Gov. Abbott Celebrates Omni PGA Frisco Resort at Groundbreaking Ceremony
The sky was cloudy, but the air was full of cheer when Gov. Greg Abbott addressed the professionally dressed crowd Tuesday morning at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort. It’s the largest resort in development in the country, and the governor gathered with business leaders, city officials, and local movers and shakers for the groundbreaking ceremony.
They claimed it marks an incredible milestone for the city. It wouldn’t have been possible if the PGA of America hadn’t decided to move its headquarters from Palm Beach to Frisco. And with that move, the PGA’s $500 million investment will bring economic growth to Frisco and Collin County as a whole. Read Full Story
The Omni PGA Frisco Resort is one of the results of that investment. It opens in spring 2023, and will be known as the “the beacon of [the golf] industry for years to come,” according to PGA of America President Jim Richerson.
“The PGA is learning what the Omni has long known and what Frisco loudly preaches — Texas truly is the best state in America for doing business,” Gov. Abbott told the small crowd. “And it just gets better day by day.”
Who Developed It?
Back in winter 2018, the PGA of America announced that it would move its headquarters to Frisco. But Richerson said at the ceremony that the project started several years ago. He recalled coming to the groundbreaking area with a group of colleagues five or six years ago. They were trying to envision whether the property would work.
“We were just barely smart enough to figure out that this could be a great new headquarters, but what we’ve come to realize over those last five to six years is this is much bigger than just a building,” Richerson said. “This is not only going to be a resort project — it’s going to be a project that’s going to make memories and create moments for families and generations to come.”
To make their plan come to life, PGA partnered with the City of Frisco and Omni Hotels & Resorts. It started as a simple idea to create an urban golf course, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said at the ceremony.
As it continued to grow, the city had to bring in people from multiple city departments for help. Cheney said the city’s community development corporation, economic development corporation, parks and recreation department and engineering department were all involved.
“I don’t know whether you’re brilliant or you’re crazy for investing $500 million on a hotel resort in the middle of a pandemic, but we’re glad we’re breaking ground here today,” Cheney said to PGA and Omni representatives.
What Will the Resort Have?
To give you a very basic idea, the hotel and resort will be huge. It will have 501 guest rooms and seven four-bedroom villas that overlook the golf course, Peter Strebel, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts, said. The resort will also feature a destination spa that will offer wellness experiences and golfer-specific therapies.
The Omni is known for its incredible pools, and the Omni PGA Frisco Resort pools “will not disappoint,” Strebel said. The sixth floor of the hotel and resort will feature an adults-only infinity-edge pool. In addition, it will have a multi-terrace family pool with a splash pad, along with a pool at the spa.
For food, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort will offer 12 “unique” restaurants and bars, Strebel said. The Omni PGA Frisco Resort will also have a retail and entertainment district with dining, shopping and an outdoor stage for concerts, according to an Omni press release.
The golf courses are made to “welcome golfers of all skill levels,” according to the release. The resort will have two 18-hole championship golf courses, a lighted 10-hole short course and a 2-acre putting green. It will also feature a Lounge by Topgolf, PGA Frisco Coaching Center and a practice facility.
And that’s not even all of it — the Omni PGA Frisco Resort will feature over 127,000 square feet of meeting and event space. There will also be a Panther Creek Pavilion that stands apart from the resort and will feature an indoor-outdoor concept for meetings, weddings and other events, according to the release.
“Pretty soon, you’ll see most of the North Dallas, Texas events and Frisco events here in our ballrooms and all the major weddings,” Strebel said.
What Does It Mean For Frisco?
Maybe you aren’t a fan of golf. If so, you may not understand the importance of this resort. Richerson even noted at the ceremony that although golf is an $84 billion industry with over 2 million jobs, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort “will be the beacon of that industry for years to come.”
The Frisco mayor said the beacon will have a $2.5 billion economic impact on the city over the next 20 years. “So who are the big winners? The big winners, obviously, are the citizens of Frisco who, whether you ever pick up a golf club, you’re going to love and enjoy this project,” Cheney said.
Once the Omni PGA Frisco Resort opens in 2023, it will be just in time to host the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, according to the release. From then and through 2034, 26 championships are scheduled, which include the PGA Championship and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Gov. Abbott claimed once the project is complete, it would be the premier destination on a national scale.
“There’ll be people from the state of Texas, people from across the country, people from across the globe who will be coming to this location, celebrating what Texas travel and tourism is all about,” he said.
