COLUMBUS, Texas – The Covey at Big Easy Ranch, Chet Williams’ Lone Star masterpiece, has been named Best New Course in America, private, by Golf Digest for 2024, highlights a dazzling rise for the private golf and hunt club 75 miles west of Houston.
The culmination of the vision of Louisiana native and Houston businessman Billy Brown and the creative architecture genius of Texas native Williams.
“The property where The Covey is located was blessed with many beautiful natural features and elements,” said Williams. “The goal was to incorporate them into the design and I feel we were successful in doing this.
Last year, the Covey at Big Easy Ranch was named Best New Course in Texas and Top 10 in the state by the Dallas Morning News in its annual statewide survey.
Big Easy is the first new Texas layout over the last 30 years to be named best in the US by Golf Digest, the original national ranking publication.
Brown, who first opened the 2,000-acre facility in 2016 as a hunting ranch for friends, family and customers, originally hired Williams to design a par 3 course. He then added the par 72 championship layout which opened in the spring of 2023.
“We are very excited about this prestigious award selecting The Covey golf course as the Best New golf course in America from a very competitive field of new courses around the country,” said Brown. “We want to thank Chet Williams for his brilliance in this design and hard work along with all our team for making the Covey a special place for years to come for our members and their guests.”
In its story announcing the national award Golf Digest was effusive in its praise of the Lone Star Links.
“The Covey might have been just another pretty course if it had not been for Williams’ dynamic and often devilish set of greens,” the story said in its January issue.
It labeled the par 4 eight hole, ‘Split Decision,’ a instant classic for its options to drive either to the alternative left or right fairways.
Late last year, Brown opened the Eagles Nest, the only two-story halfway house in Texas between the 9th green and 10th tee, and one of the few nationally.
“Mr. Brown’s vision and passion, Chet’s incredible design and just a beautiful piece of land were the perfect recipe for creatin g what we have in the Covey,” said PGA General Manager Ricky Lyons.
Whispering Pines Golf Club, annually ranked No. 1 in Texas, also designed by Williams, and Dallas National Club designed by Tom Fazio were ranked No. 2 in the country by Golf Digest when they opened in Texas.
“In working for Jack Nicklaus one of the primary things I took was that a golf course should be a beautiful place and it should have a variety of interesting and fun holes,” Williams added. “At The Covey we achieved this as well as any I’ve ever been a part of.”
