Inside Omni PGA Frisco: Championship Golf With Texas-Sized Hospitality

North of Dallas, in the fast-growing city of Frisco (AKA “Sports City USA”), the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa anchors a 660-acre campus that the PGA of America now calls home. Two tournament-caliber courses — Fields Ranch East by Gil Hanse and Fields Ranch West by Beau Welling — spread through Blackland prairie and along Panther Creek, alternating between wide corridors and exacting green complexes. For those looking for something more casual, the property leans into the lighter side of golf, too, with two experiences: The Swing, a lighted 10-hole short course, and The Dance Floor, a sprawling two-acre putting course.

Fields Ranch East hosted the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and the venue is set to stage the 2027 PGA Championship. The latter marks a men’s major golf returning to North Texas for the first time in nearly six decades.

Travelers come for more than a couple rounds. The 451-room resort has four pools, a full-service spa, and 13 restaurants. It’s also easy to get to: DFW International Airport sits is about a 35- to 40-minute drive away.

Beyond the courses and resort, Omni PGA Frisco anchors the greater PGA Frisco headquarters, a sprawling administrative and events campus for the PGA of America’s operations. Nearby, the Monument Realty PGA District is the broad entertainment area of the property that’s made up of a walkable collection of restaurants, retail, performance venues, driving bays, and social gathering spots.

I caught up with Paul Earnest, director of golf and operations at Omni PGA Frisco, to learn more about what makes the resort such a draw for people who travel for golf.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Matador Network: How do the design philosophies at the two-course complement and contrast?

Paul Earnest: I’ve heard both architects, Gil Hanse and Beau Welling, refer to them as cousins. Certainly, they have some similar characteristics like the generosity off of the tee boxes and the shaping of the bunkers, but they are definitely not in the same family. The East course gets much tighter the closer that you get to the hole, whereas the West course offers continued wide open spaces but challenging putting opportunities. On the West, you can roll the ball many times from long distances.

What are some of the routing decisions that you hope will become signature moments?

Both courses offer driveable par 4s, which is a common Championship feature that helps bring both risk/reward and general excitement, whether in a Championship or just playing with your friends and colleagues. Overall, there is a lot of room to play from, meaning that you can go find it and play it again, rather than dense forests or large bodies of water where penalties must be incurred. So, this always brings an element of hope for the golfer.

The Swing and Dance Floor add playful, accessible formats. How do you view their role in the overall playing menu for guests?

The Swing and Dance Floor were essential to the overall offering. These two areas may be the best around in bringing people to the game and growing the sport of golf. To see families and friends across the Dance Floor enjoying the game and each other is a magical scene at Fields Ranch. The Swing really removes all intimidation while providing a realistic look at what to expect on the Championship-level courses.

How did climate influence bunker placements, green complexes, or play design from day one?

This question is certainly best answered by the architects themselves; however, both Gil Hanse and Beau Welling were pleasantly surprised at the topography provided across this 660-acre farmland to utilize. While not so much the direction of the wind, both realized that wind would play a significant role in the play in Frisco, Texas.

For a luxury traveler who arrives wanting more than just golf, how does OMNI make the transition seamless from the course and beyond?

Many resorts boast about the service details and staff culture as important traits of their resort. At OMNI PGA Frisco, the team works tirelessly to make real connections and deliver personal experiences to help capture the highlight moments of our guests respective stays. The OMNI supports a culture of personalized service and combined with North Texas hospitality, our guests often tell us the impressions and moments that we help them capture.

On the resort side, which dining, spa, or amenity moments are deliberately tied to the golf?

The entirety of the resort speaks to the golf theme. The amenity center in each room is created to resemble a locker space as a prime example. On the food and beverage side, two of our restaurants in the PGA District offer hitting bays to enjoy while you eat.

Are there any “first rounds,” architectural anecdotes, or surprise vistas on course you hope guests talk about long after their stay?

For the East course, which is primarily walking only, we want the guests to experience the natural beauty of the rolling terrain that not long ago was a working cattle ranch. We want the interactions with a caddie to bring them a feature that many have not previously enjoyed. For the West course, there are some uniquely challenging putting greens that often capture people’s imagination and what is possible in the short game.

How do the championships and partnerships influence daily operations, event ambitions, and the draw for more than just playing?

We want to deliver an experience that many tour players get to have as a part of their routine. One example of this is the selection of premium golf balls that you can choose for your warm-up. We support Callaway, TaylorMade, and Titleist golf balls on demand for your warm-up.

Similar to our practice ball offerings, we offer the latest clubs from each of our primary manufacturers. So, if you want to try the latest models or simply don’t want to hassle with your clubs, we are ready to deliver a first-class preferential experience.

Our practice area is equipped with TopTracer technology. Our golfers can warm up and dial in their distances and even let their experiences suggest what tees they should be playing from on their round.

What sustainability or ecological practices are embedded that reflect your location in Texas?

Sustainability and ecological responsibility were important values since the inception of the property. On Gil Hanse East course, approximately 60 acres were left completely undisturbed. The areas of the course that were disturbed were intentionally reclaimed with many natural and native grass types. The golf property has approximately 8,000 irrigation heads giving the team full control of water management depending on grass and soil types all while using reclaimed effluent water [treated and purified waste water] from the City of Frisco that would otherwise go directly into creeks, streams, and lakes. Ongoing, the many wetland areas that remain in the flood plain are restored and virtually untouched to provide natural habitats for the wildlife that remains on the course. Finally, the architectural use of the land is an ode to the cattle ranch from years previous. It is virtually impossible to play either course without feeling the rolling footprint of the pastures that spread across this acreage.