Not sure how many NLU’ers we got here in the Lone Star state, but would love to discuss some of the golf course gems we have. I’m a DFW resident (born and raised) who just graduated from Baylor back in May. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of playing some of the great tracks all over the state, but was fortunate to grow up playing a pretty cool course in Vaquero. I’m kind of a newbie to golf course architecture but really interested in where some of the great tracks are in Texas apart from all of the usual top 20 lists. Maybe we can get a group to tee it up sometime in the future.
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I’m also from Texas. Live in East Texas about 1.5 hours from DFW. I’m an Aggie but since you’re an avid golfer like myself I won’t hold it against you. A short list of ones I have played that I liked are
Pine Dunes
Twin Lakes
Links at Lands End
Garden Valley
Pine Dunes is always a top 3 course in Texas you can play so it speaks for itself.
Twin lakes actually shut down this past July because of storms that hit it so hard. It was on 2 lakes surrounded by a tree nursery and was the hardest course I have ever played to this day from the tips if the wind was blowing at all. Wish they would reopen it. Links at Lands End is on Lake Fork which is near Yantis and Quitman,TX. It is a cool little course with about 8 holes right on the lake. If the wind is up off the lake it can get tricky in a hurry. Lastly, Garden Valley is a really good course off I20 right before you get to Tyler,TX. It use to be an amazing track, but conditions have kind of gone down. It’s still really nice with a variety of different holes.
Hope this helps.
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I’m down in Houston. Have not played much in the metroplex yet. The architecture nerds seem pretty amped over Trinity Forest. I have also heard rave reviews of Whispering Pines GC.
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I’m from East Texas originally and I gotta agree with csherm that pine dunes is one of the best courses in the area. It’s just in the middle of nowhere. I hear this new course called “the tempest” in gladewater is gonna be pretty sweet too. Opens in May.
I’ve lived in Austin and cstat as well. Worked the bag room at Barton Creek country club in atx. We had 4 courses owned by omni resorts that were a little overrated in my opinion, but the coore Crenshaw course and one of the fazio courses were alright.
College Station golf scene is pretty weak except for miramont, but I haven’t played at traditions which is where the Aggies practice. I’m gonna try and get out there this semester.
Haven’t played much in Dallas or Houston. Would love some good value recommendations.
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I have heard about the Tempest too. Someone with lots of $$$ bought it a few years ago and re-did the old course that was there. Suppose to be really nice. I played Fazio Foothills at Barton Creek and it was nice. Just a totally different kind of golf down there than in East Texas.
Traditions is really nice and a few of my CS buddies play at a place called Pebble Creek that isn’t bad for the price.
Their is a place called La Cantera in San Antonio and I played the Palmer course there and it’s really nice as well.
If you don’t mind the drive I played a course about 3 years ago called Palmilla Beach Golf Course (It was called Newport Dunes when we played it) . It is in Port Aransas,TX right on the Ocean. It is a links course. The only true one in Texas is what it says. Arnold Palmer designed it and the clubhouse wasn’t even finished when we played it. Apparently Hurricane Harvey has shut it down through this Spring, but its an amazing course to play. It is very expensive from what I remember. (Maybe $200 for a round on the weekend?) but you can’t play anywhere like it unless you go to an actual links course across the pond.
Also, Moody Gardens in Galveston is really nice track and fun to play.
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I haven’t had the chance to make it down to the Houston area yet, @3wiggle but have heard there’s some awesome courses. I have a buddy who was one of the first employees out at Bluejack (I know its not technically in Houston but still…) Supposedly it’s as pure as they come.
I was able to weasel my way onto Trinity a few months ago and it’s pretty freakin awesome. Just a totally different feel from any other DFW course you will play. Wide open, tons of undulation, and craziest greens I’ve ever seen. Will be interesting to see what the pros have to say about it in May…
As far as public courses in Dallas, Cowboys Golf Club is pretty cool. In really good shape and a lot of fun holes. But pretty pricey from what I remember… From an architecture and value standpoint, everyone swears by Stevens Park. I haven’t gone out to play it but I’m pretty sure it was a “golden age” design and has awesome views of downtown.
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I’ve lived in DFW my entire life and love what Texas has to offer. Pine Dunes is no joke. So unique to Texas and it’s one that is a must play. @birdiesforthebears yes, Stevens Park is a golf nut’s dream. Nothing like square greens. If you want to tee it up sometime let me know.
