Vaquero Club

The Vaquero Club is the centerpiece of the Discovery Land Company’s vision to build an exclusive gated country club community similar to their earlier successes at Estancia in Scottsdale, AZ, and Iron Horse in Whitefish, MO. Lots go for around $1 million, the initiation approaches six figures, and PGA Tour players such as Brian Watts, Brant Jobe, Harrison Frazar and Justin Leonard are making their presence known at this super-upscale golf facility.

Tom Fazio was hired to lay this one out amongst the rolling hills and groves of cedar and oak trees that are so prominent to this part of Texas. For aesthetics, the club has planted pistachio trees, which will sport their majestic red shades in the fall. Fazio’s design features narrow fairways that are lined by thick, two-foot high coastal Bermuda rough. The pro-style bent-grass greens are slick, running an average of 10 on the stimpmeter. The best opportunities to score are early in the round, as the holes become increasingly more difficult as you work your way towards No. 18.

Fazio inserted an impressive waste-bunker on the 476-yard No. 6, covering almost 5 acres and creating an interesting look to the hole. The signature No. 16 goes almost 600 yards, but can be handled if you keep it in the fairway and out of the nasty rough. Watch for the huge bunker that borders the green.

Vaquero is first-class all the way, complete with Titleist Pro V1 range balls, uniformed caddies, a gourmet chef who prepares lunch at the turn, and a welcome no-cell phone-policy that is sure to be grossly violated by the deep-pocket execs who pay big bucks to play here.

Getting there : On Hwy 114 going west, you’ll pass through Grapevine and Southlake and eventually reach the Solana office complex.