The City of Arlington"s Tierra Verde Golf Club continues to catch the attention of national observers and affirm its reputation as one the best courses in North Texas.

The city"s signature golf site earned a spot as the 19th-best course in Texas, according to rankings by Golfweek Magazine this month.

"When it opened in 1998, we were looking for a fantastic design that would accent the existing native environment," said Greg Durante, the city"s golf services director. "What was designed and developed turned out to be a fantastic facility. The course has won several different awards not only for its playability, but for environmental stewardship. It is truly a great golf course nestled in Arlington."

The course has challenged the novice and pro alike. Tierra Verde has hosted an open qualifying tournament for the Byron Nelson Classic on two occasions.

Tierra Verde, designed by Graham & Panks International, is one of three new members to the top 20, joining Newport Dunes on Mustang Island in Port Aransas (No. 8) and the Tradition Course at Cypresswood in Houston (No. 17) as newcomers. The rankings did not distinguish between private country clubs and city courses.

Tierra Verde is a par-72 course, and features a 7,000-yard track with five tee boxes for varying levels of skill and competitiveness for tournaments.

"Every golf course has a "signature hole," but out here we are fortunate to have several that are also picturesque," said Durante, who named holes 2, 3, 10, 14, and 17. "The unique thing about Tierra Verde is you really don"t see a lot of the other holes other than the one you"re playing due to the separation created by the natural native areas. You really get this feeling of being very secluded on each hole."

And that design is on purpose. The ranking is but another distinction for the course, which was built under a unique partnership with Audubon International.

In the 1990s, city officials wanted to both expand sports facilities and conserve natural resources while cutting operating budgets.

What resulted was the golf course and MLK Sports Center, both of which are certified Audubon Signature Sanctuaries, built on The Reserve, a 250-acre spot in the city that had been primarily used for cattle and a natural environment free of homes.

The signature sanctuary is recognition for building while maintaining the principles of wildlife conservation, water quality management, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and integrated pest management.

For irrigation, officials use "raw water," or water that is not treated to produce potable water for domestic consumption.

"The secret to how we"ve been doing well," Durante said, "is we offer a very good product. Our maintenance crews, our superintendents, and all their staff do a fantastic job keeping them [the courses] in great shape. Our pro shop staff focuses on providing exemplary customer service. That"s the backbone of our success, the great job our staff does to provide the ultimate playing experience."

By John Henry