The Texas Pool — Local services in Plano

Edit to add: The owner reply accused me of leaving 4 bad reviews. They got similar reviews within a few weeks. I definitely didn't write 4 reviews. I did read the prior reviews before my visit, and I felt that it was not inappropriate for me to write one confirming that I had a similar experience to what was described.

The murals painted on the exterior of the bathroom building are nice and the concept of a Texas shaped pool is a cute gimmick. It's nice that this neighborhood has a historical landmark.

The following review is written with the understanding that this place is manned by volunteers, so it is not joyful to have to be negative, but objectively, paying patrons should be aware of the following:

First and foremost, based on another review, we asked the lifeguards to direct us to the posted rules at to pool, as the website states the rules and regulations are "available at the facility". Between the lifeguards at the snack bar and those manning the pool, there were 5 lifeguards in total and the collective response was "We don't know. The rules are online." The lifeguards had no idea where the posted rules were... which was pretty concerning! I understand they are volunteers, but certainly they should have basic knowledge of the safety rules of this pool AND they should be able to direct guests to the rules posted on site- it's unreasonable to expect every guest to be able to whip up the website on their phone at a moments notice!

The photos on the website definitely portray the pool as much larger than it is in person- don't plan to be able to swim laps or any significant length before needing to redirect. The owner replies on other reviews seem to imply that the number of gallons of water in the pool negate the fact that it is quite small. Also, the diving board that the website boasts of was apparently removed at some point, though you can still see where it was mounted.

A decent portion of the pool is very shallow to allow for their young patrons, so if you have small children, there will be plenty of wading room... but the deeper areas were occupied by kids in innertubes and on large rafts, so plan to just tread water if you want to spend any time in the deep end. The website explicitly forbids "large flotation devices... these include air mattresses, rafts, and innertubes". It was disappointing that this was not enforced, as it greatly reduced the already limited free swimming area.

As well, the website specifically forbids "long distance throwing of small balls or pool toys at or near small children or adults", yet we spent our visit dodging toys lobbed from across the pool. I saw a toddler literally wading at the foot of the manned lifeguard tower get nailed in the face by a nerf ball, and the lifeguards did not say a thing to the thrower. Parents, be aware of this and be prepared to run interference for your kid if there are other guests throwing balls or toys.

We saw from other reviews that the members and lifeguards are sensitive towards displays of affection, so my boyfriend and I were careful not to engage in physical horseplay or even kiss each other on the cheek. We were sitting on the steps on the "west texas" part of the pool where it was a bit more peaceful, and I rested my feet on my boyfriend's lap as we chatted... and we were soon approached by the lifeguards and told to "tone down" our inappropriate behavior because this was a "family friendly" environment. This was surprising, considering the fact that the music played over the loudspeakers literally described more explicit behavior than we were displaying. I really have to wonder what the management of this facility consider "inappropriate behavior". Are couples allowed to touch one another at all?

This is perhaps worth the trip for families with small children who will enjoy wading in a pretty small area.

If you are looking to actually swim around, find a different pool. If you want to be able to touch your partner in even the most platonic ways, find a different pool. If you want a relaxed environment, find a...

The pool is lovely, but beware anyone fitting an "alternative" look.

While swimming with my boyfriend, we were approached by a lifeguard and told that there was a "complaint" about our PDA and told to keep it family friendly. We did have our arms around each other and did briefly peck each other on the lips, this was no more than any of the other couples at the pool were doing. It definitely seemed like we were being singled out because I have tattoos and my boyfriend has long hair. When we asked as we were leaving for clarification on the rules, because nowhere on the website is PDA addressed, they stated they did not know where the rules were posted on the website OR at the pool.

This was somewhat disappointing, as there were families blatantly disregarding the rules on large flotation devices (intertube and rafts) that were not approached in any way, as well as families throwing balls and toys long distances around others.

It seems less like they were concerned about the rules and more about singling out people...

This was a charming cute pool (smaller than expected) but still nice and great that it was saltwater. However, me and my young children will not be returning as when we went there recently there were two teenage boys throwing a football back and forth across the length of the pool for almost the entire two hours we were there. Their "game" took up almost half the usable swimming pool space. We tried hard to get away from them, but they often missed so this water football or whatever they were using would splash super hard and nearly hit my child and me multiple times even when we were several feet away. Lifeguards/management did nothing to stop it so assuming they are very ok with it. Most public pools have rules against throwing balls or other objects because of the safety hazards involved (aside from water volley but that's usually in a specific area of the pool) I definitely think this pool could benefit from some stricter rules about this type of thing and not act like it's some random backyard pool where...