by DAVID R. HOLLAND
FRANKSTON, TEXAS
F
RANKSTON, Texas – The expected celebrity photos in Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Course’s pro shop include the NFL’s highest-paid man, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (came with former Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell), and President George W. Bush. It is proof anyone can venture to the USA’s premier hidden gem. “Pine Dunes is the best hidden gem in America,” said The Golf Channel’s Shane Bacon, Co-Host of Golf Today. “I’m telling you, it is a must play. Hard to find, off the beaten path, but when you find this golf course, it is one of the most spectacular 18-hole courses you’ll ever play.” Golfweek likes Pine Dunes so much it was ranked the No. 1 course in Texas at one time. All the major golf magazine rankings love Pine Dunes and Golf Digest declared it as a “Best Places to Play in America” and awarded it a 4.5 rating (out of 5). Now in its 20th season, Pine Dunes has added new lodging with dreams of a new clubhouse and a heralded membership drive. Named Double Eagle Club at Pine Dunes, I was lucky enough to be one of the first to spend the night in the upscale lodging, complete with high tech lighting, shades, DirecTV and bathroom plumbing Herb Kohler would like. My room also had a view of No. 18 green and the driving range and was next door to the beautiful Great Room where owner Jodi Lutz hosted a wine tasting event for the grand opening. The Great Room is complete with kitchen, fireplace, jumbo table for meetings, large-screen TV and plenty of relaxation couches. East Texas Hideaway and its History Here in East Texas, where the Deep South ends with its western boundary, folks still eat grits, sit on front-porch rockers to cool off on hot summer evenings, drive pickups, say howdy and pitch in to help their neighbors. But driving in to Frankston there are no highway signs declaring it as home to one of the best golf courses in the United States. That’s curious. Back in late ’90, Ms. Lutz, a young entrepreneur, and a former pro figure skater from Minnesota, was looking for a unique investment opportunity. Lutz, a senior portfolio manager for some D-FW professional athletes and creator of a million-dollar art supply business, was dabbling in commercial real estate when her agent posed this question: “How would you like to own a golf course?”
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Golf Vacations • December 2021 33
