The $200K+ Golf Club Scene: Seven Eye-Watering Golf Memberships in Dallas-Fort Worth (With Pics)
We cast our eyes through seven of the most exclusive golf clubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, and explore what high six-figure initiation fees might get you (if you can even get in the door!)
Rick Golfs, or @Top100Rick, is one of the best follows on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and recently he drew attention to a new research article published by the excellent Dallas-Fort Worth-based golf publication Avid Golfer.
In a nutshell: there doesn’t appear to be any shortage of luxury golf in the Dallas-Fort Worth area!
The magazine’s “Best of the Private Clubs 2025” article listed 19 clubs in the DFW area as having monthly dues in excess of $1,000, and one stretching to more than $30,000 a year — the Vaquero Club, listed as the gold standard, costs more than $300,000 in initiation fees just to get in the door!
Here’s the full list from the Avid Golfer report, which you can read in full here, and below we include some context and pictures to show you what you might get if you land in the DFW with a hankering after a game and deep, deep pockets.
The Avid Golfer rankings were split between Country Clubs and Golf Clubs: the first typically offer a broader array of amenities beyond just golf, including tennis and swimming, while social events are also high on the list, while golf clubs focus primarily on the golf experience, often with fewer additional facilities but aiming for superior course conditions and, perhaps, less crowded tee sheets.
Let's take a visual tour through the seven most expensive clubs in DFW, all commanding initiation fees of $200,000 or more.
Vaquero Club ($325,000 initiation, $3,250 monthly)
The course at Vaquero was initially designed by the legendary golf architect Tom Fazio, and first opened in 2001 between Dallas and Fort Worth. Established on 525 acres of what was originally part of the Hunt brothers' Circle T Ranch in Westlake, Vaquero is comfortably clear at the top of the initiation and monthly dues price list.
Developed by the Discovery Land Company — which earlier this year was revealed to be planning a second luxury golf property in the DFW area at Maverick Golf and Ranch Club — combines an intimate, utterly private community with a newly renovated 42,000 square-foot clubhouse and a golf course freshly redesigned by Andrew Green.
Beyond golf, Vaquero offers what they call "the ultimate lifestyle experience," where members can “take a leisurely game of golf, take your kids fishing, attend community events and simply enjoy every moment.” The club's location, just 15 minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, adds to its appeal for well-heeled executives and celebrities.
Vaquero's membership model is built around exclusivity. According to top100golfcourses.com, membership by invitation only, and the club keeps its member roster intentionally small to preserve the intimate atmosphere that justifies its premium price point.
Preston Trail Golf Club ($250,000 initiation, $2,550 monthly)
Preston Trail Golf Club has a storied history on the Dallas golf scene — it was the host of the prestigious Byron Nelson Golf Classic from 1968 to 1982. The course opened just a few years before first hosting the iconic PGA Tour event.
One of the things that makes Preston Trail special is that White Rock Creek crosses the property and features prominently on several holes, most notably the 422-yard 7th, which doglegs to the right along the edge of the stream. (This hole was a favorite of the great Ben Hogan.)
In 2008-2009, architect Tripp Davis & Associates led a complete reconstruction that maintained the original design intent while modernizing the course for today's game.
The club is known for its traditional, no-frills approach to golf. There are no swimming pools or tennis courts here — just pure golf in a setting that promotes walking the course (with caddies available) rather than riding in carts. The clubhouse features an impressive collection of memorabilia, including a shrine to one of their famous members, the baseball icon Mickey Mantle, who is said to have spent most of his days at the club after retiring from baseball in 1969.
Dallas National Golf Club ($250,000 initiation, $2,025 monthly)
Spanning over 400 acres and featuring dramatic 160-foot elevation changes, limestone canyons, and winding creek beds, Dallas National consistently ranks among the top 100 courses in the US by both Golf Digest and Golf Week.
The club's stated purpose is "to provide the ultimate golfing experience at a nationally ranked golf club, creating an environment of camaraderie and fellowship for members and guests while protecting the traditions and values of our club and the integrity of the game."
Again, and unsurprisingly, membership is by invitation only.
Brook Hollow Golf Club ($242,000 initiation, $1,565 monthly)
Designed by A.W. Tillinghast in the early 1920s after businessman Cameron Buxton asked his friend to source a location for a course in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Brook Hollow underwent a significant Keith Foster restoration aimed at returning the layout to its Tillinghast roots.
The course reopened in November 2020 with modern technology underpinning the restoration, including SubAir temperature-controlled bentgrass greens.
Brook Hollow’s traditional layout features tight, tree-lined fairways and small greens and the course is known for its "pedestal-like greens" with squared-off edges and steep-faced bunkers — classic Tillinghast features that the restoration brought back to prominence.
Dallas Country Club ($225,000 initiation, $1,145 monthly)
Founded in 1896, Dallas Country Club has deep roots in the region's golfing history.
Located in the Highland Park community — described by one person on Reddit as “the Beverley Hills of Dallas” — the property spans more than 115 acres and carries magnificent views of Turtle Creek and downtown Dallas.
The club positions itself as "a private, full-service, family-oriented, social club dedicated to providing our Members with superior service, recreational amenities, and a social community."
Beyond golf, the club offers fitness facilities and tennis, making it a true country club in the traditional sense.
Northwood Club ($225,000 initiation, $1,125 monthly)
Compared with the other $200k+ clubs on this list, Northwood Club occupies a unique place in golf history than — it hosted the 1952 US Open, which was won by Julius Boros for the first of his three Major championships.
Also cut through by White Rock Creek, the course was originally mapped out by architect Bill Diddel just two years before that championship.
Northwood has seen several renovations over the decades, most recently by Tripp Davis & Associates who brought back many classical elements of the original design, including bringing the creek more into play.
Northwood's historical significance and classic design elements make it a coveted membership despite being ever so slightly less expensive than some of its neighbors.
Trinity Forest Golf Club ($200,000 initiation, $1,675 monthly)
The newest member of the exclusive “DFW 200k Club” list, Trinity Forest was created explicitly to attract prestigious golf championships back to Dallas. Designed by the acclaimed team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, this course is said to represents a radical departure from typical Texas golf.
Built on what was once a city landfill, Trinity Forest transformed 165 acres described by Golf Digest as “drab, treeless tabletop” into one of the most interesting designs in modern architecture.
A links-style course, it features ripples, humps, and hollows formed as parts of the closed landfill settled over time, and the Coore-Crenshaw partnership preserved these natural undulations while capping the site with sand to grow grass and create wasteland roughs.
Trinity Forest has also been a recent venue for the PGA Tour, hosting the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2019 and 2020, when former Major-winning Australian golfer and now course architect Geoff Ogilvy was among its fans.
“I love it,” he said. “It's got everything that's missing from modern architecture. There are ways to challenge golfers besides long rough and narrow fairways.”
So, Is It Worth It?
Evaluating the “value” of a $200,000+ initiation fee is a fool’s errand.
For those who want it and can afford it, clubs such as these offer prestige, exceptional playing conditions, perfect networking opportunities, and, perhaps most importantly, the promise of exclusivity.
What do you think? Have you played any of these exclusive Dallas-Fort Worth courses as a guest? Would you pay the price of admission if you could? Let us know in the comments below.