Favorite Texas Course?

[txgolfjunkie 1,421]

I'll spitball a few...no particular order:

DFW/Central Texas:

White Bluff (Both Courses)

Squaw Valley (Lakes. Links is meh)

Waterchase

Austin/SA:

The Quarry

Briggs Ranch

Roy Kizer

Houston/Coastal:

Lochinvar

Cypresswood - Tradition course...if they ever get it back to great shape.

Raven Nest (Huntsville) - a really fun course

BlueJack

Highmeadow Ranch

Houston Oaks

Moody Gardens/Galveston CC...or any coastal course with Paspalum grass.

 

 

[MrBandit 231]

On 6/3/2020 at 1:27 PM, Chuckster said:

I would consider Firewheel my first "home course".  Played there most Friday's for about 5 years straight.  Haven't played the Bridges much as I moved to Austin in 1995 but the Old Course was my favorite while the Lakes Course did have some funky holes.

Firewheel, is my home course, play a lot of FGA tournaments there. but I like to play different course, not the same one over and over.
Lakes and the Bridges are the best there.

 

[PMookie 10,437]

I had forgotten about Pine Dunes until yesterday. Played it again for the first time in six years. Was once named “Beat Course in Texas” by Golfweek. It’s awesome. So much fun. Challenging, great condition, and a steal for a price!!!! It’s in East TX, in Frankston. Play it. So worth it!

[txgolfjunkie 1,421]

4 hours ago, PMookie said:

I had forgotten about Pine Dunes until yesterday. Played it again for the first time in six years. Was once named “Beat Course in Texas” by Golfweek. It’s awesome. So much fun. Challenging, great condition, and a steal for a price!!!! It’s in East TX, in Frankston. Play it. So worth it!

The Tyler/Longview area has some great tracks. Love Pine Dunes, just wish their lodging was better. I would like to have a Ryder Cup style gathering at that course (good neutral location for DFW and Houston) but the lodging is the only thing keeping me away from it. 

[downlowkey 3,709]

Oak Hills CC (San Antonio - Tillinghast) - layouts simply don’t get much better, and if Tripp Davis botches the renovation, I’ll never forgive him.

Austin Golf Club (Spicewood - Crenshaw/Coore) - legit caddies, designed to walk, Zoysia everywhere and they allow metal spikes... need I say more?

[txgolfjunkie 1,421]

19 hours ago, downlowkey said:

Oak Hills CC (San Antonio - Tillinghast) - layouts simply don’t get much better, and if Tripp Davis botches the renovation, I’ll never forgive him.

Austin Golf Club (Spicewood - Crenshaw/Coore) - legit caddies, designed to walk, Zoysia everywhere and they allow metal spikes... need I say more?

Maybe you should just move back to Texas and hook us up at these courses. 

[downlowkey 3,709]

3 hours ago, txgolfjunkie said:

Maybe you should just move back to Texas and hook us up at these courses. 

I’m working on it.

In the meantime, it never hurts to have your club Pro put in a friendly call re: reciprocal courtesy for a gentleman like yourself.

[hookem9312 3]

Sweet thread!!!!!

Houston: 

• Gleannloch Pines (Gleann, Loch, Pines) - all three 9 hole courses are well maintained, challenging, and fun.
• Raveneaux Country Club - grew up playing here while it was private but a developer just purchased it and its public for the next couple of years now
• Black Horse (South Course) - very challenging course in Cypress, TX
• Carlton Woods ( Woodlands) - if you can get out there do it.
• Champions (Cypress Course) - if you can get out there do it.
• High Meadow (Magnolia) - awesome open course.
• BUCKET LIST COURSES NOT YET PLAYED IN HOUSTON, TX:
  • Bluejack
  • Golf Club of Houston

Austin:

