Michael Keizer Jr. he says he’s not inclined to build remote golf courses. Like his father, Mike Keizerthe developer of Dunes of Bandonhe goes where the land takes him best. Often, this means going off the beaten path.
His last stop is two and a half hours from Dallas and Houston, in the countryside of East Texas, where Dune Wild Spring takes shape Of two planned 18-holers, one has just opened to public play — a Tom Doak design stitched through a tapestry of forests and meadows, its rumpled features lined with spring-fed creeks.
The par-4 1st hole descends to the fairway from a rise known as Mount Baldy, which the routing touches on several occasions in a round that doubles as a varied adventure. In its terrain and style of play, on firm and fast ground with ample room for creativity around the greens, the course invites high comparisons. Doak himself compared it to Pinehurst, with more elevation changes, in a setting that he says is also reminiscent of Pine Valley. That’s a high bar. And there’s more to come, including a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw course, a short course, a putting course, a practice facility and private homes and estates.
Twenty minutes away, Nacogdoches, population 30,000, is the closest thing to a metropolis. It’s known as the oldest city in Texas, but it may soon have a new claim to fame: the gateway to the next great golf destination.
Green fees are $195-$295, depending on the season, with replay fees ranging from $100 to $140.
