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The Bandit Golf Club

The golf : The Bandit is owned by Foresight Golf, the same group that owns The Buckhorn in Comfort, TX, as well as the Republic in San Antonio. Like The Buckhorn, this is an affordable, no-frills course that offers friendly service and good golf.
Designed by Keith Foster, who has put his stamp on such notable Texas layouts as Texas Star in Euless, TX, and San Antonio’s The Quarry, the layout rolls through spectacular Hill Country terrain that features drastic elevation changes, elevated greens, miles of creeks meandering through the course, and some very memorable holes. The greens are known for their great condition as well as their tricky angles.
No. 2 is named “Two Much Too Soon” because it plays 241 yards from the tips, definitely not the par 3 a hacker needs to start the day off right. A few holes later comes the 403-yard No. 5, a slight dogleg lined by a creek on the left, with the right side protected by a hill that can leave you with a precarious lie. And No. 9 is a mean par 4, going 459 yards uphill into an elevated green with a tee shot over a creek.
On the back you’ll be ready to laugh after negotiating the 12th hole, a 468-yard par 4 soon to be followed by the 624-yard No. 15, which features out-of-bounds and a creek that crossed the fairway twice. But the highlight of the round is the signature No. 18, only 522 yards but loaded with danger. The hole plays from an elevated tee and rolls along the Guadalupe River on the right. Out-of-bounds is left, so there’s no margin for error off the tee. The green is cut into the hill that houses the clubhouse, and a miss here means that your ball will roll into the water. Give yourself an extra stroke on 18 and play for bogey.

The details : 830-609-4665. 6019 FM 725, New Braunfels, TX 78130

• 1997. Keith Foster. 18 holes. Par 72. Black – 6,928 (73.6/133). Blue – 6,405 (71.2/124). White – 5,991 (69.2/122). Red – 5,253 (70.3/126). Price - $$..

Getting there : The Bandit is only 35 minutes from San Antonio's airport, less than an hour from Austin, and an easy 2.5 hour drive from Houston. Take the Lake McQueeney exit 187 off of I-35.