Marvin Leonard bought 1,220 acres of farmland west of Fort Worth over the objections of his friend and protégé, Ben Hogan. On part of that land he built a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, and it opened in 1958 after one of the biggest earth-moving jobs any course has seen. The rest of the tract became the Westover Hills residential area.
On Sunday, three days after this post goes up, that course becomes the stage for the 14th Simpson Cup. Twenty-six injured service members and veterans from the United States and Great Britain will play Ryder Cup-style match play at Shady Oaks Country Club from Nov. 1 to 4. Earlier editions were played at TPC Sawgrass, Congressional, Oak Hill, St Andrews Links, Shinnecock Hills and Royal St George's. This year's host is the ground the town next door grew out of. The series' own scoring history says the contest will be settled on Wednesday morning.
Leonard's Course Sits in Westworth Village
The 1,220 acres covered both the club and the future town. Today the line between them is official. The appraisal district lists the club parcel at 320 Roaring Springs Road under Westworth Village, and PGA of America also gives Westworth Village as the club's location. Westover Hills runs its own municipal government, and its Town Council reviewed a draft FY2027 budget on Aug. 18. You can read more about that town in our Westover Hills neighborhood guide.
Hogan stayed, objections and all. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram calls him the club's first founding member and recounts that he called Shady Oaks "my pet." A Golf Digest profile describes how he practiced from a spot between the 14th and 15th holes, hit balls across the nearby fairways, then finished chipping and putting by the clubhouse. The Fort Worth Report notes that it was his home course for the rest of his life.
The players this week will see a course that has been updated since Hogan's day. In 2020 the Australian firm Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead finished a renovation meant to update Leonard's design.
Four Days, Two of Them Competitive
The week is weighted toward its back half. Sunday and Monday are ceremony and sponsor golf. The Cup itself is decided over two mornings.
| Day |
Date |
What happens |
Start |
| Sunday |
Nov. 1 |
Opening Ceremony and Gala Dinner |
7:30 p.m. |
| Monday |
Nov. 2 |
Player/Sponsor Tournament |
Not published |
| Tuesday |
Nov. 3 |
Six four-ball matches |
9:00 a.m. |
| Wednesday |
Nov. 4 |
Thirteen singles matches, then Cup presentation and closing |
9:00 a.m., closing at 1:00 p.m. |
Each side fields 13 players, and every competitor is a member of On Course Foundation. The charity helps wounded, injured and sick veterans through golf coaching, mentoring, education and job pathways in the golf industry.
Why Wednesday Carries the Weight
Great Britain arrives holding the trophy and leading the series 7-6, after a 12-7 win at Royal St George's and Prince's Golf Clubs in 2025. The Americans last won outright at The Creek in 2021, and the 2023 and 2024 matches both ended in ties.
The scoring math favors the holder. There are 19 points on offer, six on Tuesday and 13 on Wednesday. Great Britain keeps the Cup with 9.5 points, and the United States needs 10 to take it back. A tie goes to the side that brought the trophy.
The all-time records in each format show why Wednesday matters most:
- Four-balls: the United States leads 47 points to 31.
- Singles: Great Britain leads 90 points to 72.
Tuesday is the Americans' best format, but it puts only six points on the board. Wednesday is worth more than twice that, and it is the format Great Britain has owned. Even a strong American Tuesday leaves the Cup open going into the final morning, when all 26 players go back out.
Both captains are new to the job. Team USA is led by Jacob Nelson, a Marine veteran with seven earlier Simpson Cup appearances. His roster has only two rookies, plus former captains Marty Caraway and Chad Pfeifer. Pfeifer is playing his ninth Cup and carries a 14-4-0 career record. Nelson and fellow Texans Jason Leap and Russell Normandin give the home side a local core.
Great Britain's Neil Flynn is also captaining for the first time. His squad includes five rookies along with the most experienced players in the event's history. Ian Bishop will make his 13th appearance, Dave Ward his 12th and Mike Browne his 11th. Speaking to the Fort Worth Report, Flynn pointed to his team's record away from home:
"We know we'll be up against a strong U.S. team on their home turf, but we've remained unbeaten on our last two trips to America and we'll take plenty of confidence from that."
Nelson, in the same Fort Worth Report piece, called Shady Oaks "one of the most iconic clubs in American golf."
The Gate Stays Where It Is
Shady Oaks is a private club where play is limited to members, according to PGA of America. The tournament doesn't change that. Organizers have not posted general admission, ticket prices, parking or gate times for the match days. The only published way onto the course is in the event brochure. It is a $10,000-per-person sponsor package that covers an opening ceremony and gala ticket, a spot in the Sunday practice round, and course access on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyone hoping to watch without a membership or sponsorship should check simpsoncup.com before driving over.
For most of Westover Hills, then, the Cup will feel like a nearby event rather than one they attend. Tuesday's six four-ball matches start at 9 a.m., Wednesday's singles start at 9 a.m., and the trophy will be presented around the 1 p.m. closing ceremony.
What Stays in Texas After Wednesday
In August, the Fort Worth Report described the tournament as coinciding with the launch of a dedicated On Course Foundation Texas Chapter. It cited more than 400,000 wounded, injured and sick veterans living in the state. The organizers' Oct. 5 update now calls it a Texas Initiative. The foundation will start developing it after the Cup and build out the regional operation during 2027, connecting Texas veterans to its national programs, events and employment opportunities.
One week after the singles, there is a public event that needs no sponsor package. The Tarrant County Veterans Council's 2026 Veterans Day parade starts at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. It begins at the Panther Island Pavilion parking lot, circles the Tarrant County Courthouse and continues through downtown Fort Worth. Route details are on the parade website and the Veterans Council site. For more of what's happening this season near the gate, see our fall calendar inside a ten-minute drive of Westover Hills. For an earlier story about how history shapes what gets built here, read about the Frank Lloyd Wright house Westover Hills traded for an I.M. Pei.
Before it was a neighborhood, Westover Hills was part of Marvin Leonard's golf course plan, and John Zimmerman has spent nearly three decades working in west Fort Worth. If you would like to talk about what a Westover Hills address carries with it, from Leonard's acreage to the town's own government, our team is glad to sit down with you. Work With Us.
