'Round Dallas, Cowboys football and golf are the ultimate combo

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before: In Texas, there are two seasons ? football and spring football. Well, that’s certainly been true in the 35 years I’ve lived in this state, and there are no signs that’s changing anytime soon.

Golf is pretty popular here, too, and one facility, in particular, has managed to combine the two quite nicely. Up in Grapevine, which is right in the middle of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, is Cowboys Golf Club, the only NFL-themed golf club in the country.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was behind it in 2001, and it has since been sold and managed by Eagle Golf under a licensing agreement with the Cowboys. The cool thing about Cowboys Golf Club is that not only does it get you jacked up about football, but the golf course is pretty good as well. It’s a terrific Jeff Brauer design that’s on a rolling piece of property near Grapevine Lake. (You can read my review of Cowboys Golf Club here.)

I’m not a Dallas Cowboys fan. In fact, I’ve got season tickets to the Houston Texans (who I think and hope will finally emerge as a real contender this year). But I do respect the Cowboys history and accomplishments, and you get a great sense of all that and more at Cowboys Golf Club.

In fact, they treat you so well at Cowboys that even if you’re a Redskins or Eagles fan, it’s hard to walk away hating the Cowboys after experiencing the course and the hospitality.

Anyway, tonight marks the last preseason game for many NFL teams, including the Cowboys, who host the Miami Dolphins in their billion-dollar plus mega stadium, which will host Super Bowl XLV in February. They’ve had an unimpressive preseason, but it is preseason. There’s been a lot of talk this year about the Cowboys becoming the first team to ever to play a true home game in the Super Bowl.

Tonight is also the start of college football. Not a lot of marquee games tonight, but some certainly worth watching. I’ll be interested to see how USC looks in a 10 p.m. CDT road game at Hawaii, but the one I’m looking forward to the most occurs next Monday night ? No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

This one has captured the fury and passion of college football fans everywhere, many of whom are concerned that if Boise wins, the Broncos will get a free ride to the National Championship game because of their lofty ranking and relatively easy schedule. BCS haters like me hope that’s the case so college football might finally consider some sort of playoff.

In any event, we’re getting into my favorite time of year ? talking football and playing golf in cooler weather. It doesn’t get any better.