West Texas Destination Guide

If West Texas is your destination, you'll have a short drive from whichever airport you arrive at. El Paso International Airport serves westernmost Texas and has American, American West, Continental, Delta and Southwestern flights daily from Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Texas' major metros. If you are headed to Abilene, Lubbock or Amarillo, you might have to fly into Dallas or San Antonio.

If you are driving to West Texas, you can take I-10 through the southwestern part of the state. Interstate 40 runs nearly parallel to I-10, but through Amarillo and the northern part of the state. From Amarillo, which is in the panhandle, you can take I-27 south to reach the other corners of West Texas.

FAQ

If you are driving to West Texas, you can take I-10 through the southwestern part of the state. Interstate 40 runs nearly parallel to I-10, but through Amarillo and the northern part of the state. From Amarillo, which is in the panhandle, you can take I-27 south to reach the other corners of West Texas. More information can be found in our transportation section of the West Texas Destination Guide.

Yes and no. While there's no Metroplex or Houston in west Texas, the epicenter of the region it's closer to four other state's capitals than its own, Austin. El Paso is closer to Phoenix than Houston, and the greater Juarez, Mexico area, which spills into Texas along with parts of New Mexico make up the greatest international metropolitan area in the world with over 2.3 million residents.

The altitude in most of western Texas is between 3,000 and 4,500 feet, so you'll get a little extra (between eight and 12 percent) length on your shots. Western Texas golf is "off the beaten path" to its extreme, with upscale courses few and far between. The result is courses that are amazingly cheap, easy to get on, and the courses are usually in worse condition than average Texas courses, most with very few bunkers. It's a very unique experience.

You won't pay for it, but the best play according to state rankings by Golf Digest is El Paso's Painted Dunes Golf Club, coming in at 14th according to the latest poll. But unlike the rest of the list, rounded out by pricy and private courses, visitors can play Painted Dunes for about $40 including cart.

In the northwestern-most corner of Texas, sometimes referred to as the Big Nothing, Lubbock and Amarillo are the only cities with a significant population. As for golf, there are 49 golf towns, 73 golf courses, and 945 golf holes, with over 90 percent of the facilities open for public play. Few towns have populations of over several thousand or anything beyond a single nine-hole golf course.

June is the hottest month of the year, at an average scorching 95 degree high. March through May and September and October are the most temperate times of year, at between 87 and 70 degrees. Winters get cool but west Texas is always accommodating to golf, with highs in the winter at 57 degrees.