Drew Brees invests $1.25M with other Hollywood and extreme sports stars in an exclusive club in Texas

When you think about Austin, Texas, images of barbecue and food trucks, Lake Travis and natural springs, and college students stumbling on Sixth Street may come to mind. What probably doesn’t come to mind is surfing.

Austin’s most popular body of water is Lady Bird Lake, and that’s known for being the place to paddle board - not surf - exactly because of its lack of waves. And yet, several celebrity buyers are interested in the development of a surf resort in Austin.

Drew Brees, Matthew McConaughey among those interested in Austin Surf Club

The Austin Surf Club is under development by Discovery Land Co. and partnered with surfer Kelly Slater. Ex NFL star Drew Brees, actor and local Austinite Matthew McConaughey, and skateboarder Tony Hawk are among the celebrities willing to invest $1.25 million to become members.

The development will feature 140 condos and homes as well as restaurants, a brewery, a café, and a clubhouse, with a large pool with artificial, surfable waves at the center.

The project boasts a $550,000 budget simply for chatting up potential clients with meetings being held at large events, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin and the Stagecoach Festival in Miami. So far, 49 sales have generated nearly $100 million, including 12 surf memberships with an average of $1.25 million, and homes averaging $2.25 million.

“Austin Surf Club will be the first-of-its-kind, lifestyle community in Texas built from the ground up, designed with sustainability in mind,” the developers said in a statement.

Despite the buzz around the project, Austin’s housing market continues to struggle as the city is experiencing the largest price drop (2.7% between 2024 and 2025) among major U.S. cities. This is thanks to oversupply and economic uncertainty, including fears over the Trump administration’s tariffs, as well as a potential recession.

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