.  The Dallas Morning News rated it #19 of the "Top 25 Best Daily Fee Courses" and Avid Golfer rated it in the "Top 50 Public Courses" as well as a "Best Value Under $50."   On the weekends all three nines are in play and the pro shop determines with two nines you'll play during your round.  During the week, one of the nines is out of play for maintenance. 

Byron Nelson and Joe Finger designed the original 18 (Mockingbird and Pecan) which opened in 1979.   D. A. Weibring was hired for a major expansion and modernization renovation project for the original 18 and to add an additional 9 holes which opened as Bluebonnet in the fall of 1999. 

Each nine has its own unique personality and characteristics but common to all three are excellent conditions, white soft sand bunkers, memorable and fun holes,  reasonable rates, and low flying aircraft on their approach to DFW.   Each nine has 4 sets of tee boxes and regardless of which nines you play, the course is a little short at 6983 yards.   Mockingbird is the flattest, Bluebonnet has surprising elevation changes, and Pecan is the hardest and demands accuracy off the tee box and on a number of the approach shots.

As mentioned, Pecan is the most demanding of the three nines - it's the longest at 3571 from the tips, has water that can come in play on 6 of nine holes, and requires accuracy both off the tee box and on a number of approach shots.  For example:

• #3 is a 426 yard par 4 that horseshoes around a small lake - spray it left and you're wet, long right will find a bunker, and right is lost in the trees
• #4, appropriately named that "damn hole along the base of the dam" is a long  578 yard par five with a perfectly straight very narrow fairway lined with trees on the left, bottle brush and the dam's thick grass on the right and a slightly uphill oblong three tier green guarded by berms and swales - not a hole you'll soon forget
• #5, a 405 yard dog leg left, demands the right club from an elevated tee box to a narrow landing zone thanks to trees and a strategically placed bunker
• #9 gives you a good risk reward shot by challenging you to try and bit off a bigger chuck of carry over the lake to shorten this 569 yard dog leg left par 5

Not only do you need to pick the right clubs for accuracy off the tee box, but a number of the approach shots are equally demanding.   Water, bunkers, berms, and swales guard a number of the greens. 

And speaking of the greens, they seem a lot more challenging on this nine.  It seems like there is more slope and undulation and some have multiple tiers.  When we played the greens were in excellent condition, held well, rolled true, and were fast - running between 10 to 12 on the Stimpmeter. 

The fairways were also in very good condition and they threw a little bit of everything at you - risk reward shots, dog legs, uphill and downhill shots, and strategically placed bunkers.  Club selection, course management, and accuracy are key to scoring well on this nine. 

The bunkers where in good condition, about average size and depth, and filled with soft white sand.  The good news is there are only 19 of them! 

This was our favorite nine of the three Grapevine Golf Course nines - scenic, demanding, and some memorable holes.  Remember, the tougher they are, the more we love them and the higher the rating!  

Read our review of Grapevine's Bluebonnet and  Mockingbird nines.

he slope and rating are based on playing the combo of the Pecan and Mockingbird nines.