Upgrades at Houston-area facility preserve tradition, promote test
HOUSTON – The Clubs at Kingwood, a member of Invited Clubs’ national portfolio of member properties, is proud to announce the grand reopening of the Deerwood Club following a comprehensive greens renovation.
Deerwood, a beautiful layout that for eight years was home to the Doug Sanders’s PGA TOUR Champions event, is regarded as one of the premier courses in Texas.
It is ranked among the top courses in Texas by the Dallas Morning News and has hosted qualifiers for the PGA TOUR. Its iconic 13th hole was made famous in the movie Tin Cup, further cementing its status as a Texas golfing landmark.
The greens renovation project was a transformative initiative designed to enhance the quality, playability, and longevity of the course’s greens while honoring its storied history. The project restored the greens to their original 1982 design, recapturing the aesthetic and strategic elements envisioned by the course’s founding architects.
By expanding the greens to their original sizes, the course added an impressive 40,000 square feet of putting surface, offering more varied pin placements and strategic challenges that make Deerwood truly unique.
A high-quality greens mix was installed and carefully prepared to protect the health of TifEagle Bermuda greens and Tahoma 31 surrounds, ensuring vibrant, resilient putting surfaces. Tee boxes were resurfaced with Tahoma 31 to enhance playability and visual appeal, while drainage and irrigation modifications ensured optimal turf growth.
Additional improvements included planting TifTuf Bermuda sod in select weak areas, recontouring cutting patterns, tree work, and refreshing tree beds with pine straw and black mulch, further elevating the course’s aesthetics and overall playing experience.
“These reinvestments into Deerwood underscore our commitment to providing the best member experience possible,” said Ben Derauf, regional manager for Invited Clubs. “The Deerwood Course is a cherished Texas treasure, and this comprehensive renovation ensures enhanced playability, strategic challenge, and long-term sustainability.”