Wild Spring Dunes’ First Course Opens for Business
A new golf destination is coming to East Texas.
Wild Spring Dunes, north of Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, has opened for preview play on its first golf course. Designed by Tom Doak, the first eight holes have been completed and are ready for play, with the rest being seeded and expected to open in 2026 to complete the course.
Wild Spring Dunes is the latest golf offering from Michael Keiser, owner of Rodeo Dunes in Roggen, Colorado, and co-owner of Sand Valley in the Central Sands of Wisconsin with his brother Chris. The new course in Texas marks a continuation of the Keisers’ partnership with Doak, with the latter also responsible for The Lido and Sedge Valley at Sand Valley.
This new course runs across sandy terrain populated by forests and creek-filled ravines, with rolling hills providing varied elevation across holes.
Wild Spring Dunes is further proof that Michael and Chris Keiser have taken the basic setup of their father’s famous development, Bandon Dunes, and run with it. It is something like a Field of Dreams model for golf: If you build it, the golfers will come. Future plans include a second course, the routing for which has already been completed by Bill Coore and Texas-native Ben Crenshaw, as well as a practice range and a short course.
Wild Spring Dunes is roughly an equal distance from both Dallas and Houston, about a three-hour drive, providing access from two major airports that connect to almost anywhere in the world. The grand opening is expected in October 2026.
Photographs by Jeff Marsh.
