Houston Texas - Stadium Lighted (short) Course and Range Opens for Play

[GolfSpy TCB]

Houston Texas' East River's non-fussy take on golf gives Houstonians first glimpse of game-changing East End project this month.

Twilight on a golf course is usually a time when players pack their bags for the day as darkness settles in over the field. But on a recent evening at East River 9, a new golf course opening this week in the East End, golfers are just starting to get out their clubs to practice their swings at the course’s driving range as the downtown city lights twinkles in the distance.

Nearby, globe string lights illuminate an expansive outdoor patio where the hum of an Astros game mingles with ‘80s rock emanating from a restaurant. Soon, restaurant visitors will be able to lounge on oversized patio chairs while watching blue herons swoop over a man-made lake as evening golfers meander under the course lit up by stadium-style lighting.

Midway’s new East River 9 isn’t a traditional golf course with a stuffy country club and pricey fees. It’s a community-oriented take on the sport that proposes to offer a fun experience for experts and beginners alike. East River 9’s driving range and restaurant, called Riverhouse, quietly opened last week at 65 Hirsch Road, about three miles east of downtown Houston on Buffalo Bayou. The rest of the golf course officially opened Friday – and already about 800 golfers have signed up to play its first weekend.

East River 9 represents the public’s introduction to East River, the game-changing, 150-acre mixed-use rapidly rising in the East End by Houston-based real estate firm Midway. While it will take 15 to 20 years to realize Midway’s entire vision for the $2.5 billion project, the opening of the restaurant and golf course gives visitors their first taste of how Midway is aiming to transform the public perception of Buffalo Bayou.

"This is an opportunity to really change the way people interact the bayou,” said Anna Deans, vice president of investment and development at Midway. “We've been talking about how this can become this amazing public space. But I think until people see it and experience it, it's still kind of hard to grasp.”

Located on the eastern edge of the East River development, the 25-acre golf course is on a peninsula surrounded by water on all three sides. That creates a unique view of downtown and the bayou that previously was closed off to the public because of the site’s former use as an industrial property by the construction firm Brown & Root (which later became the engineering and construction  firm KBR).

“It’s a side of Houston that has not been widely traveled or experienced by many before," said Clayton Freels, vice president at Midway. "We were thinking of ways to bring Houstonians out and we had to do to something special.”

Midway ripped out about 10 acres of asphalt and cement on the site to install a verdant swath of grass rolling alongside the water. The company partnered with Houston Audubon Society to plant live oak trees, crepe myrtles and muhly grass to create a better environment for birds and wildlife. The lush grass will be irrigated by untreated bayou water rather than relying on city drinking water.

“It’s less about the golf and more about opening up this site for the first time in 75 years,” Freels said. “The golf course creates this green-scape and natural beauty. You’re in the city but you feel so removed from the hustle and bustle of the urban sprawl.”

With accessibility in mind, Midway opted for a smaller golf course with only nine holes (instead of a standard 18 holes). The par-3 course takes about one mile of walking from start to finish; players can complete a game in a little more than an hour.

The shorter holes a good for beginners, but also for experienced players with time constraints or those who want to practice short-game golfing skills such as pitching,  chipping and putting.

The smaller size also makes it easier to illuminate the field with stadium-style lighting, allowing golfers to play past sunset.  East River 9 will open into the late evening on weekdays, with the last tee time starting at 9 p.m.

Midway is working with the nonprofit PGA Reach Southern Texas and Fifth Ward-area Phillis Wheatley High School on various programs aimed at getting veterans and young people  to experience the site through events or afterschool programming.

Non-golfers can enjoy the site, too.  Alongside the golf course, Midway constructed six courts for pickleball -- an increasingly popular sport that combines tennis, badminton and ping pong.

A new restaurant, called Riverhouse, is located inside an old warehouse converted into 10,000 square-foot eatery with a laidback, brewery-like atmosphere. Texas restaurateur Don Cristopher founder of DKC Companies, the group behind Cyclone Anaya’s Tex-Mex and Otto’s BBQ -- crafted a new American menu of panini sandwiches, honey-habanero salmon, wagyu chicken fried steak, cheeseburgers and roasted pecan pies. So far Riverhouse has hosted a handful of small events at the site through a soft opening in recent weeks.

“So far our guest have been very excited about the venue, especially with the views looking back to downtown Houston and the bayou. "It’s been neat to see it come to life,” Freels said.

 - Article from: Houston Chronicle

[GolfSpy TCB]

I haven't tried this facility out yet, but having an opportunity to play some holes after dark is definitely appealing to me  .  Years ago, I played a lighted course in Las Vegas (Angel Park I think) and it was a blast.  Has anyone else played any golf under the stadium lights???

