A project years in the making for TCU is finally coming to fruition
As TCU razes buildings, buys more real estate and expands its campus, one project that had been in the discussion and drawing phase seemingly since the day before the dawn of man is now ready to break real ground.
Unlike those other grand projects that are easily visible, this particular venture will affect a small number of people with the intention of having a nice impact on the school’s athletic department.
TCU and Colonial Country Club have the funding and agreements in place to build a facility at Colonial to make it a designated “home” for the school’s men’s and women’s golf teams. In the niche sport of college golf, this is a major advancement for both programs as they try to keep up in the logic-depraved world of recruiting.
The new “golf performance center” is scheduled to begin construction in July, or August, with an expected completion date before the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge, according to Colonial president Frank Cordeiro.
“Both Colonial and TCU are iconic institutions in Fort Worth and this relationship is one we value and look forward to grow; one of the ways we’re going to do that is this center,” Cordeiro said Wednesday. “Plans are completed, and now it’s a question of just getting it on the schedule to start.”
The 5,000 square foot facility will be built near the driving range. It will feature hitting bays, a locker room for the respective teams, offices, and a “lounge” area for the players. A short range facility is already completed; that facility was built in conjunction with TCU.
This will all fit into a development project at Colonial which includes the construction of a new main building, as well as a course redesign that took one year to complete.
This will not be a conventional home course where the players can come and go as needed. There will be designated times when the players can play nine, or 18 holes. The facility will serve as a point of sale that the coaches can market to recruits, which is the priority.
TCU had previously been approached by other clubs, in Arlington and Burleson, to call courses in those respective areas “home.” Because of proximity, the answer was always, “Thanks but no thanks.”
For more than 25 years, TCU’s home and practice courses have rotated between Fort Worth’s country clubs Colonial, Shady Oaks, Mira Vista, River Crest and Ridglea. When those clubs are closed, or don’t have availability, TCU will also use some of the public courses in the area, namely Hawks Creek Golf Club.
TCU’s hope is to maintain its relationship with those respective clubs to allow its players to continue to use those courses as needed.
TCU’s goal has always been to make Colonial a home, because of prestige, its affiliation with an annual PGA Tour event, and geography. The club is less than one mile from the offices of the TCU athletic department.
Despite its success in both men’s and women’s golf, the respective programs have never had a designated area to be its home. That’s not entirely uncommon in college golf, but the programs at TCU had a few more logistical challenges to slalom than the norm. Neither program has a designated area for meeting space; in such instances, they have to be reserved.
Even though college golf is a niche among the niche, and the teams feature approximately seven to 10 players, to those who play, and support it, the game is a passion and a priority.
In the last decade, programs at Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, N.C. State, Arizona State, Wake Forest, among a few others, have invested heavily into its golf programs by building facilities that look like they’re more for the football team.
The state of the TCU men’s program has dipped in the last few years; the last time it reached the NCAA championships was 2021, under former coach Bill Montigel. Montigel was the head coach for 36 years, and he led the program to top 20 finishes at the NCAA Championships 13 times.
For a variety of reasons, starting with his age and pressure from influential boosters, his contract was not renewed after the 2022-’23 season. He has since sued the school for age discrimination; the case remains unresolved, and mostly unaddressed.
His successor, Bill Allcorn, has struggled to restore the state of the program to the level that Montigel had established. The team finished last in the 2024 Big 12 Championships, and fifth in 2025.
The women’s program under long time coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin has remained more consistent; that team has reached the NCAA Championships nine times, including most recently in 2023.
The hope is by adding this facility it will allow for both programs to “catch up” to the top tier of the sport.
This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
