Bent Tree Country Club

Founded in 1972 by former Dallas Mayor Robert S. Folsom and real estate investor John Murchison as the centerpiece of a 700-acre development on former cotton fields, Bent Tree Country Club opened its Desmond Muirhead-designed course in 1974. The English-born architect, educated at Cambridge and known for innovative, symbolic designs including Muirfield Village Golf Club with Jack Nicklaus and the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills, crafted an 18-hole layout next to Preston Trail Golf Club. The course hosted numerous professional events in the 1980s, including the LPGA Mary Kay Classic—won by Nancy Lopez, Jan Stephenson, Sandra Spuzich, and Jerilyn Britz—and Senior PGA tournaments featuring Peter Thomson, Don January, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Orville Moody, Tom Watson, and Larry Nelson, along with U.S. Open qualifying and state amateur championships. Professional golfer Will Zalatoris has been a member since childhood.

The layout underwent significant updates, with a 1990 renovation enhancing the front nine through bunkering, trees, and green adjustments. Keith Foster led a major overhaul around 2002, followed by bunker work in 2014 associated with his firm. In 2025, Beau Welling initiated a comprehensive tee-to-green redesign approved at $21 million, set to elevate playability while preserving the legacy. No previous names or ownership changes beyond the founding developers are documented.