Home Sweet Home: 7 Interesting Facts About PGA Frisco

Part educational hub, part workspace, part Resort, part Championship venue — the PGA of America’s sprawling new home in Frisco, Texas, defies easy description. 

The PGA of America’s new home will have everything golfers of any level could ask for. That includes industry-leading educational and coaching facilities,a luxury Omni Resort, restaurants, a par-3 course, two Championship Courses — one designed by Beau Welling, the other by Gil Hanse — and so much more.

At the center of it all is a 106,600-square-foot, four-story stone-and-steel building that houses the PGA of America’s home offices as well as a bevy of amenities for both PGA Members and Associates. One of the most prominent features is the training and education center, located on the ground floor. There you’ll find an indoor short game practice area, complete with a sand-filled bunker, a putting green and hitting bays. In terms of size and scope, it’s hardly the only impressive aspect of the campus, which was unveiled during the PGA of America Welcome Home Celebration.

It’s no coincidence that the first thing you notice when you enter the PGA of America headquarters is a massive video board displaying member photos. Throughout each day, headshots of all 28,000 PGA members appear on the screen on a rotating basis, a reminder of why this building exists.

Stare long enough at the serpentine zinc lines in the terrazzo floors in the building and you soon realize that you’re looking down at a small-scale golf course layout, one that’s “playable” via a mobile app.

“One of the things we did with the building is we worked in all kinds of easter eggs,” says PGA Member John Newkirk, a PGA of America Senior Director, and a man who had a big hand in everything you see at PGA Frisco.

One example of those hidden eggs is the wooden wall behind the reception desk, which is actually a three-dimensional installation modeled after a topographic map taken from Gil Hanse’s Course in Frisco.

Above that, the light fixture is sculpted in the pattern of the elevation changes at Fields Ranch East and at Beau Welling’s neighboring Fields Ranch West.

Elsewhere, illuminated messages appear as if by magic on the side of the main staircase — called the “Grandstand” — that leads to the upper floors, courtesy of hidden LED lights built into the wood paneling. 

And the truly eagle eyed will notice one of the more subtle eggs: The restrooms walls are dimpled like golf balls.

It’s all indicative of the level of care that went into every square inch of the building. “Everything you put your eyes on was a decision, from where to place the sprinkler heads to the handles on the doors,” Newkirk says. “It was years of decision making.”

The building’s ultra-modern design is a nod to the present and future, but the past has a place in the PGA of America complex, too.

Interactive video screens in the main lobby will educate visitors on Award Winners and other prominent PGA Members throughout the history of the Association. Next to those are display cases for PGA memorabilia and spots for the Wanamaker Trophy, the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Trophy and the Ryder Cup.

Now, back to that training and education center. The practice green is outfitted with state-of-the-art motion-capture sensors that allow for in-depth stroke analysis, and the 11 standard hitting bays and four simulator bays are likewise wired with lights and high-speed cameras for further swing dissection. 

Here, PGA Associates and Members will have the opportunity to work on their own games while learning how to use the newest technology — valuable information they can take back to their facilities and students.

There’s also a room where pupils can get hands on with the finer points of building and adjusting equipment, everything from regripping club shafts to using grinders to change the lie and loft of club faces.

Another attention grabber is the cavernous studio in the building’s north wing. Once completed, it will be equipped with the latest television and film cameras, as well as a giant green screen. Eventually, the PGA of America will use it to create video content. The studio will also provide broadcast partners like CBS and ESPN a place to set up shop during Championships.

Finally, what good is having a home overlooking gorgeous golf landscapes if they’re hidden behind walls and cubicles? The building’s architecture and an open-concept floor plan, provides scenic views and are bathed in natural light. 

There are also exterior patios with ample seating that will provide places for outdoor meetings and events, or a moment of quiet reflection.

“We wanted the place to have warmth and energy,” Newkirk says. “When you come in and look around, you’re immersed in the game.”