Overview and layout
Cypress Creek course is set within a forest of more than 70,000 trees. 1
Founders Burke and Demaret bought about 500 acres of forested land roughly 20 miles north of downtown Houston in 1956; before grassing they hit shots from every potential tee box in varying winds to test playing value. 2
Cypress Creek: par 71, 7,301 yards, course rating 75.1, slope 135 per the USGA Course Rating database as cited by Wikipedia (tee not named there). 3
Jackrabbit: par 71, 7,021 yards, course rating 74.2, slope 135 per the USGA Course Rating database as cited by Wikipedia. 3
| Course | Holes | Par | Longest tees | Rating / slope | Opened | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Creek | 18 | 71 | 7,410 yards | Not published | 1959 | 1 |
| Jackrabbit | 18 | 71 | 7,021 yards | Not published | 1964 | 1 |
Yardage, rating and slope as published by the club or rating source at the time we checked; tee names and ratings change after renovations.
Who might enjoy it
Accomplished golfers who want a private club with major-championship history; the Texas Golf Hall of Fame exhibit says members need a 15 handicap or better.
Practice, instruction and amenities
Membership and access
Club offers Golf and Social membership, handled through inquiry pages; no fees published. The Texas Golf Hall of Fame exhibit states prospective members must have handicaps of 15 or better. 4
- Golf
Inquiry only - Social
Inquiry only
Contact the club for current pricing. The club does not publish initiation fees or dues.
Tee times: Member login only; no public tee times.
Does a nearby home include membership? No club rights come with the home. Champions is a stand-alone private club; no source ties membership to home ownership. Treat as unrelated to any home purchase. 4
Green fees
Contact the club for current pricing. This is a private club; play is for members and their guests.
Last verified Oct 14, 2026.
History
History and tournaments
- 1956
Burke won the 1956 Masters and PGA Championship; Demaret was a three-time Masters champion (1940, 1947, 1950). Together they won 47 PGA Tour events and five majors. 2
- 1957
Founded in 1957 by Jackie Burke Jr. and Jimmy Demaret. 5
- 1957
The club's name came from Jack Valenti, a Houstonian who later became president of the Motion Picture Association of America. 5
- 1959
Cypress Creek designed by Ralph Plummer, opened 1959; Jackrabbit designed by George Fazio, opened 1964. 5
- 1966
Houston Champions International (PGA Tour) held at Champions 1966 (Arnold Palmer), 1967, 1968 (Roberto De Vicenzo's final PGA Tour title), 1970 (Gibby Gilbert) and 1971 (Hubert Green). 5
- 1967
17th Ryder Cup, October 1967: United States beat Great Britain 23 1/2 to 8 1/2. Ben Hogan captained the U.S. team. 2
- 1969
69th U.S. Open, 1969, won by Orville Moody by one stroke over Deane Beman, Al Geiberger and Bob Rosburg; his only major. 6
- 1971
Ben Hogan played his final PGA Tour event, the 1971 Houston Champions International, at Champions. 2
- 1971
Three club members have walked on the moon; Alan Shepard hit golf shots on the Moon during Apollo 14 (1971). 2
- 1983
Demaret died in 1983 and Burke became sole owner; Burke was involved at the club daily for more than 50 years. 2
- 1990
TOUR Championship hosted five times: 1990 (Jodie Mudd, then the Nabisco Championship), 1997 (David Duval), 1999 (Tiger Woods), 2001 (Mike Weir), 2003 (Chad Campbell). 5
- 1993
1993 U.S. Amateur won by John Harris, age 41, the last mid-amateur to win the Havemeyer Trophy. 6
- 1998
U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur hosted 1998 (Virginia Derby Grimes) and 2017 (Kelsey Chugg). 6
- 2002
Tom Fazio updated the Jackrabbit design in 2002. 2
- 2012
Inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2012. The Hall of Fame says Champions is one of only two U.S. courses (with Pinehurst No. 2) to host a men's and women's U.S. Open, a Ryder Cup and a TOUR Championship. 2
- 2018
Cypress Creek restoration led by Chet Williams completed in 2018, ahead of the 2020 U.S. Women's Open. 6
- 2020
75th U.S. Women's Open held December 10-13, 2020 (moved from June due to COVID-19); won by A Lim Kim of South Korea, who overcame a five-stroke final-round deficit. 6
- 2024
Jack Burke Jr. won 16 PGA Tour events, played on five U.S. Ryder Cup teams, entered the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000, received the USGA Bob Jones Award in 2004, and died in 2024 days before his 101st birthday. 6
- 2026
USGA awarded Champions the 2029 U.S. Senior Women's Open, 2034 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 2040 U.S. Senior Open, its sixth, seventh and eighth USGA championships, the most of any course in Texas. 6
Local stories we could not verify
- Ben Hogan made a quintuple bogey on Cypress Creek's par-3 4th during his final tournament in 1971.
Shared as local lore, not documented fact.
Pros and cons
“Documented” points link to a source; “Judgment” points are our assessment for a typical buyer or golfer, not established fact.
Playing here
- Documented Major-championship pedigree: 1967 Ryder Cup, 1969 U.S. Open, five TOUR Championships, 2020 U.S. Women's Open 2
- Documented Private; Hall of Fame exhibit says members need a 15 handicap or better 2
- Judgment Initiation fees and dues are not published, so the full cost is unknown until you apply.
Living nearby
- See the community page for housing details.
- Documented No residential community or home-linked membership attached to the club 4
- Judgment Homes on the course trade privacy for views: expect stray balls, early mowing and golfers within sight of the yard on some lots.
Golf course living
Living near Champions Golf Club
Flood research for a specific home
No golf community is flood-free, and a course’s history doesn’t tell you about a specific home. Look up the exact address on the tools below, ask the seller for the Texas flood disclosure and any claims history, check the elevation certificate if there is one, and get a flood insurance quote before your option period ends.
Where sources disagree, and what we couldn’t verify
Sources disagree
- Cypress Creek yardage: club home page says 7,410; club history page says 7,147 (original); Wikipedia (USGA database) says 7,301 with rating 75.1/slope 135.
- Jackrabbit yardage: club home page 7,021; history page 7,018 (original).
- Ownership 2021: Texas Golf HOF says sold to son Mike Burke in Oct 2021; USGA says passed to Mike Burke and grandson Dean Burke.
- Wikipedia says Cypress Creek renovation closed the course in 2018; USGA says restoration was completed in 2018.
Not yet verified
- Membership initiation/dues (not published)
- Official tee-by-tee yardage/rating/slope from club or USGA (only Wikipedia-cited USGA figures)
- Champions-area HOA facts and any sourced flood history for the club itself
If you can point us to an official source, call or text 832-797-3780 and we’ll update this page.
Other courses nearby
Sources
- championsgolfclub.com
- texasgolfhof.org/exhibit/champions-golf-club
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champions_Golf_Club
- championsgolfclub.com/membership
- championsgolfclub.com/our-history
- usga.org/content/usga/home-page/articles/2026/03/champions-awarded-three-future-usga-events-texas.
Sources checked Oct 14, 2026. Prices, membership terms and operating status change; confirm with the club before you rely on them.
Golf community help
Questions about Champions Golf Club?
Looking for a home with golf course views or easy access to your next round? The Michael O’Neal Group can help you compare communities, understand the housing options, and find the right fit.
832-797-3780 · Broker · REALTOR®, The Michael O’Neal Group, Keller Williams Realty Northeast