A North Dallas Racquet Club Changes the Game
T Bar M Racquet Club has opened its long-awaited Banner House at T Bar M, which adds significant comfort and luxury to the legendary North Dallas sports and private social club.
WoodHouse, the family-owned hospitality group that develops, owns, and/or operates restaurants such as Café Dior and José, private clubs such as Park House, hotels, and music festivals, purchased T Bar M in December 2021. The company announced it would invest $70 million to modernize the 13-acre compound built in 1972 with improved amenities and updated and refurbished courts. The price tab came in at $80 million, according to WoodHouse’s spokesperson.
The results of the modernization are stunning. WoodHouse hired renowned design firms to create spaces that are thoughtful, functional, and designed to maximize socializing in comfortable, warm settings.
Banner House is the social hub of T Bar M, with lounges, a restaurant and sushi bar on the lower level, and additional bars and lounge areas upstairs. There are also beautiful flex spaces for private events. The space will also have a 1,200 square-foot pro shop with apparel and gear for racquet sports and fashion and accessories including jewelry designed by Fallon Bock, whose family owns and operates Bachendorf’s.
There are workspaces in Banner House, but club rules insist that all laptops are stowed and put away at 6 p.m. in the downstairs spaces. Hannah Wood Rice, WoodHouse’s Project Lead, said that the club wants guests to be present, connect with each other and their surroundings and, well, make the social club social.
WoodHouse takes club programming seriously, and, like their other clubs, T Bar M offers programs to entertain and educate members. In addition to formal programs, Banner House features an art collection curated by Jessica Nowitzki and Megan Wood staged throughout the clubhouse.
Ground floor Banner House views expand to the new resort-style pool with an adjoining margarita bar and taqueria, and lush landscaping. Second floor vistas are expansive, showing off the outdoor courts, the pool and buildings that house offices and an eventual full-service wellness center. Its location tucked into an affluent Dallas neighborhood with mature trees and stately homes lends an exclusive vibe to this upscale family-friendly club.
T Bar M is one of a few tennis clubs that feature all four Grand Slam court surfaces, including eight indoor hard courts, 13 outdoor hard courts, a stadium-style hard court, three Euro red clay courts, and a seasonal grass court. The club also has 17 dedicated pickleball courts and three panoramic padel (pronounced pa-dell) courts.
Racquet sports are at the heart of the club, and, though it’s not the largest or most prestigious tennis club in the area, Rice says WoodHouse intends to elevate the national profile of T Bar M’s academy for kids between the ages of three and 18. The tennis academy is open to members and non-members. The club has 28 pros who coach and provide lessons for members and students.
Founded by Texas tennis legends Jack Turpin, Tut Bartzen, and Clarence Mabry, T Bar M has long been a cornerstone of youth and professional racquet sports development. This is an exciting evolution for the club, whose long-time members have remained loyal to the club, says Wood Rice. She added that WoodHouse prioritized connecting with members and sought feedback and suggestions on how to move the club forward while preserving its legacy.
Located on Dilbeck Drive just east of Preston Road and north of LBJ, T Bar M is an oasis, within easy driving distance from the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and points north.
T Bar M is a private club with 12 different membership categories. Initiation prices range from $2,500 for enrolled students ages 21-25 up to $35,000 for full club membership for families with children up to age 22. Monthly fees range accordingly. Click here to learn more about membership to T Bar M.
T Bar M is located at 6060 Dilbeck Lane, Dallas, TX 75240
All images are renderings provided by WoodHouse.
