A Neighborhood With a Distinctive Sense of Place
If you ask longtime Trophy Club residents what makes The Knoll special, many will mention the trees first. Others will point to the golf-course views, the private streets, or the small park tucked into the neighborhood’s highest point. Together, those details create a community that feels intentionally set apart—a refined, peaceful enclave that still reflects the larger history of Trophy Club.
Officially known as The Knoll at Trophy Club, the neighborhood is a private, gated residential community located along Greenhill Drive. It occupies approximately 23.5 acres in the historic M. Medlin Survey, connecting today’s neighborhood with the early land history of the Trophy Club area. Town planning documents describe The Knoll as a heavily wooded community designed around existing vegetation, natural topography, golf-course views, and an internal park. ([trophyclub.org](https://www.trophyclub.org/DocumentCenter/View/154/PD-16-PDF))
From Medlin Settlement to Trophy Club
The story of The Knoll begins long before its gates and custom homes. In 1847, Charles and Matilda Medlin traveled from Missouri with other families and settled in the area then known as Elizabethtown. Flooding along Elizabeth Creek eventually encouraged settlers to move to higher ground, helping establish the general area that would later become Trophy Club.
The Medlin family name remains woven into the community. Medlin Cemetery preserves the memory of some of the earliest settlers, while the former Medlin Barn became one of the area’s best-known historic landmarks. Built in the 1870s by James Wilson Medlin, the large Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired barn reflected the family’s agricultural roots and the self-sufficient character of early North Texas. Although the barn was eventually dismantled after years of weather damage, its story remains part of the heritage surrounding The Knoll. ([trophyclub.org](https://www.trophyclub.org/430/Trophy-Club-History))
Transportation also shaped the area’s development. In 1881, the Texas and Pacific Railroad laid tracks through the region, linking communities such as Roanoke, Trophy Club, and Westlake with Fort Worth. The railroad helped open the countryside to commerce, travel, and eventual suburban growth.
The Birth of Trophy Club
The modern history of Trophy Club began in the early 1970s, when Fort Worth attorney John McMackin envisioned a first-class residential community centered on golf. McMackin helped persuade retired golf champion Ben Hogan to design a course and envisioned a clubhouse displaying Hogan’s championship trophies.
In 1972, land acquisition began for what became a 2,500-acre development. Houston developers Johnson-Loggins later proposed a planned community around the golf course, and the first infrastructure districts were established to provide water and sewer service. By 1977, the development included an 18-hole golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse facilities.
The name Trophy Club came from the original proposal to display Ben Hogan’s golf trophies in the country club. Hogan ultimately withdrew his support when financing for the planned two-story clubhouse did not materialize, but his influence remained central to the community’s identity. The town’s Ben Hogan Course is still one of the defining landmarks of Trophy Club. ([trophyclub.org](https://www.trophyclub.org/430/Trophy-Club-History))
How The Knoll Got Its Name
The neighborhood’s name is both practical and descriptive. The Knoll was planned around a high point in the landscape, and the neighborhood’s central park occupies that elevated portion. Rather than flattening the land and removing most of the trees, the development plan incorporated the existing contours and vegetation.
This approach gave The Knoll its distinctive character. The streets were shaped to work with the terrain and to create outward views toward the surrounding golf course. Inwardly, the neighborhood focused on a small common park that served as a visual and social center.
The original planning documents emphasized large lots, private roadways, common areas, and a wooded setting. Lots were required to contain at least 15,000 square feet, helping preserve the spacious appearance that residents recognize today. Homes were also subject to architectural standards intended to protect the neighborhood’s long-term visual quality. ([trophyclub.org](https://www.trophyclub.org/DocumentCenter/View/154/PD-16-PDF))
A Key Milestone: Planned Development Approval
The Knoll’s formal development history took shape in the 1990s. In 1996, the Town of Trophy Club changed the zoning of the tract from single-family residential zoning to Planned Development No. 16. The tract was identified as “The Knoll” and was designated for a carefully regulated residential neighborhood.
A significant amendment was approved in 2001. The final planned-development documents identified the neighborhood as The Knoll at Trophy Club and added details for the entry, internal park, sidewalks, and pedestrian access. The documents also established private streets, gated entrances, underground utilities, landscaping expectations, and standards for masonry, driveways, lighting, fences, and walls.
These decisions were more than technical zoning details. They reflected Trophy Club’s larger tradition of master-planned growth—development that aimed to preserve open space, neighborhood identity, and a strong connection to the natural landscape.
Streets, Golf Views, and Nearby Landmarks
Greenhill Drive provides an important point of reference for The Knoll, forming part of the neighborhood’s connection to the broader Trophy Club street network. Inside the gates, private streets curve through mature landscaping and custom residences rather than following a rigid grid.
The golf course is the neighborhood’s most prominent visual backdrop. Trophy Club’s two 18-hole courses—the Ben Hogan Course and the Whitworth Course—help define the town’s landscape. The Whitworth Course honors Kathy Whitworth, the celebrated LPGA golfer and longtime Trophy Club resident. Together, the courses preserve the golf-centered vision that shaped the town from its beginning.
Nearby landmarks also add to The Knoll’s sense of place:
- Harmony Park, opened in 1999, reflects Trophy Club’s commitment to gathering spaces and recreation.
- Trophy Club Park, formerly known as Marshall Creek Park, covers 877 acres along Lake Grapevine and offers outdoor activities, trails, fishing, and access to the region’s natural environment.
- Medlin Middle School and nearby Northwest Independent School District campuses connect the neighborhood to the educational life of the town.
- The Trophy Club Clock Tower, built in 1999, remains one of the community’s recognizable civic landmarks. ([trophyclub.org](https://www.trophyclub.org/430/Trophy-Club-History))
How The Knoll Has Evolved
When The Knoll was first planned, Trophy Club was still developing from a golf-oriented retreat into a full-service town. Over the decades, that transformation brought schools, parks, public safety services, trails, shopping, and new neighborhoods.
The Knoll itself has remained comparatively consistent. Its homes have matured, its trees have grown taller, and landscaping has become more established. The neighborhood’s evolution has therefore been less about dramatic redevelopment and more about stewardship. Residents and homeowners’ associations have helped maintain the private streets, common areas, gates, and architectural character established in the original plans.
That continuity is part of what makes the neighborhood feel special. The Knoll is not a museum piece; it is an active residential community. Children grow up near the same trees that welcomed earlier families, neighbors gather in the park, and golfers continue to pass along the fairways beyond the backyards.
The Heritage of The Knoll Today
The history of The Knoll is ultimately the history of thoughtful North Texas growth. Its land reaches back to the Medlin family and the early settlement era, while its design reflects the 1970s vision of Trophy Club as a master-planned golf community.
What residents enjoy today—a quiet private street, a wooded lot, a view across the course, or a walk through the neighborhood park—comes from decisions made decades ago. The Knoll’s heritage lives in its setting as much as in its dates and documents.
For longtime residents, that is the neighborhood’s lasting appeal. The Knoll offers the comfort of an established place without losing the beauty of the landscape that first made Trophy Club worth building.