The 2023 Andrew Green redesign has transformed Vaquero Club into a compelling, modern test for members and their guests. While it won’t appear on national rankings or major championship lists, expect a meticulously conditioned course that rewards creativity, precision, and shot variety.
Vaquero Club exemplifies the modern, member-focused strategic blueprint—lifted by Andrew Green’s recent overhaul. The routing now embraces the site’s every wrinkle, with widened fairways, newly contoured greens, and bunkers reborn for both visual drama and tactical dilemma. Rather than brute length or showy hazards, Vaquero’s defense comes from decision points and subtle elevation, letting creativity thrive. The final holes, with their devilish green complexes and demanding approaches, etch themselves into memory and scorecards alike. Conditioning is meticulous, tee variety excellent, and the new greens provide a canvas for bold recoveries and nervy lag putts.
Andrew Green’s vision built on Fazio’s legacy, delivering a reinvigorated course that balances high-level club play with member-friendly fun.
Vaquero’s first hole launches your round with options—favor the bold right side to shorten the path to the green, but beware the risk. After its reversal in the redesign, it sets the day’s strategic tone.
A precise drive rewards a daring angle, letting long hitters attack in two.
Push too far and you’ll find rough and awkward angles—playing safe may leave a tricky layup.
Immaculate greens and lush fairways; club invests heavily in agronomy.
Steady member pace—expect a thoughtful, unrushed round, especially on busy days.
Upmarket, secure, and quietly exclusive with a friendly-yet-focused member culture.
Strict private club attire; golf shirts, slacks/shorts, metal spikes prohibited.
You’ll need spin control and distance precision—the rebuilt greens reward smart attacking angles.
With tough rough and smart bunkering, up-and-down skills are key to limiting damage.
Capitalize on the scoring chances upfront, as the closing stretch gets exponentially harder.
Open site lines and exposed greens mean conditions can swirl, especially on elevated holes.
Vaquero Club opens, designed by Tom Fazio on former ranch land
Begins appearing in Golf Digest Texas Best in State rankings
Course closes for a comprehensive redesign by Andrew Green
Course reopens after Green's redesign—new holes, greens, and routing
Receives praise for more strategic, playable, and polished layout
Vaquero rises from the legacy of the Circle T Ranch, once the playground of oil magnates and equestrian aristocrats, now transformed into a sanctuary for the golf-obsessed. The land’s subtle movement and open skies remain the course’s living soul.
When Andrew Green led the makeover, he reversed entire holes, carved out new lines of attack, and added wild new contours to the greens. Members immediately felt more options off the tee—and much more stress standing over a big putt.
The post-renovation par-5 16th is now the club’s feared gauntlet: nearly 600 winding yards and a wicked green protected by a broad, penal bunker. Survive it, and you’ll leave with a story for the bar.
Despite its size and polish, Vaquero is not a stage for television or traveling golfers—it is a course tailored for its private community, where every round sharpens friendships and, now, demands sharper course management.
The course sits on historic ranchland once owned by the legendary Hunt family.
Bunker count increased after the renovation, but total sand acreage dropped by 60%.
The 2023 redesign reversed the nines—a rarity even in major renovations.
Vaquero’s precision agronomy uses state-of-the-art green cooling and moisture control systems.
The closing run is notorious for breaking even the best member’s rounds.
Modern championship test, top bookable new course
Links-inspired, scenic, and accessible
Solid North DFW public alternative
Historic tour venue, Fort Worth’s jewel
Southlake or Las Colinas for easy airport access and centrality
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: If Vaquero Club is your kind of course, Essex County Country Club is worth a look because it puts the same premium on presentation.
Why it matches: Shoreacres Golf Club is a natural next stop after Vaquero Club: it keeps the shot-making repertoire broad.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Cherokee Town and Country Club offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to Vaquero Club.
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