Austin

There are college towns and there's Austin, the Texas state capital and the home of the University of Texas. Known for its legendary music scene, barbecue, chicken-fried steak and perhaps off-the-wall ideas (it's called Austin weird for a reason), there's nothing like it in the state or even the nation, for that matter.

The city is also known for its beautiful Hill Country terrain and natural resources, like the Colorado River and the lakes that were spawned from it. Of course, 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.

But back to the entertainment and cultural musings of Austin, which annually hosts one of the biggest music and film festivals in the world, known as South by Southwest. The city is also known for its Sixth Street entertainment district, where the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Delbert McClinton, Jerry Jeff Walker and Marcia Ball made names for themselves. There you can find venues like Esther's Follies, Stubb's Barbecue (where big name groups occasionally make surprise appearances) and the Continental Club, which is on South Congress.

And speaking of South Congress, that stretch has been revitalized into an upscale collection of old bars, new clubs and eateries now known as "SoCo." Guadalupe Street, which runs along the west end of the UT campus, is also a great area to hang out, as are the establishments that surround the state capitol.

And if barbecue is your thing, it's hard to beat the Austin area, from the legendary Salt Lick BBQ to Elgin sausage and Rudy's, a popular chain found throughout the area.

Just outside the city are two of Texas' greatest golf resorts, Barton Creek and Horseshoe Bay. Barton Creek features two excellent Tom Fazio courses as well as difficult Bill-Coore-Ben Crenshaw layout, while Horseshoe Bay is known for, among its other golf venues, the difficult Robert Trent Jones-designed Ram Rock Course. Roy Kizer and Jimmy Clay are two of the most popular municipal tracks in the state, and daily fees like Avery Ranch, Falconhead and Terra Vista attract locals and visitors alike. In Austin there's great golf, great food and plenty of entertainment -- a tough combination to beat.