The name change is part of a plan to reposition the Plano, Texas club, which is privately run on city-owned property, as more than a golfing destination. Expanded dining and entertainment options that could include a beer house and beer garden, new restaurant, and volleyball and basketball courts are now being planned by the new management.
Los Rios Golf Club in Plano, Texas will soon be called Plano’s Courtyard, the Plano Star Courier reported.
The name change coincides with a plan to rebrand the facility as more than just a golfing destination. While golf will remain a primary attraction, Plano’s Courtyard, a privately run facility that sits on city-owned property, will soon offer expanded dining and entertainment options, the Star Courier reported.
Once a popular neighborhood gathering spot, attendance numbers at Los Rios GC have dwindled in recent years, the Star Courier reported. John Schramm then took over the club a year ago, and it quickly became apparent to him that the 42-year-old facility was in need of a major facelift.
Plans for new attractions at the rebranded facility call for a beer house and beer garden, a new restaurant and volleyball courts, the Star Courier reported. Basketball courts are also an eventual possibility.
Officials hope that the proposed changes will bring in more than just golfers, the Star Courier reported. They envision Plano’s Courtyard as a social place where people can come grab a drink, have a meal and just hang out.
“This plan has been in the works for around six months,” said Judson Sanders, the property’s event coordinator.
An official grand re-opening is scheduled for early June, the Star Courier reported. But visitors will see many changes before then., and new signage should be in place soon.
Right now, food is available only in the clubhouse. A limited menu of hamburgers, hot dogs and quesadillas is designed for golfers looking to grab a quick bite at the turn or after a round.
A fully updated menu featuring appetizers, entrees and desserts should be released by month’s end, Sanders said. The wine menu has also been enhanced. And visitors will be able to enjoy the new offerings at a new onsite restaurant separate from the clubhouse.
“We want people to know we are open for lunch and dinner,” Sanders told the Star Courier. “Don’t cook—come see us.”
The club’s old tennis pro shop will be converted into a beer house, and the old wedding courtyard will be transformed into a beer garden. And there will be a stage for live music, the Star Courier reported.
Golfers can also expect changes. Last year, the course was shut down for three months due to rain and since then, staff has been working hard to improve the layout, the Star Courier reported.
One of the biggest changes players will notice is that there are no longer sand traps. Because the course sits in a flood plain, keeping bunkers playable proved practically impossible, so they were removed.
The club’s sixth hole now features an island green, the Star Courier reported. More hills have been added, and the terrain has been slightly adjusted as well.
A new wedding-reception area will also be ready to use later in April, the Star Courier reported. As Plano’s Courtyard, the facility also hopes to attract more groups, Sanders said—it recently hosted guests from Raytheon, a major employer in the area, and over the next couple of months, it will host city officials, school district representatives and the Elks Club.
It’s all part of Plano Courtyard’s commitment to becoming more involved in the community, Sanders said.
Rick Simons, a resident of East Plano, told the Star Courier that he is excited about the changes. “It kind of reminds me of Sneaky Pete’s [a popular lakeside attraction in Lewisville, Texas],” Simons said.
Such an assessment is in line with the type of destination club officials hope Plano’s Courtyard becomes, Sanders told the Star Courier. “We’ve made a lot of changes and updates,” he said. “I think people are going to be very pleased to see what we have to offer.”
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