The standards set by the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Players Clubs demand the “best of the best” in golf course design and conditioning, as well as clubhouse facilities and service.

Those standards play beautifully into the vision of Craig Ranch, just north of Dallas, where they have taken the concept of residential community living to new levels. It all begins with TPC Craig Ranch, the only PGA TOUR owned and operated course in Texas and one of the top private courses in the state. It’s also one of only two Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System courses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Designed by Tom Weiskopf, TPC Craig Ranch has been open for only six years but has already proven itself to be one of the best—and most challenging—tests of golf in Texas, although five different tee boxes cater to players of all levels. And as the course continues to mature, it just seems to get better and better. As a TPC course, Craig Ranch is on the cusp of tournament conditions at all times and has become a popular place for TOUR pros to practice and play. It has hosted a number of U.S. Golf Association championship qualifiers and the 2008 Nationwide Tour Championship. It is also the home of Pat and Emmitt Smith’s Celebrity Invitational as well as several other charitable foundations.

Craig Ranch is fortunate to have a landscape replete with rolling hills and a beautiful winding creek. The hills give the course some nice elevation changes (35–40 feet) in what is otherwise a fairly flat region. But it is the beauty of Rowlett Creek—with its natural white limestone riverbed, crystal clear water and overhanging trees—that makes the biggest impression. Weiskopf designed the course to cross the creek 14 times, including twice on the par-5 9th hole.

The best views of TPC Craig Ranch can be found on the 330-yard 14th, which occupies the highest point on the course, or from the grand veranda of the magnificent clubhouse that blends luxuriousness with a rustic ambience.

A relentless pursuit of excellence is at the heart of everything done at Craig Ranch—a 2,200-acre master planned residential community that has delivered the concept of the new “urban community” in a big way. Residents not only live here, they work and play here as well. They can enjoy shopping and dining in a pedestrian-friendly town center, travel on the community’s trolley system, and send their children to one of four planned schools. Craig Ranch even has its own newspaper, hospital and business district.

Equally as impressive are the scope and quality of recreational amenities, most of them with a world-class brand affiliation. There’s the Cooper Aerobics Center developed by fitness pioneer Dr. Kenneth Cooper; the Michael Johnson Performance Center, founded by the Olympic gold medalist; and the Dr Pepper StarCenter with two ice rinks. Add in the 116 acres dedicated to 23 competitive and recreational baseball and soccer fields, The Beach’s 12 youth- to pro-level sand volleyball courts, along with hiking trails and bike paths, and the opportunities to play are endless.

There are nearly as many options for living here, ranging from moderately priced single-family homes to custom homes in private gated estates. But for those with a bent for the ultra-luxurious, there may be no more alluring accommodation than The Residences at Grand Lodge. These one-of-a-kind two- and three-story greenside lodgehomes feature panoramic views of TPC Craig Ranch and entitle residents to exclusive direct access to the golf course.

But perhaps the most amazing thing is that the Craig Ranch lifestyle combines world-class amenities with a small-town feel. An abundance of open green spaces, playing fields and jogging trails helps preserve the natural beauty of Craig Ranch without looking overbuilt.

The community’s location, just 20 minutes from DFW International Airport in the heart of the North Texas growth corridor, ideally positions it as a national and international destination point. Strategically situated less than 10 minutes from Collin County Regional Airport, home to one of the largest and most active corporate flight departments in the Dallas area, Craig Ranch is a prime destination for corporate relocation.

It’s unlikely you will find another community with all of Craig Ranch’s amenities and components anywhere in the world. And that is exactly what they had in mind when they envisioned this one-of-a-kind community. As they are fond of saying at Craig Ranch, “It’s not just living. It’s living the dream.”