Spotlight

Palmilla Beach Golf Club

Don't get lost in the sand dunes at windy Palmilla Beach Golf Club in Port Aransas

The sand dunes are dramatic at Palmilla Beach Golf Club -- natural, wind-blown and rugged here next to the Gulf of Mexico. David R. Holland has more from Port Aransas.
... full article »

Tapatio Springs golf course - no. 2

Hill Country beauty: Tapatio Springs resort near San Antonio

The golf course at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort & Spa in Boerne boasts a fresh new look in what was already one of the best settings in the state: the Texas Hill Country about a half hour northwest of the Alamo City. With a mixture of short and long holes, lots of twists and turns and plenty of water hazards and some elevation change, accuracy and being able to work the ball is a must.
... full article »

Palmilla Beach Golf Club - 6th

Palmilla Beach G.C. in Port Aransas: A rare Texas seaside course

Arnold Palmer Design's Palmilla Beach Golf Club in Port Aransas offers something rare in Texas: ocean views. The course isn't right next to the water but there are several vantage points where you can see the Gulf, and you can certainly feel its effects. Wind is almost always a factor and there's plenty of gorse to gobble up golf balls.
... full article »

Feature Stories

Reviews

Texas Golf Destinations

  • San Antonio

    More than 26 million people visit San Antonio each year. And while most of them know that the Alamo City is indeed famous for its nickname mission that has inspired several movies, San Antonio offers so much more when it comes to tourism, not the least of which is its golf. With several first-rate golf resorts in and around the city, San Antonio just might be Texas' best golf destination, especially when you consider all the other things to do.

    The Quarry Golf Course
    A piece of San Antonio was beautified in the early 1990s when Keith Foster drew the assignment to convert the old Alamo Cement plant from an abandoned eyesore into one of the most unique courses in Texas.
    ... more »
    Hill Country Golf Club - Lakes/Creeks
    The 18-hole Lakes/Creeks at Hill Country Golf Club in San Antonio, TX is a resort golf course that opened in 1993. Designed by Arthur Hills, Lakes/Creeks at Hill Country Golf Club measures 6931 yards from the longest tees.
    ... more »
    Vaaler Creek Golf Club
    Located inside the Rockin' J Ranch community deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Vaaler Creek Golf Club is a Michael Lowry/J.R. Newman design that features breath-taking vistas of the rolling countryside and live oaks. Golfers who book tee times at Vaaler Creek G.C. can expect beautiful water features and expertly placed bunkers.
    ... more »
    ... read more »

  • Austin

    Austin is known for its legendary music scene and beautiful Hill Country terrain and natural resources, like the Colorado River and the lakes that were spawned from it. The topography makes for a great golf canvas, and the city and surrounding area certainly have great places to play, whether it's resort golf, muni or quality daily-fee plays.

    Lake Travis Country Club
    ... more »
    Forest Creek Golf Club
    Designed by Dick Phelps, Forest Creek Golf Club has been named "Best Public Golf Course in Central Texas" by Golf Digest as well as "Golf Club of the Year" by Club Corporation of America. Phelps' design features plush, narrow fairways, and its namesake Forest Creek that comes into play on 11 holes.
    ... more »
    Teravista Golf Club
    Despite its Hill Country setting, Teravista Golf Club has more of a links feel, with wide-open fairways and casually rolling mounds. About 60-70 white bunkers spot the layout, and water comes into play on 14 holes.
    ... more »
    ... read more »

  • West Texas

    As the old saying goes, the harder you have to work for something, the more you appreciate it. This is applicable to West Texas' golf scene. Although miles outside of many of Texas' metropolitan areas, West Texas offers some incredibly attractive golf courses that many casual visitors may overlook.

    Horizon Golf Club
    Horizon Golf Club (formerly Emerald Springs) is the place where Lee Trevino honed his trade in the big-money El Paso games of the 1960s. The layout winds through a housing community and features wide fairways and large, well-maintained greens.
    ... more »
    Utopia Golf Course
    Utopia Golf Course is tucked away in the scenic Sabinal Canyon. It is a popular nine-hole course in an idyllic location that served as the inspiration for a book, which then became the movie "Seven Days in Utopia," starring Robert Duvall.
    ... more »
    Sammy Baugh at Western Texas College Golf Course
    Western Texas has been the municipal course of Snyder since the late 1970s. This 9-hole course, located on the grounds of Western Texas College, allows you to take full advantage of the West Texas winds, as most holes seem to play downwind.
    ... more »
    ... read more »

  • Houston

    There's no denying the nation's fourth largest city has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment, restaurants and golf. In addition to three pro sports teams, thriving downtown theater and museum districts, loads of shopping and warm weather year-round, the Houston area boasts about 150 courses, the majority of which are public.

    Lakes Course at Wildcat Golf Club
    Architect Roy Case created both courses on this new 36-hole, daily-fee facility that is located only 10 minutes from downtown Houston. In addition to the views of the skyline, Case had at his disposal a touch of Hill Country terrain with dramatic elevation changes, as well as the typical Houston- area prairie lands.
    ... more »
    Greatwood Golf Club
    Greatwood is known for its white sand bunkers and impressive par 3s, three of which play right at or over 200 yards. The 1989 Carlton Gipson design features elevated tees and greens that sandwich plush fairways and are contoured with mounds.
    ... more »
    La Quinta at Quail Valley Golf Course
    La Quinta Course, one of the two regulation courses at Quail Valley, is a typical regulation course, slightly more difficult than El Dorado because of the water in play on 10 holes.
    ... more »
    ... read more »

  • The Dallas Metroplex

    The Dallas Metroplex area has never had a problem with attractiveness. The Oil Boom brought great wealth here and Yankees by the multitudes continue to move to Texas to escape the cold winters of the North. The Dallas area is now an amalgamation of classic Texas scenery and attitude with lavish consumerism.

    Coyote Ridge Golf Club
    Coyote Ridge, opened in 1999, features some unusual holes that traverse a variety of unique terrain. Each nine is strikingly different–the front plays through a burgeoning residential community, is generally wide open and void of trees, and takes on the characteristics of a links-style course.
    ... more »
    Whitestone Golf Club
    Long and susceptible to the wind, White Stone Golf Club rolls through an impressive Hill Country-like setting with huge oak trees, lots of rocks, and loads of native oaks, cacti, yucca, and wildflowers.
    ... more »
    Golf Club at Champions Circle
    The Golf Club at Champions Circle has earned a reputation for its extreme difficulty, with one story stating that the designer himself, Greg Norman, rolled into town one day for a round and had trouble breaking par, even running out of balls in the process.
    ... more »
    ... read more »