Charmed by golf and East Texas

Published 4:43 pm Saturday, July 26, 2025

As the 55th M&P Texas Open golf championship takes center stage at The Cascades Golf & Country Club for a record-setting 14th time, it seems a perfect occasion to visit with Cascades owner Chris Choi and his love for both the game of golf and East Texas.

Since moving to Texas from South Korea in 1986, Chris Choi has been charmed by golf and that led to his acquisition of two Dallas area courses before discovering the beauty of Tyler and East Texas.

The owner of The Cascades Golf played golf before coming to America but not much, instead devoting his time and energy to Taekwondo. Choi soon learned the athleticism and discipline required in the martial arts transferred nicely to the golf swing.

Taekwondo originated in South Korea just after the end of World War II in 1945 and has gained popularity ever since, becoming an Olympic sport in 2000. Choi loved Taekwondo but soon had the golf bug.

“I had the good fortune of taking lessons from a young Hank Haney who was then the golf coach at SMU,” Choi said. “He would only give me 30-minute lessons but they really helped. He was already working with Tommy Armour III and Mark O’Meara.”

Haney, of course, would later become famous as the coach of Tiger Woods during Woods’ heyday of winning majors from 2004 to 2010.

With Haney’s help and a passion for the game, Choi improved to the point of having a low digit handicap that is indicative of good amateur golf.

“I love the game as does my son Phillip, who is playing in the State Open,” Choi said. “I bought the Cascades with him and my daughter Ji in mind because I wanted a business they could one day run.”

Choi, a vibrant and youthful looking man, has three children. His oldest daughter Ji is the director of operations at the Cascades and son Phillip is a graduate of SMU. His other daughter Lauren is in medical school.

When Choi arrived in Texas in 1986, he attended graduate school at TCU before starting a business career in real estate. He said his focus has been commercial real estate such as developing shopping centers. Then he delved into the world of golf with his company M&P Group that now owns three courses — Cascades, Coyote Ridge in Carrollton and Shady Valley Country Club in Arlington.

“The previous owners of Cascades approached me and at first I thought the property was too expensive,” Choi said. “But then I kept thinking about how beautiful the course is with such a big and impressive clubhouse and I said we need to do this.”

Choi’s love of the beauty of East Texas fuels his optimism for Tyler and the surrounding area.

“I start feeling good as I approached Tyler because of the natural beauty with the hills and the trees and it makes me feel so positive about the future for Tyler and this golf club,” Choi said. “We had great challenges in getting the clubhouse repaired and ready for operation but that’s behind us now and people are enjoying our facilities.”

Speaking of the clubhouse and its amenities, the dining room at the Cascades offers top of the line food and drink with a view of perhaps the most beautiful opening tee shot in Texas.

Just outside the clubhouse on the first tee is an eye-popping view of Lake Bellwood below and to the right of the fairway. It is mindful of Hilton Head and other world class resorts.

Choi cited his love of the Cascades and its members for hosting the M&P Texas State Open.

“I did this for the members because they are proud of their course and like hosting the tournament,” Choi said. “This is a good way to show off our beautiful course and let people know about our company and the other courses we operate.”

Head golf professional Scott Warner shares Choi’s enthusiasm for hosting the tournament.

“We sell out the volunteer opportunities because our members want to serve in some capacity for the tournament,” Warner said. “I enjoy working for Mr. Choi and Ji because they want the best for our golf course and club.”

Joining Choi and his love for golf is Phillip, who missed the 36-hole cut in the state open last August but shot a 71 in the second round that was one shot better than his playing companion that day, Tony Romo. Romo of Dallas Cowboys fame is planning to play again this year when action begins July 29 and runs through August 1.

Mentioning the flair for golf that the Koreans are displaying on both the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour, Choi offered his perspective about why his home country has done so well in golf.

“It all started with Se-Ri Pak winning the US Women’s Open in 1998,” Choi said. “But it goes back even further to the influence of the Japanese and how they love golf. They were about 10 years ahead of Korea after World War II and so their love of golf spread to Korea.”

Of his company, Choi said he has learned from the company formerly named Club Corp, an innovative golf management company with many courses throughout the country. Now operating as Invited, the company was once owned by Robert Dedman and its novelty was the member of one club could have access to the other courses, as well.

“I was a Club Corp member for about 12 years and I like that concept of multiple clubs which we are using on a smaller scale,” Choi said. “Our Tyler members can visit the DFW area and they have two courses there they can play while our DFW members can enjoy the trip down to Tyler and play the Cascades.”

Some history of The Cascades was introduced to Choi and he was amazed to learn that Payne Stewart once defeated Fred Couples in a sudden death playoff on this property in 1979 in the Southwest Conference Tournament.

“That is really interesting and I did not know that,” Choi said. “I will have to tell my son about that because he loves golf just like I do.”

That love of golf shows at The Cascades, as a new chapter in its history of Tyler unfolds near the shores of Lake Bellwood, a beautiful small reservoir that once supplied water to the City of Tyler almost a century ago.