Pecan Trails Golf Course Review

Texas Outside Rating: 7.0

Golf - Public Course · 21 Holes · Par 80
Midlothian
Website · Locate This Course

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Pecan Trails Golf Course Review

Review and Rating of Pecan Trails Golf Course in Midlothian Texas

Pecan Trails Golf Course in Midlothian is an intriging course with an interesting history.  In 1989 the first hole of Pecan Trails Golf Course opened on some property that was previously a nudist colony.  The landowner father and son team later carved through the woods to create the next nine holes.  Over the next few years a couple good deals on some adjoining property came available and over time another 12 holes were created. 

What makes the course interesting is that the front nine is only 8 holes and a par 33 - 2 par 3s, a par 5, and 5 par 4s for a total of 2579 to 2724 yards.  This 8 has water on three holes, tight fairways, 7 dog legs, and very small greens. 

The back nine at Pecan Trails Golf Course is even more interesting - it' 13 holes with 7 par 3s, 4 par 4s, and 2 par 5s with yardages ranging from 5578 to 6028.  This nine has a lot more character and is fun to play.  You'll find some holes that require some shot making and good course management, some elevation changes, forced carries, dog legs, risk reward shots, and more.  Some of the holes we liked on this nine included:

  • #9 is a tricky and challenging 255 yard par 4 - it requires a long carry over the pond and through a tight slot to a fairly wide landing zone that is easy to overrun into the trees if you're long; the fairway takes a sharp turn left to a small green; and off the tee box you've got a good risk reward shot if you think you can clear the trees
  • #12 is an intimidating 186 yard par 3 with an elevated tee box and an over 160 yard carry over a pond that fronts the green
  • #13 is a 541 yard par 5 with a cluster of trees you need to fly or take a risky shot toward the right side of a tight tree lined fairway; your second shot needs to be accurate to position you for a sharp 90 degree dog leg right to the small green which is sloping back to front

All of the fairways at Pecan Trails Golf Course are tree lined (no homes on the course) and most are very tight.  If you miss the fairway it's 50/50 if you'll have a shot back to the fairway or be lost in the dense brush.  The fairways are in pretty rough shape with a mixture of dirt, ants, grass, and weeds. 

All of the greens are tiny and some of the smallest we've played - which puts a premium on your approach shots, I don't think I hit a single shot on the green from more than 80 yards out!  Most of the greens have some degree of slope.  They were running slow and very bumpy when we played. 

Good news - no bunkers to worry about.

Although not in the best of shape, Pecan Trails is an interesting layout and fun to play.

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Course Slope & Ratings

Tee Box Yardage Rating Slope
White 6,028
Red 5,578

Course Information

Greens Condition
5.0
Greens Difficulty
7.0
Fairway Condition
5.0
GPS:
No
Walkable:
Flat and easy
Course Map
Beware of water on 3 holes and the 0 sand traps.

Texas Outside Rating

Overall Rating:
7.0 out of 10
Beauty:
8.0
Difficulty:
7.7
Variety:
7.0
Fun to Play:
7.0
Value:
7.0
Condition:
5.0
Front Nine Rating:
6.5
Back Nine Rating:
7.7
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FEES & AMENITIES

Approximate Weekend
Rates: $25.00 to $25.00

The pro shop is small and home to a limited supply of golf equipment, some snacks, hot dogs, beer, and soft drinks. There is no putting green or driving range.

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Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard Rating

The Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this:  links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses! 
Texas Outside rates courses on the following:

  • Beauty – tall trees, rolling hills, beautiful houses, waterfalls, and similar stuff would score high; a 1 would be flat, bushes or cactus instead of trees, and some grass but mostly weeds
  • Difficulty – a straight, 300 yard par 4 with no traps or hazards, no out of bounds or water would probably get a 1; if it is a 460 yard par 4 over two ravines, with water along one side, natural hazards on the other, strategically placed traps or that dreaded tree right in the middle of the fairway, we are talking a 10. 
  • Variety – what would you give a course where all the holes looked and played exactly the same (“I thought we just played that hole!”); were side-by-side, which is good for finding or dodging other people’s balls, but not much fun; and you can see the flag from every tee box?  That’s right, it gets a 1.
  • Fun Scale – a 10 is where you walk off the course and say “now that was fun” and you can’t wait to get back, or you immediately turn around and play another 18 holes
  • Value – a 5 is $50 to $60, a 10 is $20 to $30, and 1 is $200 or so – of course all of this is dependent upon how you liked the course.  For example, if a run down, boring municipal course, with six players on each hole was only $10; it would still get a value rating of 1.
  • Condition – this one’s pretty easy – what condition are the fairways. A 10 commands very lush perfectly manicured fairways, compared to a 1, which has fire ants, weeds, and more dirt than grass!
  • Condition of Greens and Difficulty – very hard to read greens with lots of undulation and tough pin placement, rate very high on the difficulty scale.  Condition is self-explanatory.  

All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course.  In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40.  We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.