Blaketree National Golf Club

Blaketree National Golf is a 7,236-yard, par 71 daily fee track located on the late Thomas W. Blake's former Sandy Branch Ranch 7 miles northwest of Houston. Blake, a former Rice University golfer who belonged to the Southwest Conference Championship teams of 1929 and 1930, was also a successful attorney and oilman.

Blake's vision began to take hold in 1985 when he hired Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore to route the course. After completing 11 holes, the oil bust took hold and put the brakes on the project, which laid dormant until 1999 when Blake supervised the construction himself.

Tall pines line the fairways, and golfers face native wetlands, bunkering, subtle elevation changes, and lightning-fast greens throughout the round. While there are a few forced carries, many approaches offer the chance to run the shot onto the putting surface

The front side features a few long par 4s, including the opening 444-yard No. 1 and the uphill holes 3 and 4. No. 4 is lined by water on the left the entire length of the fairway. Those are tough, but not near as difficult as No. 8-a ridiculous dogleg left that bends to a green with water on the left, and can at times play longer than 500 yards! Work your draw off the tee and cut the corner on No. 8.

The back side is actually tighter-it opens up with the signature hole, the 195-yard No. 10 that plays from an elevated tee over a lake. No. 12 can really piss you off-another almost 500-yard par 4 that plays uphill, featuring an approach over water. At that point you'll be smiling at Blaketree's reputation for not being tricked up as you limp to No. 18, only to find a 657-yarder staring you in the face.

Note that lodging is available for those interested in a weekend get-away to Blaketree-a four-bedroom cottage sits on the first fairway and is available for rentals.

Getting there : Take 290 into the Beltway 8. Take 249 off Beltway 8 to Magnolia, TX. Intersection at 1488 (road ends). Turn right, go over the tracks and turn left. That is 1774. Go one mile to 1486 (flashing light), turn right, and the course is 6.5 miles down on the left.