• Barton Creek Fazio Canyons -  Favorite track in all Austin that's accessible. 
• Avery Ranch ( Cedar Park, TX) - challenging, beautiful course. Greens are always consistent and in good shape.
  • WARNING: weekend play is HORRENDOUSLY SLOOOOOW. If you can play during the week, do that. 
• Star Ranch (Hutto, TX) - fun, open, easy to score course. Pace of play never really an issue. Also, a very walkable course. Great practice facilities (2 big putting greens, 2 big pitching/chipping greens, separate bunker pitching green, and large grass range) - highly recommend for a large group, relaxing round and/or confidence building, practice round. 
• Lost Creek CC (Westlake) - fun, challenging private course (club corp club)
• Twin Creeks (Cedar Park/Volente Beach) - very challenging, Fred Couples designed private course. Shoot well here and you'll crush a high percentage of courses you step onto. 
• HEADS UP: 
  • Pace of play at any of the Magnolia Group courses (Avery Ranch, Teravista, Falconhead) - horrible pace of play and over crowded during peak seasons. Courses are in good shape but the overall experience in spring and summer is horrible. Not walkable either. 
  • Public tracks: Crystal Falls and Lago Vista are hit or miss with greens quality. Lots of blind tee shots. Greens are inconsistent hole-to-hole and do not hold approach shots consistently. 
• BUCKET LIST COURSES NOT YET PLAYED IN AUSTIN, TX:
  • Spanish Oaks (Bee Cave)
  • Austin Country Club (Westlake)
  • UT Golf Club (Steiner Ranch)
  • Austin Golf Club (Spicewood)
  • Cimarron Hills (Georgetown)

 

Edited July 1 by hookem9312
Forgot a course in Houston.

[PMookie 10,437]

On 6/25/2020 at 10:00 AM, txgolfjunkie said:

The Tyler/Longview area has some great tracks. Love Pine Dunes, just wish their lodging was better. I would like to have a Ryder Cup style gathering at that course (good neutral location for DFW and Houston) but the lodging is the only thing keeping me away from it. 

No doubt. Pretty trashy... I thought about this when I came-up 18, and said no way I’d stay in their lodging!

[PMookie 10,437]

Suggestions in the Tyler/Longview area, other than Pine Dunes, which was an hour-and-a-half from my hotel in Longview. I’ll be there every two weeks or so...

[MrBandit 231]

On 6/25/2020 at 5:24 AM, PMookie said:

I had forgotten about Pine Dunes until yesterday. Played it again for the first time in six years. Was once named “Beat Course in Texas” by Golfweek. It’s awesome. So much fun. Challenging, great condition, and a steal for a price!!!! It’s in East TX, in Frankston. Play it. So worth it!

Pine Dunes is still one of my favorite course, is always in fantastic shape and the track is challenging. 

[PlaidJacket 7,703]

On 6/8/2020 at 12:43 PM, txgolfjunkie said:

or any coastal course with Paspalum grass.

Seeing this reminded me of this past weekend. I played a tournament at the fabulous Lajitas Golf Resort. Incredible course with paspalum tee to green. Yes... even the greens!! I guess this grass isn't just coastal.

https://www.lajitasgolfresort.com/default.aspx?pg=golf

 

[txgolfjunkie 1,421]

15 hours ago, PMookie said:

Suggestions in the Tyler/Longview area, other than Pine Dunes, which was an hour-and-a-half from my hotel in Longview. I’ll be there every two weeks or so...

A lot of these tracks are fairly decent, some I haven't played in a year or two:

Oak Hurst

Tempest

Hide-a-way Lake

Pine Springs is a good track (per local)

And if you can find a way to get on...Cascades is legit. It's in Tyler and has hosted plenty of big Texas Amateur events. Willow Brook and Holly Tree are classic old-school country clubs in Tyler. I don't know if you're a member of a course and can swing a reciprocal round. 

I heard Garden Valley lost it's luster and now a goat track. It had a back nine that was one of the best I'd played. Front nine was fairly flat, but the back nine was a roller coaster. Not worth the green fee anymore. However they have some great bass ponds tucked back on that course. 

[txgolfjunkie 1,421]

14 hours ago, PlaidJacket said:

Seeing this reminded me of this past weekend. I played a tournament at the fabulous Lajitas Golf Resort. Incredible course with paspalum tee to green. Yes... even the greens!! I guess this grass isn't just coastal.

https://www.lajitasgolfresort.com/default.aspx?pg=golf

 

That paspalum is crazy how courses can use it tee to green. Rarely do you see a grass that's good enough and tough enough to be put on tee, fairways, rough and greens. Makes life a lot simpler, that's for sure. 

[downlowkey 3,709]

2 hours ago, txgolfjunkie said:

That paspalum is crazy how courses can use it tee to green. Rarely do you see a grass that's good enough and tough enough to be put on tee, fairways, rough and greens. Makes life a lot simpler, that's for sure. 

