A popular Houston golf course is expanding its successful model. East River 9's lighted, par-3 format has spurred plans for a new public facility in The Woodlands. This project marks the company's first major expansion.

Early Bird Management, the company behind the course, is planning a new nine-hole public facility in The Woodlands. The project is being built in partnership with The Woodlands Township, which has already approved a term sheet.

Final approval is expected in April, and the course is scheduled to open in 2028. The new facility will also have a nine-hole par-3 course with lighting for night golf, along with pickleball courts and a restaurant.

At the same time, the layout will differ from the Houston site. Unlike East River 9, which does not include trees or shaded areas, the Woodlands course will be built around the existing landscape.

“We want to protect the trees and the character of The Woodlands as much as possible and elevate our concept to match The Woodlands' standards,” Early Bird Management CEO Clayton Freels told Chron.

The course will be built on South Gosling Park, a 208-acre site acquired by the township in 2023. “We knew this was scalable, and we discovered the greater Houston area can support additional par-3 courses,” Freels said.

East River 9 Defines the Model Behind the Expansion

East River 9 is a public par-3 course located in Houston’s East End, about a mile from downtown. It was designed by Smelek Golf Design and opened in 2022, and it operates within a nine-hole format inside the 610 Loop.

The course follows a par-27 layout with a total yardage of about 1,034 yards. Each hole includes two tee boxes, allowing players to play two different nine-hole rounds.

There is a driving range and a putting green for practice. In addition, the site has six pickleball courts.

The course links with dining through Riverhouse Houston, which operates on-site. The overall model brings together a short-course format, extended hours, and shared spaces in one location.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi