The Tribute Golf Club

The Tribute Golf Club predates its neighbour Old American by a decade and established Tripp Davis's reputation for links-inspired design in North Texas. Opened in 2000 on the banks of Lake Lewisville in The Colony, the course takes its name literally. Each hole references a famous links hole from Scotland and Ireland, adapting the strategic principles of those originals to the lakeside terrain north of Dallas. The concept could easily have produced something gimmicky. It did not. Davis translated the ideas rather than copying the shapes, and the result is a course with genuine links character on a site that shares none of the coastal geography of its inspirations.

At 7,002 yards with a par of 72, The Tribute plays at a length that is approachable for most golfers. The course rating of 73.2 and slope of 122 confirm what the design suggests: this is a course that rewards smart play more than it punishes mistakes. The slope is the lowest in this guide, reflecting wide fairways, minimal forced carries, and green complexes that accept a variety of approach angles. The difficulty comes not from penal hazards but from the wind off Lake Lewisville and from greens that, like their Scottish models, reward the golfer who reads the contours before putting rather than relying on speed alone.

The firm turf and minimal irrigation on the playing surfaces create conditions that feel different from the lush resort courses common in DFW. The ball bounces and runs in ways that most Texas golfers do not encounter on their home courses, and learning to use the ground rather than carry every shot through the air is part of the experience. Davis designed the course to be played along the ground when conditions allow, and a well-executed bump-and-run into a green with a back-to-front slope can be more effective than a lofted approach that lands and stops.

The Tribute shares a booking platform and management structure with Old American, and the two courses are located within minutes of each other in The Colony. Playing both in a single day or across consecutive days provides a natural comparison: The Tribute as the more accessible, more overtly links-inspired layout, and Old American as the more demanding, more architecturally refined course. The pairing works because the courses complement rather than duplicate each other. The Colony itself sits roughly 25 minutes south of Frisco, making both courses practical additions to a PGA Frisco-anchored itinerary without excessive driving.

The course has accumulated recognition since its opening. Golf Digest ranked it 78th in its "Best in the US" list, and the Dallas Morning News named it the top daily-fee course in North Texas. These distinctions reflect the strength of Davis's routing and the consistency of the maintenance programme, which keeps the links-style turf firm and the greens rolling at speeds that reward touch over aggression.

Green fees of $100 to $175 place The Tribute in the middle of the DFW daily-fee market. The conditioning is good, the design has character, and the lakeside setting adds visual quality that elevates the round. For the travelling golfer building a multi-day itinerary, The Tribute slots naturally alongside Old American and provides a links experience that, while not equivalent to the Scottish originals, is closer in spirit than anything else available in the North Texas region.