Omni describes its massive new hotel in Frisco as the “nation’s largest resort” under construction.

At 600,000 square feet and with a price tag topping $520 million, the Omni PGA Frisco will become the centerpiece of a golf development when it opens by early May. It’s next to where the PGA of America moved its headquarters from Florida.

Will the resort and surrounding space for shops, restaurants, offices, apartments and hotels cement North Texas’ place as the golf capital of the U.S.?

“We feel, if it isn’t humbly the center of golf or the epicenter, it’s certainly darn close,” said Jeff Smith, vice president and managing director of the Omni PGA Frisco Resort. “We want this to be golf for all people.”

He calls the Frisco development the “modern home of American golf.” Dallas-Fort Worth is already the home base for many golf-related businesses, from country club operator Invited and entertainment venue proprietor Topgolf to professional golfers like Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.

But the Omni PGA raises it to another level.

North Texans and travelers from around the world will be playing golf on two PGA championship courses and staying in a massive resort with 500 guest rooms, 10 four-bedroom villas, a dozen restaurants, a TopGolf lounge, three pools and a spa.

It will create about 1,000 new jobs, too.

Omni has worked with partners like the Dallas Cowboys, also headquartered in Frisco. Smith said Omni has a “niche” with professional sports franchises, making it a perfect partner for PGA.

A big part of making Omni PGA Frisco Resort successful will be the corporate groups that book the resort for stays, Smith said. He points to the success that Arlington, The Star, Grandscape in The Colony and Legacy West in Plano have had in establishing entertainment districts.

There’s an added bonus to having such a large golf presence in Dallas, said Bob Heere, professor and director of sports entertainment management at the University of North Texas. When a PGA championship is held on a local course, that attracts golfers who want to give it a shot, he said.

“The people I’ve talked to are excited to be here and are pleasantly surprised by the amenities and the living situation,” Heere said.

Heere said he believes “we’re on our way” to becoming a golf business destination that will create a boom for the D-FW economy. PGA of America, founded in 1916, is one of the world’s largest sports organizations with 28,000 club professionals as members.

Its headquarters will draw pros and others to the region for everything from training and conferences to tournaments. Once open, the development is slated to host 26 championships between 2023 and 2034, including the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

“We were already a great destination,” Heere said. “We’ve become a better destination.”

When the PGA announced its relocation plan in December 2018, it also set off a flurry of real estate deals that are taking shape along with the Omni.

In 2021, Dallas-based Stillwater Capital won approvals to begin The Link, a $1 billion 240-acre project south of U.S. Highway 380 and next to the new PGA headquarters and resort. Plans include office, retail, luxury residential, entertainment, a boutique hotel and sports wellness uses.

In April, developers unveiled plans for a $2 billion Fields West mixed-use development on 180 acres along the Dallas North Tollway near the PGA headquarters. It will be three times the size of the popular Legacy West development in Plano.

The full Fields development is a $10 billion, 2,500-acre project that includes the PGA headquarters, the Omni resort and three mixed-use developments.