A new 18-hole public golf course is currently under construction in San Marcos, but what makes this new course so special is, according to the National Golf Foundation, it is the first new public, 18-hole golf course to be built in Texas in the past five years.
The Kissing Tree Golf Course, which is developed adjacent to the Kissing Tree 55-plus community, is a product of Brookfield Residential Properties (BRP), and is expected to open next winter in 2017.
The course will be managed by Troon, which is the “largest third-party manager of golf and club operations in the world,” according to a BRP press release, “offering its customary level of quality typically available only at luxury golf courses.”
BRP selected golf course architect, Gary Stephenson, to design the course. Stephenson, a Texas resident himself, has developed a style of golf design and land planning that works with the natural character of the land’s footprint..
“We have assembled an exceptionally qualified team to design and manage the course, and we’re excited to have construction underway,” Dirk Gosda, senior vice president at BRP, said. “We’re confident this course will be another great way for residents and visitors to experience the natural Texas Hill Country at Kissing Tree.”
Kissing Tree Golf Course is currently working toward certification as a Signature Program facility with Audubon International. Audubon International is an environmental and conservation assistance program created to help landowners adhere to comprehensive sustainable resource management principles. To meet Audubon standards, BRP says “the course will use natural fertilizers and be watered with potable and reclaimed water. The course will serve as an extension of the natural landscape, blending grades on the edges and bringing the slopes and contours of the landscape into the fairways.”
At full build-out, Kissing Tree development plans include roughly 3,200 homes. Homes will range from approximately 1,400 to 3,400 square feet and prices will range from approximately $250,000 to $500,000. The golf course will serve as the centerpiece of the development. In addition to the golf course, BRP representatives say the community will also include an 18-hole putting course and state-of-the-art golf clubhouse, as well as a collection of indoor and outdoor amenities at the community’s social focal point, called The Mix and hundreds of acres are planned to be reserved for parks, trails and green space.