I think the '08 flood was a blessing in some ways for Lajitas golf operations. Before much of the former Ambush course washed away, they had a helluva of a time keeping turf alive. The conversation was well over a decade ago so it's a little fuzzy, but I remember the Head Pro explaining that their well water temperature was ridiculously hot (geothermal).

I would guess the decision to bring in paspalum turf for the Black Jack's Crossing redesign had a lot to do with their hot water situation. Looking at the satellite overhead, they appear to have a big retention pond now. But Summer heat is absolutely brutal down there in the Big Bend; and with as much water as they have to spread around the resort property, getting it cooled off quickly enough is likely still a constant battle. Although probably much less so, thanks to the hardy paspalum.

@PlaidJacket may have better insight having recently played it.

[PlaidJacket 7,703]

13 minutes ago, downlowkey said:

I think the '08 flood was a blessing in some ways for Lajitas golf operations.

Yes in more ways than one. New ownership several years ago and one with very deep pockets turned the whole thing around. The gentleman out of Dallas that bought the resort put in millions to make it what it is today. And improvements are still constantly happening. All good. You're correct about the water. I'm guessing the retention ponds allow for cooling before it's pumped on the course. They also have a treating system of some type where the sulphur is knocked-out of the water. It's just a very unique place in all ways. It's certainly off the beaten path but there is also Lajitas International where I'd told a jet up to 737 can land. I know there are charters out of Dallas that bring groups there. Anyway... even though there are other attractions and things to do; it's really all about the golf. And rightly so. I'd post a few photos but they don't do justice.

[txgolfjunkie 1,421]

I think the '08 flood was a blessing in some ways for Lajitas golf operations. Before much of the former Ambush course washed away, they had a helluva of a time keeping turf alive. The conversation was well over a decade ago so it's a little fuzzy, but I remember the Head Pro explaining that their well water temperature was ridiculously hot (geothermal).
I would guess the decision to bring in paspalum turf for the Black Jack's Crossing redesign had a lot to do with their hot water situation. Looking at the satellite overhead, they appear to have a big retention pond now. But Summer heat is absolutely brutal down there in the Big Bend; and with as much water as they have to spread around the resort property, getting it cooled off quickly enough is likely still a constant battle. Although probably much less so, thanks to the hardy paspalum.
[mention=52381]PlaidJacket[/mention] may have better insight having recently played it.

Hurricane Ike in 2008 essentially killed off all the pesky St Augustine in the Galveston area and that paspalum (which loves the salty air/water) took off. Every time there's a tidal surge that covers Moody gardens or Galveston CC, the courses get that much better with its grass.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[downlowkey 3,709]

23 minutes ago, txgolfjunkie said:

Hurricane Ike in 2008 essentially killed off all the pesky St Augustine in the Galveston area and that paspalum (which loves the salty air/water) took off. Every time there's a tidal surge that covers Moody gardens or Galveston CC, the courses get that much better with its grass.

 

Kinda wishing I was down at Jamaica Beach right now; and also that a tidal surge would kill off all the sticker burrs in the yard.

I played Moody not too long after Ike and it was perfect. I feel like they just dumped some sand in the bunkers and said “there ya go...better than new”? Sort of nuts but I guess that’s the way they designed it.

[golfingbrock 431]

On 6/29/2020 at 4:57 PM, PMookie said:

Suggestions in the Tyler/Longview area, other than Pine Dunes, which was an hour-and-a-half from my hotel in Longview. I’ll be there every two weeks or so...

@PMookie I'm hoping to get out to Pine Dunes some time. Not a bad trip from Dallas.  I've heard good things about the Tempest near Longview. The Cascades in Tyler is nice, but private. Only other course I've played in LV is Wood Hollow, which was pretty short and pretty rough (but also cheap!)

I've played around 110 courses in Tx. My favorites that I've played:

Rockwood- Ft Worth

Diamondback- Abilene (my college home course)

Stevens Park- Dallas

Memorial Park- Houston

Fazio Foothills- Austin

The Tribute- The Colony

Squaw Creek- Willow Park

 

TX Public courses I hope to play soon

Pine Dunes, Rawls Course, Ross Rogers The Mustang, Squaw Valley, Old American, Slick/Apple/Ram Rock