Tucked away in the rolling hills of Runaway Bay sits RB Golf Club & Resort, the only 18-hole golf course in either Jack or Wise County.

The championship level course, less than an hour from Denton and Fort Worth, offers four sets of tees stretching to 7,000 feet with hilly elevations, oak trees and majestic views of Bridgeport Lake. Once named one of the best places to play golf in Texas by Golf Digest, the course formerly known as The Club at Runaway Bay has undergone a year-long transformation with the goal of becoming a premier golf club and banquet venue and winning back its Golf Digest title.

Entrepreneur and avid golfer Daniel Cocanougher purchased the golf course in 2018 with plans to breathe new life into the course. The first phase of the renovation project began with daily, tangible improvements to make the course more playable. The sprinkler system was fixed, trees were trimmed, and canopies were raised to give the course an instant facelift. Within two weeks of purchasing the course, Cocanougher had the greens killed and planted all new championship Bermuda grass. “This year the greens look good. Next year the greens will look great. In three years, the greens will look excellent,” says Cocanougher of the painstaking process of revitalizing the greens. Cocanougher grew up playing the course and plans to keep it. All the improvements to RB Golf Club & Resort have been ones for the long-haul.

Next up in the renovation was the addition of RB Golf Club & Resort’s new fitness center, making it the only fitness center in the area. Treadmills, stationary bikes, cross trainers, rowing machine and free weights are available in the gym, with floor to ceiling windows providing views of the golf course and lake.

Construction on the new restaurant, Lakeview Tavern & Grill, began last winter. The restaurant itself has been expanded and boasts new floors, walls, furniture and a brand-new kitchen. The 1,945 square-foot tavern overlooks Lake Bridgeport and the golf course. An extensive new wine list was carefully curated. Wine enthusiasts can now enjoy fine wine with a lake view on Lakeview Tavern & Grill’s idyllic outdoor patio.

The casual dining restaurant recently debuted an updated look and menu by the newly appointed Chef Jason Ratliff. New dishes include loaded nachos, jumbo shrimp cocktail, wings three ways, and more. Weekly specials are also on offer, including a Sunday brunch buffet.

The 60 x 100-foot covered pavilion is a major addition to the course, along with a restored driving range. The newly opened driving range pavilion includes lighting and a golf ball vending machine for nighttime use with eight covered bays and eight uncovered bays. Golfers can now practice their swing out of the harsh Texas sun just in time for the summer season. “It’s kind of like Top Golf!” says Cocanougher. “We hope people will come hit balls while having a drink and an appetizer at night now that we have a well-lit pavilion.”

RB Golf Club & Resort offers play and stay packages to accommodate out of town guests and regularly hosts free community events, such as a monthly movie night. An Airbnb rental is also available on hole #1.

Visit rbgolf.com for membership, tee times, special events etc.

Cover photo Darling Photography TX

Katie-Rose Watson is a publicist, writer, and major foodie. She’s the creator of the food and lifestyle website The Rose Table and likely wrote this story on a picnic blanket with a glass of wine. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook