Legacy Ridge Country Club, Bonham, Texas
www.legacyridge.com
2201 Country Club Drive
If you find yourself anywhere near Bonham, Texas—and yes, there are things to do in northeast Texas—tucked away in what feels like the middle of nowhere sits a family-owned and operated country club: Legacy Ridge.
I played this course last year but held back on writing a review. The night before that round, a superstorm slammed into North Texas, spawning tornadoes and dumping buckets of rain. Days of previous rainfall had already turned the water-rich “bottom nine” (as the locals call it) into a small lake and only the back 9 was . On my second attempt, I was expecting déjà vu, as the skies had gifted the region with even more rain. But to my muddy luck, the course was open. To accommodate the conditions, they flipped the routing—starting players on hole 10 to give the front nine more time to dry out. It was a good try.
The Course
Legacy Ridge, built in 2003, features an 18-hole championship course designed by former PGA Champion and golf architect Bill Johnston. It stretches out to 6,750 yards from the back tees, playing to a par of 72. The layout is a hybrid—part traditional, part links-style—and part floodplain on certain days.
The “bottom” nine is no joke—especially if your golf ball is magnetically drawn to water like a divining rod. Johnston took full advantage of the floodplain, carving out what I measured to be roughly 1,900 yards of playable water hazards. I managed to play it at a clip of about one golf ball per 634 yards. If there isn’t water in play, then expect thick, wooded creek lines guarding one or both sides of the hole. It’s target golf… if the target is dry land.
The “top” nine is a breath of fresh (and drier) air—well, except for the 125-yard water carry off the 10th tee. Whether by original design or 20 years of tree creep, several holes (I recall 13 and 15 especially) feature choke points that narrow the shot window off the tee. If you play a strong draw or a wild fade, brace yourself. Instead of traditional bunkers, this nine is sprinkled with grass bunkers, which demand finesse and the occasional lob wedge heroism.
The Standouts
Two holes stood out for me on the back nine, both par 3s:
Hole 14 plays 205 from the black tees. I was on the blues that day, staring down 170 yards of nothing but grass. The only real obstacle was a cluster of bare trees crowding the right side—definitely more problematic if playing during sprinkler hours. I found the green and walked off with a rare par.
Hole 16 was the sequel. Just five yards longer, but played from an elevated tee box atop a dam(n) wall that holds back some truly ball-sucking water. After surviving 14, I knew the only thing stopping me here would be between my ears. I cleared my head, landed the green, and two-putted from 37 feet. Another par—not a normal day for me.
Hole 1 was my favorite of the day. Would it have been if I’d started on it? Probably not. But after warming up on the back nine, the swing was loose and the driver was behaving. The tee box sits below the clubhouse, giving you a commanding view over the bottom nine. Water hugs both sides of the fairway from tee to green, and the overall effect is as visually intimidating as it is beautiful. At 388 yards, it’s a par 4 with a fairway peninsula and the gift of an elevated tee. A straight drive is rewarded; a miss left is survivable; a miss right is swimming. My tee shot found higher ground just left of the fairway, sparing me from the soggy lowlands. I had 115 in, missed safely left, chipped on, and two-putted for bogey. I’ll take it.
The bottom nine’s drainage is a known issue—subpar at best. There’s clearly been effort to address it, but solving it fully would likely require a small army and a large check. That said, the course was playable. Wet, but playable. And let’s be honest—you can’t control Texas weather.
The Amenities
Legacy Ridge is BYOB – and yes, I mean booze. However, a few extra golf balls wouldn’t hurt either. There’s a modest selection at the clubhouse if you’re running low. No cart girls, and I didn’t spot the advertised bar or restaurant. My clubhouse adventure went as far as the men’s room, which shares space with a large event hall—likely host to rehearsal dinners and weddings that will ironically end one’s frequent golf outings with the guys.
The lovely woman at the front desk – Sue – was welcoming and apologetic about the soggy conditions on both visits. The course marshal was equally friendly, checking in on golfers to make sure we stayed hydrated in the creeping heat. Carts didn’t have GPS, but they did come with built-in club and ball washers – which I put to regular use.
Final Thoughts
Being family-owned and located far from any metro sprawl, I wasn’t overly critical of the course maintenance. The tee boxes were a little rough. The bentgrass greens had some patchiness and encroaching grass along the edges. But I played early in the year, so I’m giving the crew (and possibly the owners, if they’re the same people) the benefit of the doubt.
This course won’t wow a country club snob used to $250 tee times and valet parking, but at $49 weekend for greens fees with a cart, Legacy Ridge delivers excellent value, solid challenge, and a peaceful round of golf in small-town Texas.
I’ll be back – ready to face the Great Lakes of Bonham again, and to see how the foliage fills in on those tree-lined holes that Bill Johnston likely placed with intent and care.
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Side Notes
Bill Johnston (1925–2021)
– PGA Tour Wins: 1958 Texas Open Invitational, 1960 Utah Open Invitational
– Major Performances: 3rd – 1956 PGA Championship, T28 – 1957 Masters, T26 – 1960 Open Championship
– Other Wins: 3x Arizona Open Champion, 1972 Colorado PGA Champion, 1973 Colorado Open Champion
– Courses Designed: The Dominion Country Club (San Antonio, TX), The Links at Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix, AZ), Rancho Mañana Golf Club (Cave Creek, AZ), Legacy Ridge (Bonham, TX)
Bonham, Texas
– Hometown of Sam Rayburn (1882–1961), the longest-serving Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (17 years across three terms) and long time Texas politician
– Local Attractions: Sam Rayburn House & Museum, Bonham State Park, Lake Bonham Recreation Area
