Pine Dunes Resort

Course Description

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. 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. 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.

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