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History of
Pine Dunes
Despite never playing golf before, Pine Dunes owner Jodi Lutz
had a vision of building a championship golf course and resort
among the scenic East Texas pines. Her vision became reality
in 2001 and quickly put the sleepy town of Frankston center
stage in the national spotlight. |
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Looking for
an investment opportunity in 1994, Jodi considered an offer
from her broker to take a look at a nine-hole golf course
in East Texas. Growing up in Northern Minnesota, the piney
woods of East Texas quickly reminded Jodi of her early childhood.
She considered the purchase more of an opportunity to move
her parents down from Minnesota to Texas and let her brother
Tom manage her new investment. Upon purchasing the course,
Jodi began to secure additional surrounding land, including
an 88-acre lake.
Three years later, a chance meeting took place one evening
through a mutual friend of Jodi and PGA Tour Professional,
David Frost. Conversation soon turned to golf and David was
informed that Jodi had purchased a small nine-hole golf course
in Frankston, Texas. David insisted on viewing the property,
and soon after realized what a diamond in the rough this property
was, and how the course could easily become a championship
golf course similar to Pine Valley and Augusta National. David
quickly introduced Jodi to nationally recognized course architect,
Jay Morrish, who shared the same vision with Jodi and David
about the property. The birth of Pine Dunes soon after took
shape. |
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In late 1999 Morrish soon went to work on developing a championship-caliber
course that he still considers his best work to date. Both
Jodi and Jay were committed to cutting no corners when it
came to creating this masterpiece. They realized that the
course had to be something very special in order to bring
players from miles away just to play a round of golf. With
the construction costs quickly rising, Jodi sought Scott Miller
as an investor in the project.
Jodi’s brother, Tom, helped oversee the project, and
by October of 2000 construction was complete and Jay Stein
was hired as the Superintendent. The Course was opened for
play in April of 2001 and by the end of 2002 had won 6th Best
new course in America. |
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By simply relying on “word of mouth advertising,” Jodi’s
little project soon became a popular stop for national golf writers
and has been listed on several national lists for “Best Places
to Play in America” including Golf Digest. Jodi’s vision
is far from being complete. Her goal is to build a luxury resort
with additional amenities that will help continue to make Pine Dunes
one of the top destinations for golf.
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