As noted in this previous post, the Shell Houston Open has suffered for years because it is played two weeks after The Masters Tournament when most of the best players are taking a break before gearing up for the U.S. Open in June.
However, the PGA Tour is currently negotiating a new television contract and, in that connection, is considering a revamped schedule that would move the Players Championship’s current late March date to a more favorable date in May. This Florida Times-Union article on the subject sets forth the following tournament schedule model that is being considered as an alternative to the current one, and this schedule would give the Shell Houston Open a much more favorable date the week before the Players Championship:

January
Mercedes Championship, Hawaii
Sony Open, Hawaii
Buick Invitational, La Jolla, Calif.
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Palm Desert, Calif.
February
FBR Open, Scottsdale, Ariz.
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Nissan Open, Los Angeles
Chrysler Classic of Tucson
March
Ford Championship at Doral, Miami
Honda Classic, Palm Beach Gardens
Bay Hill Invitational, Orlando
Accenture Match Play, Innisbrook
April
BellSouth Classic, Atlanta
Masters, Augusta, Ga.
MCI Heritage, Hilton Head, S.C.
Shell Houston Open
May
Players Championship
Wachovia Championship, Charlotte, N.C.
EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Irving, Texas
MasterCard Colonial, Fort Worth, Texas
FedEx St. Jude Classic, Memphis, Tenn.
June
Memorial, Dublin, Ohio
Booz Allen Classic, Potomac, Md.
U.S. Open
Barclays Classic, Westchester, N.Y.
July
Western Open, Lemont, Ill.
American Express Invitational
British Open (B.C. Open, Endicott, N.Y., the same week)
U.S. Bank Championship, Milwaukee
August
Buick Open, Warwick Hills, Mich.
International, Castle Rock, Colo.
PGA Championship
NEC Invitational (Reno-Tahoe Open the same week)
September
Deutsche Bank Championship, Norton, Mass.
Tour Championship, Atlanta (John Deere Classic, Silva, Ill., same week).
End of official money season and beginning of next official money season.

September
Bell Canadian Open
84 Lumber Classic, Farmington, Pa.
Southern Farm Bureau Classic, Annandale, Miss.
October
Valero Texas Open
Chrsyler Classic of Greensboro
Michelin Championship of Las Vegas
Funai Classic at Disney World
End of official money events for calendar year