Game, Set, Match For The Preston Road Corridor: Woodhouse Buys T Bar M Racquet Club in North Dallas

Property owners in the far North Dallas corridor along Preston Road will be thrilled to learn that Woodhouse has closed on the purchase of the T Bar M Racquet Club off Preston Road and Dilbeck Lane, just north of the Preston and LBJ Intersection, and across from the still-in-progress Midtown development.

Woodhouse is co-owner of the exclusive private social club Park House Dallas located in Highland Park Village. Private clubs don’t release membership details, but the wait list for Park House membership is currently at 6,000.

T Bar M is a world-renowned tennis club. It opened its doors in 1972 and quickly became one of the most prestigious in Texas. (Full disclosure: I used to play tennis and enjoyed many a game at T Bar M.)

The 13-acre property currently features 28 tennis courts, both hard and clay surfaces, as well as a large swimming pool, a pilates room, a bar and lounge, a basketball court, a running track, a weight room, and a massage room. There are more than 25 professionals on staff and my tennis-loving friends tell me T Bar M is THE place to teach children and train for professional tennis.

T Bar M also hosts numerous events including USTA Pro Circuit events like the annual Challenger Dallas.

Woodhouse closed on the property June 1 and is drafting plans for a complete renovation, commissioning the prestigious Austin-based architectural firm Lake|Flato and Hocker for landscape architecture and design.

Given the success Woodhouse has had with Park House at Highland Park Village, this could be an enormous boost to a once dynamic corridor that is weary with now a decade of tearing down and rebuilding Valley View Mall.

“We are honored and excited to steward T Bar M into the future,” says Brady Wood, founder of Woodhouse. “T Bar M has served as a legacy in the community since the 1970s and we are excited to thoughtfully revitalize the property and improve our members’ overall experience.”

Renovation Details

• Since acquiring T Bar M in June 2022, Woodhouse has been in the planning stages for a renovation of the club that will focus on polishing up the grounds and landscaping in a way that revitalizes and enhances member experience. These efforts will serve as the club’s first renovation in nearly 30 years.

• Woodhouse has engaged award-winning, Texas-based architects Lake|Flato and renowned landscape architecture firm Hocker to lead concept and design. Their vision is focused on creating a look and feel that is both modern and comfortable, accessible, and lusher than the current surroundings.

• Existing buildings will be resurfaced with sustainable materials and there are plans to improve and expand the club’s green spaces. Focusing on improving members’ overall experience through thoughtful architecture, design and landscaping is paramount in driving Woodhouse’s vision for the club’s future

• Construction will occur in thoughtful phases that will allow the club to remain open during renovations. Woodhouse wishes to minimize the impact on members and neighbors as much as possible — especially when it comes to the availability of courts, both indoor and outdoor.

• Woodhouse is currently in the zoning process, which has so far been a good experience, with plans receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback. The company hopes to continue this forward momentum — and if all goes as planned, plans should be approved by the end of October to begin construction in late Fall 2022/early 2023.

• The new site plan was designed to optimize and enhance the property and the surrounding neighborhood. Plans include a newly constructed clubhouse, renovated fitness center, new recovery and wellness offerings, and additional world-class hospitality programming and amenities that will make T Bar M the premier racquet club in Dallas.

• As part of planning, members of the Woodhouse team have spent an extensive amount of time working in collaboration with T Bar M’s immediate neighbors and community leaders in order to best understand the community’s needs and concerns. Woodhouse believes the enhancements made to the property will add value to the neighborhood.