Blackjack National Golf Houston

Anticipation for the first Tiger Woods-designed golf course in the U.S. is only part of what’s creating excitement for the new property outside of Houston. “The Fort,” a youth-oriented complex that will include an old-time burger joint, movie theater, bowling alley, sleepover bunk, tennis and pickleball courts, ropes course and zipline, is also building buzz for the 400-home community.

Amid all the ground game frivolity, Woods told GOLF.com that the hole that will get people talking about Bluejack National is the par-3 12th, the only hole on the course that demands a forced carry. The 18-hole Houston National course at the Houston National Golf Club facility in Houston, features 7,337 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 74.5 and it has a slope rating of 139 on Bermuda grass. Designed by von Hagge, Smelek & Baril, the Houston National golf course opened in 2000. Kelly Lotton manages the course as the General Manager.

Construction has started at Bluejack National near Montgomery, Texas, outside of Houston, for a highly anticipated project that will include an 18-hole, Tiger Woods-designed golf course in addition to other amenities and residential communities, The Courier of Montgomery County reported.

The 755 acres of Bluejack National, located on the site of the former Blaketree National Golf Club, will be the first land to hold a golf course of Woods’ design in the United States, and second overall in the world, The Courier reported. Bluejack had offers from other potential designers but ultimately decided to go with Woods, according to Bluejack National President Casey Paulson, due to his concepts and desire to work with the community, The Courier reported.

Blackjack National Club

Beacon Land Development originally announced the project’s start, while Medalist Golf Inc. is constructing the project with help from Houston-based Jones & Carter Inc. and Dallas-based Lantern Asset Management, The Courier reported.

Bluejack will be home to 400 residential units, including cottages and estate homes for golf enthusiasts, but it also is expected to appeal to the expanding market in Houston of people looking for a getaway home, as well as a business-prone demographic, The Courier reported.

“We believe we’ll have people from all over the country who’ve made Houston a part of their business life, and that’s how they’ll discover us,” sales executive Andrew Whitacre. “Houston’s all about business, the ability for companies to thrive here.”

Businessmen and women won’t be the only target market, as the project will also include a new youth-oriented center called “The Fort,” The Courier reported.

In The Fort, guests will have access to an old-time burger joint, a movie theater, bowling alley, a bunk for sleepovers, tennis courts and pickle ball, according to Sales Executive Matt Johnson.

“We’ll also have a ropes course and zip lining,” he said. “I also can imagine a corporate group comes in, plays golf during the week, and they do team-building exercises on the ropes course and enjoy the Fort. I think the parents will enjoy the Fort concept just as much as the kids do. It’s really a place where you can get away.”

A 9-hole course and a driving range are due to open at Blackjack National in the spring of 2015, The Courier reported, while the entire course could open as early as the end of 2015 or early 2016.

“We’re really proud to have Tiger Woods,” Whitacre said. “He’s still the biggest name in golf [and] sort of goes in line with the list of exceptional people who’ve come together to bring this course to the golf community.”

Blackjack National Golf Course Houston

The golf course will offer a blend of difficulty for even the most experienced players, The Courier reported, but is still planned to be “enjoyable” due to its low percentage of rough areas.

“Not having roughs, and only having one cut of grass, makes it so you can find your ball,” Whitacre said. “You’re not going to be spending a bunch of time out there looking for lost balls. You’ll be able to find your ball and get back to playing golf. You’re pretty much always going to have a swing of the ball unless you get really off the mark.

Blackjack National Golf Club

“I think the best players in the world are going to find this to be a really fun and exciting course to play,” he added. “It has a fun factor [and] golf is supposed to be fun.”