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Tiger Woods course spotlight of new elite community

Good friend J.J. Henry on board with project

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In perhaps the understatement of all time, Tiger Woods knows a thing or two about golf and winning. And if ever a community has endeared itself to the concept of success, it would be Aledo.

So, it should come as no surprise that Woods, a 15-time majors winner in the world of professional golf and hailed by many to be the greatest golfer of all time, has chosen the Aledo area as the site for his latest golf course design. Bluejack Ranch is slated to open in early 2026.

The private course will be the centerpiece of a private club community set on a 914-acre working ranch located at Hwy. 377 and Kelly Road. Backing the project are Fort Worth’s Andy Mitchell and his wife, Kristin, the same developers who built Bluejack National, which opened near Houston in 2016. Bluejack National was Woods’ first U.S. course design and his only other one in Texas.

“I wake up every day excited, energized and humbled to help push this project along,” said former PGA Tour player J.J. Henry, a Fort Worth resident who is on the development team and who competed against and with Woods.

The duo played together on the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup Team.

Woods will collaborate on the course with his TGR Design partner Beau Welling. Also advising on the project is Mark Brooks, a former PGA player from Fort Worth who played in the most tour events ever (803), and Michael Bennett, executive partner and CEO of architecture firm Bennett Partners.

Brooks is also helping with the development center at the course.

The project involves a host of TCU graduates, including Henry, Brooks, Bennett and the Mitchells.

Building on a legacy

“It’s extremely motivating for me to contribute to the golfing legacy of Fort Worth,” Woods said on the Bluejack website.

That golf legacy, of course, includes the legendary Ben Hogan. In 1953 he became the only golfer to win three major championships in a year until Woods won the final three majors in 2000.

Woods added the Masters championship in 2001 to accomplish what is known as the “Tiger Slam,” winning all four major championships in succession. Hogan might have done the same thing in 1953, except the PGA and British Open had colliding dates that year.

Fort Worth is also known for its historic Colonial Country Club, home to the Charles Schwab Challenge, the current name for the oldest invitational in pro golf. The tournament started in 1946 and Hogan won it five times.

Woods played in the tournament in 1997, tying for fourth in his rookie year.

The property

Henry noted that the property, along with the golf course, will feature around 600 different home sites, including retreats, cabins, horseshoe homes (a house that is situated on a bend in a river or land formation that resembles the shape of a horseshoe) and estate homes.

“There are a lot of home sites, but you’re not going to feel cramped,” he emphasized. 

In addition, Bluejack residents will enjoy adult spas, wellness centers, a racquet and sports club and The Fort, which Henry described as “Disney World meets Dave-N-Busters.”

“We’ve got a little something for everyone,” he said.

Henry also praised the area’s almost 200-foot elevation change.

“It’s very much a Hill Country feel, a very unique terrain,” he said. “There’s a cool view of Fort Worth’s downtown skyline.”

The property also will include practice facilities, a par-3 course and a podcast studio, similar to what is available at Bluejack National. That community and course has won numerous awards since its opening, including having been rated the best residential golf community in Texas and among the best in the nation by Golfweek magazine.

An actual ranch

And, of course, the word ranch isn’t just a catchy name when connected to Bluejack. It will indeed be a working dude ranch, with an arena, a variety of farm animals ranging from donkeys to longhorns, and will include a large farmhouse.

There’s also Bluejack Town, which will cover 65 acres. It will present an authentic western town feel, right down to its general store, Henry said.

“You might compare it to Mule Alley,” Henry said, referring to a segment of the Fort Worth Stockyards with a curated collection of restaurants, entertainment venues, shops, and heritage brands.

While the golf course and the Bluejack community are private, Bluejack Town will be open to the public, Henry said.

The golf course

The championship course will be the centerpiece of the entire development. It will be designed to allow for creative shot making, something that Woods was well known for throughout his career, along with having five-plus sets of tees, Henry said.

Bear Creek runs nearby. 

Along with the practice facility, the par-3 course will have 10 holes and be lighted. 

“It’s great for kids and families,” Henry said.

As for the main course hosting tournaments and events, Henry said, “Andy, Tiger and I were talking about the potential of what we could host there.”

Community impact

Henry said he and the folks connected with Bluejack plan to be part of the Aledo community, which, of course, will have a growth impact as a result.

“Golf’s given me so much the past 25 years, but there’s nothing like home,” he said. “To see how excited Tiger was when he physically got here on the property was special.

“Everywhere I go, people are talking. This is something really special, and so is the area. Whether you grew up here or moved here, that’s easy to see.”

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