Bullard's New Practice Range Sits Just Outside the Eagle's Bluff Gate, and Anyone Can Use It

Eagle's Bluff Country Club put its newest amenity on the public side of its own gate. The Golf Performance Center is a practice and teaching ground of roughly 27 acres at 700 Eagles Bluff Blvd. KETK reported in July that it was set to open to the public on July 27, 2026. By August 21 the Tyler Morning Telegraph was calling it newly opened and placed it "just outside the gate to Eagle's Bluff and open to the public." The center's own FAQ is even clearer. Asked whether visitors need to be Eagle's Bluff members, it answers, "Not at all!"

After about three months of operation, Bullard has gained a practice and instruction facility you don't need a membership to use, and the details show how deliberately it was set up that way.

What Sits on the Public Side of the Gate

The Tyler Morning Telegraph's description starts at the parking lot. There are short-game areas on both sides and a clubhouse straight ahead, all set among large pines and oaks. The site was "carved from an East Texas forest." The short-game area on the left includes a 12,000-square-foot practice putting green. The smaller area on the right is kept for lessons. From an elevated tee, golfers hit down into a large landing area below.

KETK's opening report listed the rest:

• 10 covered outdoor TrackMan bays
• An indoor simulator bay with TrackMan technology
• A 30,000-square-foot grass tee with a TrackMan range
• A five-acre short-game practice area
• An indoor putting studio
• Club fitting services, junior programs, clinics and private instruction
• Event space for corporate and private parties

The clubhouse also holds a golf library. Sikes told the paper that a visitor once donated a whole box of golf books he had collected on trips to St. Andrews. They now sit in a room where golfers can read between sessions.

The whole property is set up to report data. The Tyler Morning Telegraph wrote that any golfer with a phone can pull up ball speed, distance and trajectory from anywhere on the property. Indoors, the TrackMan readout shows on large TV screens. The TrackMan Golf app stores those sessions along with lifetime stats and a TrackMan handicap. That means a practice session in Bullard keeps a record you can look back on.

What $30 Covers, and What Costs Extra

Public access works on a few separate price points. These are the rates the center's own pages list this fall:

The day pass lasts all day. It covers unlimited access during business hours on the day you buy it, and range balls for both the driving range and the short-game areas are included. Sikes told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that he means it as a place to settle in: "We've got plenty of room and plenty of Titleist premium balls to hit but more than that, this is a great place to come and just hang out."

The bays cost more because of how you book them. The FAQ requires reservations for both the indoor simulator and the covered outdoor bays, and it recommends them for the outdoor TrackMan Range. A bay holds up to five players, and only one person may swing at a time for safety. Split five ways, a $45 hour comes to $9 a person. That puts a foursome-plus-one evening in the simulator below the price of a single day pass for each player.

For comparison closer to Tyler, The Back Nine Golf's indoor simulator location at 2467 Crow Rd., Suite 300, advertises public tee times from $50 an hour, with no membership required. The two prices are close. What the Bullard site has that an indoor-only venue lacks is acres of real grass and sand right outside the clubhouse door.

When a Membership Starts to Make Sense

The center's membership page lists $200 a month for the primary member. The first additional family member adds $100, and each of the next three adds $50. The TrackMan booking system shows the same tiers as package totals. Single, spouse, family and family VIP memberships cost $200, $300, $350 and $400 a month, each with a 12-month commitment, and the listed benefit is unlimited access to the natural-grass practice areas.

The math is simple. Seven day passes in one month cost $210 before tax, which is more than the $200 single membership. So a golfer who visits about twice a week comes out ahead with a membership. A golfer who visits a few times a month keeps more money by paying per visit. Families shift that math faster, because each extra family member costs a fraction of the primary rate while every day pass costs the full $30. These rates come from live pages, so check them before you commit to a year.

A Facility Planned Around Lessons

The Tyler Morning Telegraph wrote that "instruction is the driving force behind this comprehensive facility," and its account of the planning shows it. In the fall of 2023, longtime Tyler teacher John Sikes began working out the concept with owner Steve Plybon, head golf professional James Bates and superintendent Stephen Tucker. Sikes had taught for years at Hollytree Country Club before moving to Eagle's Bluff. The group then hired Texas golf course designer Chet Williams, who is best known as the architect of Whispering Pines, north of Huntsville.

The layout reflects that focus. Students taking lessons get their own outdoor tee at the back of the range, on a hill that looks back toward the clubhouse, and they have their own short-game area near the entrance.

"I have always been an instructor at heart. Teaching is hard work but I feel I have a gift for it. And the Golf Performance Center is an ideal environment to give instruction. I am thrilled that it is open to the public."

Sikes said that to the Tyler Morning Telegraph during an August tour.

The John Sikes Golf Academy runs out of the center. It offers private lessons, group clinics and schools, junior programs, golf fitness evaluation and training, mental-game and course-management coaching, and equipment fitting and repair. Its posted rates are $140 an hour with Sikes. Stetson McMillan, Correy Davis, Jake Fischer, Seth Murphy, Jake Smelser and Jessica Simpson each charge $125 an hour. The paper noted that, like Sikes, every instructor on the team is also a strong player.

That staffing explains the location. Building a teaching facility behind the gate would limit lessons to members. Building it outside the gate opens the academy to every golfer between Bullard and south Tyler, from juniors to longtime players.

Practicing Through Its First East Texas Winter

This will be the center's first winter, and the covered bays are the feature that matters most in the cold, rainy months. The center says its fully covered hitting bays let golfers practice "rain or shine" at any time of year. The indoor simulator and putting studio cover the rest. The FAQ lists the center as open seven days a week. Daily hours aren't posted, so call (903) 978-2088 before you drive over on a short December afternoon.

Families bringing kids should know the house rules. Children under 13 in the covered outdoor bays and under 16 in the indoor simulator need a parent, caregiver or responsible adult supervising them. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian to accept the facility agreement. The event room is offered for private celebrations and corporate or team events, which suits a holiday office party that wants something to do besides dinner.

For a first visit, this order makes the most of the day:

1. Book a covered bay or the simulator on the TrackMan booking page if you want one. Check in at the Service Desk 10 minutes before your slot.
2. Download the TrackMan Golf app so your range data saves to your profile.
3. Buy the $30 day pass if you plan to stay. It includes the grass tee, the short-game areas and range balls through business hours.
4. Finish on the 12,000-square-foot putting green, then take a break in the golf library.

Golf is a big part of how many East Texans spend their time, and I love seeing a facility like this open close to home. If you want to talk about golf-community living around Bullard, or just compare notes on the new range, Jena Waldron is always happy to hear from you. Let's Connect.