[MacTourney]

Love seeing projects like this, a win-win across the board.

[GolfSpy_APH]

1 hour ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

I haven't tried this facility out yet, but having an opportunity to play some holes after dark is definitely appealing to me  .  Years ago, I played a lighted course in Las Vegas (Angel Park I think) and it was a blast.  Has anyone else played any golf under the stadium lights???

It is on my bucket list of things to do!

[GolfSpy TCB]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

It is on my bucket list of things to do!

I will bring my photographer along (my daughter and her phone  ) when I get out there.  Looks like I need to let the crowds die down a little first, but now that it is dark at 5:00 pm... plenty of time to get in some golf under the lights.  

[GolfSpy TCB]

5 hours ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

Non-golfers can enjoy the site, too.  Alongside the golf course, Midway constructed six courts for pickleball -- an increasingly popular sport that combines tennis, badminton and ping pong.

@Berg Ryman, it is like the universe is begging me to take it up!!!

[daviddvm]

6 hours ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

I haven't tried this facility out yet, but having an opportunity to play some holes after dark is definitely appealing to me  .  Years ago, I played a lighted course in Las Vegas (Angel Park I think) and it was a blast.  Has anyone else played any golf under the stadium lights???

 

I grew up in Tulsa and played both courses several times and playing late into the night on the lighted course was a great way for a youngster to spend an evening!

[daviddvm]

Wow this is going to be cool! Thanks GolfSpy_TCB for letting us know about this cool place. Actually can see Minute Made Stadium from the course! Home of the World Series Champs!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!

 

 

[sirchunksalot]

That's really cool @Golfspy_TCB and thank you for sharing this news with us. I would think it would be a great experience getting to play golf after dark. I bet it'll be nice for y'all in the Houston area during some of the warmer months of the year.

I would love to see more sites like this open because I think it would provide a good experience plus be a good way to introduce new players to the game.

[GolfSpy TCB]

7 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

That's really cool @Golfspy_TCB and thank you for sharing this news with us. I would think it would be a great experience getting to play golf after dark. I bet it'll be nice for y'all in the Houston area during some of the warmer months of the year.

I would love to see more sites like this open because I think it would provide a good experience plus be a good way to introduce new players to the game.

Totally agree SirC. Similar to how Top Golf made a "night out" out of golf... actually playing on a course is next level.  

 

[GolfSpy TCB]

3 hours ago, daviddvm said:

Wow this is going to be cool! Thanks GolfSpy_TCB for letting us know about this cool place. Actually can see Minute Made Stadium from the course! Home of the World Series Champs!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!

 

 

Go Astros!! 

[goaliedad30]

There's a facility like this on the San Francisco peninsula - Mariner's Point. It's got a full Top Tracer range, plus a separate grass tee section and short game area, with a fully lighted 9-hole par 3 course. Holes range from around 80 yards to 160 yards, and it's links style, including one shared double green. Really fun little track. It's literally 3 minutes from my son's apartment, so he goes there regularly to practice and play with friends. He's also used to it introduce new golfers to the game - they'll often go out and play a fun scramble. I've played it a handful of times with him, under the lights, and it's always a fun time.

The 9th hole is very cool. It's essentially a 90-yard scaled down replica of #16 at Augusta National.

Great to see more projects like this being built!

[GolfSpy TCB]

8 hours ago, goaliedad30 said:

There's a facility like this on the San Francisco peninsula - Mariner's Point. It's got a full Top Tracer range, plus a separate grass tee section and short game area, with a fully lighted 9-hole par 3 course. Holes range from around 80 yards to 160 yards, and it's links style, including one shared double green. Really fun little track. It's literally 3 minutes from my son's apartment, so he goes there regularly to practice and play with friends. He's also used to it introduce new golfers to the game - they'll often go out and play a fun scramble. I've played it a handful of times with him, under the lights, and it's always a fun time.

The 9th hole is very cool. It's essentially a 90-yard scaled down replica of #16 at Augusta National.

Great to see more projects like this being built!

That is awesome.  We have a Tour 18 Course just north of Houston with 18 replica holes of famous courses played on the PGA Tour.  I have only played it once, but it is pretty fun... and definitely the closest I will ever come to playing the real Amen Corner  .  I think a 9 hole short course is perfect application for "golf at night under the lights".  Can't wait to spend some time at this one!

[Shapotomous]

The first time I played golf was at a family owned lighted par 3 course in Limerick, PA.  This was way back in the '70's.  Who knew that our little country bumpkin area was so far ahead of its time??  There was a driving range and putt putt course on the site as well.  It was a popular spot after dark.  It has evolved over the years and is still there.