Leonard ventures into new course design in home state

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Special to PGATOUR.COM

Justin Leonard displays the plans for his new golf course.

Justin Leonard played golf at the University of Texas. Tripp Davis played golf at the University of Oklahoma. In most circumstances, their collegiate differences would prevent them from exchanging pleasantries and perhaps even be grounds to drop their clubs and start throwing punches. After all, Longhorns and Sooners aren't supposed to get along. Never have.

But Leonard and Davis have put aside the inherent animosity that their respective schools have for the other and are collaborating on designing a new golf course near Leonard's hometown of Dallas. The Old American Golf Club will be the newest course at The Tribute, an upscale residential development with golf as its unabashed centerpiece.

Special to PGATOUR.COM

Justin Leonard hits off the "tee" at the course he is building.

Actually, the two already have a working relationship. They met in 2005 and immediately set out on the design work for Shorefox Golf Club in Granby, Col. Leonard -- the 36-year-old former British Open champ who will be seeking his first PGA TOUR win of the season at this week's Valero Texas Open, a tournament he's already won three times -- didn't have to think twice about joining up with Davis, a former Oklahoma All-American.

"I knew Tripp when he was playing golf for OU," Leonard said. "I knew at some point that I wanted to test the design waters, but I also wanted to wait for the right person and the right project. I turned down several opportunities until Tripp came along."

Their current project, the Old American Golf Club, is an "inspired by" layout that showcases what the design duo describes as the "timeless features of the Golden Age of American golf course architecture."

Said Davis: "The Old American Golf Club presents a thrilling opportunity to match golf's most enduring design elements with a spectacular canvas. The finished product will delight architecture buffs and everyday players with recognizable features from famous and storied courses throughout the U.S. and Texas."

The Old American Golf Club is scheduled to open early this fall. It will complement the Tribute's highly ranked Old Course, also designed by Davis. Calling upon Davis' time spent teaching and studying the craft in Scotland, The Old Course is a collection of holes culled from the country's British Open rota.

Davis, an admitted hands-on designer who only takes on a small number of projects simultaneously, said Leonard is as involved and exacting as any player/designer he has worked with over the years. What may surprise many, though, is that Leonard has actually taken on the role of lobbyist for the average golfer.

"I play a lot of pro-ams, and I know what the 15 or 25 handicap player is thinking when he stands on the tee," Leonard said. "Our objective is to try to get that golfer around the course while challenging better players with a variety of shots and options. This diversity can be accomplished by designing multiple, strategic options into each hole. There should be more than one way to play the hole, even from the same tee box, with each option possessing unique risk/reward values."

Davis and Leonard, Longhorn and Sooner, put their rooting interests aside before touring and playing a handful of America's classic golf courses prior to starting the design process for the Old American Golf Club.

"It was kind of natural with me being from Dallas and with Tripp's experience on designing quality courses," Leonard said. "He's challenged me to think about why I like certain holes, and then to be able to take that from paper to the field and see it come to life."

As a result of the sojourn, the Old American Golf Club looks the part: The natural contours, hazard styles and green shapes of such storied venues as Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links, Prairie Dunes and Crystal Downs are woven throughout the layout.

Fans of such venerable architects as Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast will recognize design elements favored by these pillars of the Golden Age. Eight holes front Lake Lewisville, and with the use of native grasses and mounding, the entire layout will have a markedly classic feel.

Not overly long, Leonard and Davis' canvas measures approximately 7,100 yards from the back tees. The closing stretch is sure to become one of the better finishes in the area, capable of dramatic scoring swings. The 16th is a drivable par 4, the 17th a short par 3 and 18 a reachable par 5.

Traveling golfers take note: There are eight luxury guest suites located on the second floor of The Tribute's 33,000-square-foot English Tudor style clubhouse. Each suite is named for a famous British Open golf club and features balconies with views of the golf courses and Lake Lewisville.

The Tribute is located 23 miles north of DFW International Airport, and about a 30-minute drive from downtown Dallas. For more information, visit www.thetribute.com.