The newly christened PGA Parkway will extend from Frisco’s eastern border at Coit Road west to the roundabout at Teel Parkway. The portion from that roundabout to the city’s western border will remain Rockhill Parkway as it extends into Little Elm.
Several Frisco residents spoke in opposition to the name change during Tuesday’s meeting, citing the history of Rock Hill as one of the first communities in western Collin County. The community was located near the intersection of Preston Road and the existing Rockhill Parkway.
Sam Ratcliffe told council maintaining the Rockhill Parkway name would be a small way Frisco could acknowledge the heritage of those who came before the city's current population.
“In my opinion, that would outweigh the convenience of changing the name of the entire length of the thoroughfare to PGA Parkway,” Ratcliffe said.
Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney and several members of the council discussed the possibility of renaming an existing park to honor the Rock Hill settlement in the future. Cheney also pointed to the new Rock Hill High School, which is Prosper ISD’s only high school in Frisco, as a way that history is being preserved.
“Rock Hill will never be erased or forgotten in the city of Frisco,” Cheney said. “It'll be on football jerseys and team T-shirts and parent boosters and PTAs. It will be a constant reminder of the city of Rock Hill and the history here.”
In June 2009, council changed the name of what was then County Road 25 to Rockhill Road. After it was discovered that a Rockhill Road already existed in a nearby portion of unincorporated Denton County, the entire length of the roadway was changed to Rockhill Parkway in 2012.
The name change to PGA PArkway was requested by the Professional Golfers’ Association of America and Omni Stillwater Woods. The PGA of America announced in 2018 its intention to move its headquarters to Frisco. Construction work on the PGA development began in summer 2019. The development also includes the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, which is a joint venture led by Omni Hotels & Resorts with Stillwater Capital and Woods Capital. The whole project is scheduled to be complete by June 2022.
In a letter to Cheney that was included in documents prepared for council, PGA of America Chief Operating Officer Darrell Crall said the organization respects all points of view about the request.
“The PGA of America feels strongly that there is long term value to a PGA branded roadway exit off the Dallas North Tollway, as it showcases to millions the PGA Frisco partnership and progressive evolution of Frisco,” Crall wrote.
Council also approved a name change for a new road currently under construction adjacent to the PGA golf course. That road, which extends south from U.S. 380, is going to be renamed Championship Drive from its current name of PGA Way.
In a document prepared for council, city staff said 28 street signs will need to be replaced along PGA Parkway at a total cost of $5,331. However, there will be no cost to Frisco for the North Texas Tollway Authority to change the exit signs along the Dallas North Tollway.
For the newly named Championship Drive, the city will have to change one illuminated street sign at a cost of $358.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the name of the North Texas Tollway Authority.
