After a couple weeks away from the game I booked an afternoon time over at Territory Golf & Country Club. I was looking for another course to play in the morning, so insert Duncan Golf & Tennis Club, which looked to be an upscale course close to the Territory!

All the other courses I was looking at around Duncan appeared so-so and one thing that stood out to me about Duncan Golf & Tennis Club is that it is a Perry Maxwell design. For those that may not know, Maxwell is considered among the best architects in the game! For example, Maxwell designed the famous Southern Hills Country Club and Prairie Dunes Country Club. 

The drive from Dallas to Duncan took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, with the last hour on the back roads, heading through the oil fields in Southwest Oklahoma.

Because of a small Ryder Cup match for the members the proshop had me start on the back nine, which was a nice gesture. I wasn’t in any huge hurry and it worked well, as I played in just three hours.

Duncan Golf & Tennis Club is one of those in-the-middle-of-town courses. It is surrounded by neighborhoods and backs up against a highway that cuts through town. So, the setting isn’t very unique here. However, in the course’s defense, the community has certainly grown around the course over the years.

Because the course was established in 1921, its history will probably be the most interesting thing about your experience here. The one thing that stood out to me about Duncan Golf & Tennis Club is the course’s immense charm! Each hole is tree-lined and has super small greens, which I found almost impossible to hit. The edges of the greens slope off and consistently repel golf balls from start to finish here.

I played the blue tees which are 70.8/124/6639. I thought the toughest part about Duncan Golf & Tennis Club was all the local knowledge required to successfully play here. On multiple occasions I got up to my ball and wished that I would have hit an entirely different shot! For example, on a semi blind approach I found that the back half of one green sloped away. Then, on another hole, I was 115 yards from the green (just off the fairway) and blocked out by trees.

I didn’t notice much difference between the front and the back nine, besides just one par-5 on the back, compared to two on the front. The course plays as a par-71 and the front contained my favorite two holes.

The 4th is a short par-3 that plays over water. The wind was gusting and that made it extra tricky to pick the proper club! The green slopes from back to front and it didn’t look like there was a straight putt to be had. 

The 5th hole is a 312 yard par-4 that doglegs right and has plenty of options. You can lay up for a good angle into the green or try to smash one up by the green. I managed to get my drive about 20 yards from the green and pitched one through the trees and onto the green.

The conditions were good and it is clear the course is well cared for. They are redoing the 3rd green so there is a small temporary green cut into the fairway. That’s really my only complaint. The grass had a nice green color to it and the bent grass greens rolled well. I had clean lies in the fairways.

At $60 I wouldn’t call Duncan Golf & Tennis Club any sort of great deal, however I think it is probably priced in a way to encourage membership in a small town. If you are in town to play the Territory and want to try somewhere else, then this won’t be a bad spot.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):