Fields projects change the land but CoServ power remains
The sprawling hills and ponds that first attracted settlers to north Frisco look a little different today, having been transformed to bunkers, sand traps and meticulously maintained greens and fairways. Instead of growing cattle and crops, golfers will chase their dreams of winning a PGA tournament.
Towering over the greens is the four-story, 106,000-square-foot PGA headquarters which officially opened in August 2022. The state-of-the-art facility adds another feather to Frisco’s professional sports cap.
Over the next 12 years, PGA of America will bring 26 championships to Frisco, including two PGA Championships. The first tournament will be the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship May 24-28. By then, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort will be open.
From the ground up, the LEED silver certified PGA headquarters strives for energy conservation. The pair of front doors are offset to limit air loss and the building is oriented to limit exposure from the setting sun.
“A lot of time and energy all the way through design and construction centered around sustainability, resource management and facility operations for the structure itself,” said John Newkirk, Senior Director of The PGA of America.
While electricity conservation is top of mind for today’s architects, early settlers lived without the modern conveniences their city counterparts enjoyed.
Before the golfing world shines a spotlight on north Frisco, it’s important to remember that Bert Fields Jr. and his family farmed here for years and other families worked the land for decades before that – all without electricity.
It wasn’t until Oct. 1, 1954, that CoServ, then called Denton County Electric Cooperative (DCEC), energized the Fields’ barn on County Road 24. Somewhat ironically, Bert called his operation Headquarters Ranch.
Never in his wildest dreams could he envision that this land would become the headquarters for the Professional Golf Association with two 18-hole golf courses, a 2,500-acre mixed-use development and a Universal Studios theme park.
Someday, thousands of people will live, work and play on the land that honors the Fields family name.
Then, as now, CoServ supplies electricity to the PGA headquarters and associated developments, including the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, and the entire Fields development. Looking at historic aerial maps, County Road 24 was a gravel road that led to the Fields homestead near what would later become the Dallas North Tollway. Today, a new road is being built, Fields Parkway, that will connect the Dallas North Tollway to Teel Parkway and will pay tribute to the Fields’ family.
“DCEC was the first to bring power to this area in the 1950s and now CoServ is proud to continue powering the remarkable, worldclass development that opened last year and the exciting additions still to come in this amazing project,” said Tracee Elrod, Manager of Business Relations & Acquisitions. “From the PGA Headquarters and the Universal Studios theme park to the corporate offices, retail and residential, this will be one of the most dynamic projects in CoServ’s portfolio.”
CoServ ambassadors met with the developers of the Fields project and impressed them with the benefits of joining an electric cooperative.
“Like much of rural Denton County, CoServ delivered power to this land at a time when no one else would,” said Ben Crawford, Manager of Development Design and Planning for CoServ. “Now for decades to come, the residential and commercial Members here will receive electricity from a locally based cooperative with transparent electric rates, a democratically elected Board of Directors and one of the most reliable electric systems in the state.”
