The Ultimate North Texas Golf Escape at Tanglewood Resort

Checking Into the Resort

There’s something about a quick golf getaway that always resets you a bit, and that’s exactly what this weekend at Tanglewood Resort felt like. Between the lake views, renovated rooms, fun golf, and unique food experiences, it ended up being the perfect laid-back Texas resort weekend.

We arrived Friday afternoon around 5 PM and headed straight to check-in before making our way over to Building 1 where we stayed for the weekend. The room honestly caught me by surprise in the best way possible. Everything felt completely brand new. We had a fully renovated second-floor suite with a full dining room, kitchen, living room, separate king bedroom, and an absolutely massive bathroom with a freestanding tub that gave the whole place a luxury condo feel more than a typical resort room. It really felt like we were staying in a brand-new building.

The overall setup made it easy to settle in immediately and just relax for the weekend.

Dinner at Lakeside Restaurant

After getting unpacked, we headed over to Lakeside Restaurant for dinner. I kept it simple with a salad and a ribeye steak, and both were solid after the drive in. The atmosphere overlooking the property and lake made for a really relaxing first night.

The only disappointment of the evening was missing out on the crème brûlée after finding out the kitchen had already closed at 9 PM. I was definitely looking forward to trying that.

When we got back to the room though, there was an entire welcome basket waiting for us which was an awesome touch from the resort. It had a shaker bottle, wine bottle with glasses, coozies, snacks, and a few other goodies for the stay. Little details like that always make a hosted stay feel more personal and memorable.

Breakfast Buffet Done Right

Saturday morning started with breakfast back at Lakeside around 9 AM, and the buffet spread was honestly much bigger than expected. They had everything from an omelette station to waffles, fresh orange juice, breakfast meats, pastries, and pretty much anything you’d want before a golf round.

Definitely one of those breakfasts where you accidentally eat way more than planned before heading to the course.

Playing Tanglewood Golf Course

From there, we made the quick two-minute drive over to the golf course around 11 AM. We hit some balls on the range for a bit before grabbing lunch at the clubhouse restaurant, the 19th Hole Grill, ahead of our 1 PM tee time.

The golf course itself was in pretty good shape and honestly ended up being a really fun surprise. Tanglewood Golf Course is an 18-hole championship golf course originally designed by Arnold Palmer and Ralph Plummer. One cool thing I learned while there is that Tanglewood was actually the first regulation golf course in the United States to install Diamond Zoysia greens, which were developed alongside Texas A&M.

We also got to meet the director of golf operations, Scott Beezley, who was super welcoming and inviting from the start. You can tell they genuinely care about creating a fun atmosphere for golfers visiting the property.

The course itself had a really enjoyable mix of challenge and playability. The greens were definitely unique — fairly bouncy compared to what I’m used to — which took a few holes to adjust to but made the round interesting. It’s not one of those overly punishing resort courses where you’re mentally exhausted by hole 12. Instead, it’s the type of place where you can still post a score while having a great time with your group.

I actually ended up shooting 70 (-2) from the tips, so definitely can’t complain too much about the setup.

Tacos & Tequila Night

After golf, we headed back to the room for a quick shower before making our way over to Tacos & Tequila Night later that evening.

This ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.

We were given wristbands that gave us access to three separate stations spread across the resort, and the whole experience was done progressively where you moved from one stop to the next throughout the night. Each station had its own tacos, tequila-based drink, and different snacks, which made it feel more interactive than just a standard dinner event.

The final stop was at the Whiskey Tower, where we sat overlooking the lake drinking tequila old fashioneds while watching the sunset. The views from up there were incredible and honestly the perfect way to end the day after being on the golf course all afternoon.

Final Thoughts

Sunday morning we wrapped things up with one more breakfast buffet before heading back home to Houston.

Overall, Tanglewood Resort feels like one of those underrated Texas getaway spots that people overlook because it’s not the newest luxury resort in the state. But honestly, that’s kind of what makes it cool.

It has a laid-back atmosphere, genuinely friendly staff, solid golf, lake views, and enough activities around the property to make it a really easy weekend trip. Being only about an hour north of Dallas makes it especially convenient for Texas residents looking for a quick escape without needing flights or complicated travel plans.

Another thing that stood out was the value. Compared to a lot of golf resorts right now, Tanglewood is definitely on the more affordable side, and you can tell it attracts a lot of buddy golf trips and groups doing Ryder Cup-style weekends. We saw multiple groups hanging around the resort after golf just drinking, relaxing, and enjoying the atmosphere together.

If you’re looking for an ultra-modern luxury property, this probably isn’t that. But if you want a fun, relaxing, affordable golf weekend with friends, lake sunsets, and a really easy overall experience, Tanglewood Resort is honestly a hidden gem in Texas.