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@birdiesforthebears @ejectinglefty89 nice I’ve heard good things from some friends about Stevens park as well. @thefriedegg did a piece on it too so it’s probably solid
I’ll head up there for either the byron nelson or colonial and play it then
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@Mbaker I have gotten to play all of the college station courses and id probably rank them:
Traditions
Miramont
Campus Course( Golf Club at A&M)
Pebble Creek
Briarcrest
Alot of people knock the campus course but it is almost always in good condition and if the wind blows it gets pretty tough.
@ShankMaster You forgot to rank bryan municipal lol
But yeah man the campus course is fine it’s just too expensive for students unless you get the golf pass or are on the club team and for whatever reason when I play there I always play like straight garbage so I’m a little biased
I’m here for grad school so if you (or anybody reading this thread) is in town hit me up whenever
Hey hey, a DFW and NLU fan. My kinda thread right here.
I’ve never played outside of the metroplex unfortunately, I’ve played 2 Fort Worth munis (Rockwood, Sycamore Creek) the semi privates (Fossil Creek, Iron Horse) and the out of the way one (Bear Creek).
I’m either at Fossil Creek or Bear Creek, which ones did you play over here?
@icantaffordthisgame If you live in Ft Worth you need to go play Hawks Creek over in west Ft Worth and Split Rail in Aledo. If you want to get adventurous drive about 45 minutes west out to Sugartree. It runs along the Brazos. It’s really cheap and in the middle of no where but it’s great.
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I’m in Houston and live on champions golf club. Can’t beat the history of the place!
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@Csherm23 has it right. I’m from North DFW and I’ve played quite a few places around the DFW area. Links at Land’s End was actually our district host site for a couple years in high school. Feel like nobody talks about it. Great place to play, even though it’s a little out of the way. Fossil Creek is one I enjoy. I volunteer at Colonial every year so I’d love to play a few more tracks if we ever got together.
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I’m from the Gulf Coast area as well, can vouch for Palmilla Beach/Newport Dunes. Worth the $200 in my opinion. Just a different style of golf than you’ll find anywhere else in Texas.
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Been thinking of other courses I have played or others have played that are worth playing.
Most every course in the Tyler area are country clubs. Their is actually only one public course in the entire city and although it has gotten a lot better it’s still just an average course. I have actually never played one round of golf in the Houston area, but have been told numerous courses to try. Their is one course in a small town between Tyler and Houston called Lukfin that has a course called Crown Colony. Everyone that has played it tells me it’s awesome and can also be extremely challenging. I use to be a college baseball coach and our golf teams played their conference tourneys there and said its very tough especially when they have the greens speeds up.
Palmilla was a ton of fun when I played it about 2 or 3 years ago. Since I went to Texas Tech I kind of favor The Rawls Course as a links style course. The amount of turf they moved to make that course what it is has become is truly remarkable. You don’t feel like you are in flat west TX.
Yes it was almost like you were in Europe. I have never actually been but it definitely seemed like you had left Texas. Hope Harvey did not do too much damage to it, would love to go back one day. I have never played golf out in West Texas. My brother in law is big oil guy in Midland and is a member at Roundtree? I believe that is what it’s called. I’m sure that is a totally different kid of golf than East Texas as well.
Another long-time DFW resident here (Tech alum). Kudos to NLU for setting up this forum – let’s hope it stays #onbrand and out of the typical Twitter muck.
Have to agree with most posters, I’ve heard great things about Pine Dunes and have been trying to convince some buddies to go check it out. My favorite DFW public tracks are probably Stevens and Cedar Crest - both have fun routing, reasonably priced, and are usually in great shape. Several other decent options around the suburbs but most fall into the cookie-cutter master-planned community category. Would love to weasel my way on to some of the area’s private clubs in the near future. Mira Vista is a real treat for any Ft. Worth folks that get a chance to play it – plus you may catch a glimpse of @Tron’s boy (and future real estate mogul) JP aimlessly wandering the premises.
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I played Crown Colony in a high school tourney many years ago…it was in November, 45 deg and 20-30 mph winds…let’s just say I may still be traumatized from the ass-kicking I took. Absolutely brutal.
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