Pine Dunes Resort

Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Club sits in the Piney Woods of East Texas near Frankston, on ground that once held a rustic nine-hole course called Dogwood Trails. Owner Jodi Lutz bought the property in the late 1990s, and a chance visit from PGA Tour player David Frost changed its future: Frost thought the sandy, pine-covered land felt like Pinehurst and urged her to build something bigger. Lutz brought in the father-and-son design team of Jay and Carter Morrish, who replaced the old nine with a full 18 that opened for play in 2001. Their par-72 routing rests on natural sand hills, winding through century-old pines and dogwoods, with native sand washes and reddish-brown bunkers adding to the Carolina-sandhills feel. The daily-fee course quickly drew national notice, earning a reputation as one of the finest public layouts in Texas and a celebrated hidden gem well off the beaten path.