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The PUD's ownership interest in this property goes back 17 years, and we appreciate the Board's work to secure the land for our community. That took persistence and vision, and homeowners supported the bond measure because we share that vision.
But the last time the Board sought golf proposals, it was a different world: immediately after Hurricane Harvey, before the COVID-era golf boom transformed the industry, and before the PUD secured the additional 27 acres that make this site truly special. The market has fundamentally changed. The opportunity is bigger than anyone imagined eight years ago.
We believe a decision this significant deserves a fresh, thorough process that reflects today's market. Every proposal should be vetted on the merits. Every homeowner should be heard. After eight years of waiting, a few more months of due diligence won't delay any development due to the detention work and isn't too much to ask.
Cypress Forest deserves more than a generic country club built on pre-COVID assumptions. The golf industry has been transformed since the Board last sought golf proposals. We deserve a destination golf club that puts our community on the map, draws young families to our neighborhood, and provides real, meaningful concessions to the homeowners who made this possible.
A world-class golf and dining destination increases home values, creates energy, and makes the neighborhoods in the Cypress Forest PUD the place young families choose. That's how communities thrive for decades.
Not token discounts. Real access, real benefits, and a real seat at the table. PUD homeowners funded the bond. They should see meaningful returns, not just a window to buy discounted memberships.
225 acres of community land should generate revenue that benefits the PUD, not be given away rent-free for years to an out-of-town operator. A fair lease protects every homeowner's investment.
A generational decision requires generational thinking. Compare every proposal side by side. Let homeowners weigh in. Make a decision the whole community can stand behind.
And who says it has to be a golf course? The Board never hired consultants or masterplanned this property from the beginning. Why not a managed park with amenities? Why not assess what could be built with minimal tax increases? Why are we rushing into any deal without first determining the highest and best use of 225 acres of community-owned land?
The proposed operator is asking for $50,000 golf initiation fees for a brand-new club with zero history and only 18 holes. That's comparable to what Champions Golf Club charges with its 36 holes and 75-year legacy. What justifies that price on day one?
The proposed lease returns just 1% of gross revenue to the PUD. Market rate for golf course ground leases is 3% to 7%. On 225 acres of community-owned land, that gap represents significant revenue homeowners will never see.
The proposed operator wants a 5-year rent abatement before paying even the below-market 1%. That's five years of badly needed revenue the PUD won't receive while the operator builds equity on our land.
The proposed design has over 1.75 miles of walk-backs from greens to tees. Golf is returning to its golden age, where walkability, the Thompson scale, and walk-in-the-park routings define the clubs that attract members. This routing is the opposite of that trend.
The proposed operator's experience is turning around failed clubs in San Angelo, Amarillo, and Rockwall. Those are not Houston. Operating inside the fourth-largest city in America requires a fundamentally different playbook, and there's no evidence they have one.
The operator is nearing retirement age. He says he's never sold a club, but what happens when he's gone? There is no disclosed succession plan. "We've never sold" is not a plan. It's a talking point.
A subcommittee, comprised of two of the Board's members, has been operating with near-total autonomy. They are not regularly updating the rest of the Board, not seeking input from their fellow members, and not incorporating feedback from taxpayers. They are gatekeeping a generational decision — controlling what the neighborhood hears and sees.
PUD homeowners backed $20+ million in bonds to get to this point. In return, the proposed operator is offering a 90-day window to buy discounted memberships and a token dues discount. It's not tied to homeownership and it expires years before the course even opens. That is not a fair exchange for the community's investment.
This property has already failed 4 times. The wrong operator, the wrong deal, or the wrong vision means we're back to square one, except this time we have the burden of taxes on top of an overgrown jungle. The stakes are too high to rush.
The PUD spent $75,000 of your tax dollars on a routing and grading plan designed specifically for this operator. They've had nearly 8 years to refine their vision. The result? A course with 1.75 miles of walk-backs, below-market rent, and a request to delay amenities until 2033. At what point do we stop investing in a plan that isn't getting better?
The Board says DGG is the gold standard. But what about KemperSports, the operating partner for the alternative proposal? KemperSports co-developed and now operates Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, and Wild Spring Dunes for Dream Golf. They operate more top 100 resort and public courses according to GOLF.com, Golf Digest, and Golfweek than any other management company. DGG doesn't have a single club on any Top 100 list — not even for the State of Texas.
Their own plan shows they intend to reuse the same corridors on almost half of the former Raveneaux New Course holes. On their remodel of La Paloma Golf Club in 1997, they only spent $1.7 million — roughly $3.5 million in 2026 dollars. They aren't looking to maximize the property — he intends to value engineer a golf course to pay for the rest of the development using initiation fees.
Outside of our own neighbor submitting a proposal, at least two other groups — including Champions Golf Club — have expressed interest to the Board about the land. They were all told "it was too late." Yet the same Board tells us in public meetings that no deal is imminent. If no deal is imminent, how is it too late?
The operator himself has asked for the right to delay construction of any non-golf amenities until as late as 2033. That's 7 years from now. A kid enrolled in pre-K at Brill today, could be at Kleb before they actually start building any amenities. That's not a focus on young families — that's a promise with no timeline.
Show your neighbors where you stand. Request a free yard sign and we'll deliver it to your door.
You can also request a sign by emailing admin@cypressforestfuture.org with your name and address.
We'll get a sign to your door soon. Thank you for standing up for Cypress Forest.
First Tuesday of each month at 5:00 PM
16215 Champion Forest Drive, Spring, TX 77379
Contact your PUD board members. Attend the next meeting — they start at 5:00 PM. Talk to your neighbors. This is our community and our decision to make together.