Spotlight

Palmilla Beach Golf Club

Don't get lost in the sand dunes at windy Palmilla Beach Golf Club in Port Aransas

The sand dunes are dramatic at Palmilla Beach Golf Club -- natural, wind-blown and rugged here next to the Gulf of Mexico. David R. Holland has more from Port Aransas.
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Tapatio Springs golf course - no. 2

Hill Country beauty: Tapatio Springs resort near San Antonio

The golf course at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort & Spa in Boerne boasts a fresh new look in what was already one of the best settings in the state: the Texas Hill Country about a half hour northwest of the Alamo City. With a mixture of short and long holes, lots of twists and turns and plenty of water hazards and some elevation change, accuracy and being able to work the ball is a must.
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Palmilla Beach Golf Club - 6th

Palmilla Beach G.C. in Port Aransas: A rare Texas seaside course

Arnold Palmer Design's Palmilla Beach Golf Club in Port Aransas offers something rare in Texas: ocean views. The course isn't right next to the water but there are several vantage points where you can see the Gulf, and you can certainly feel its effects. Wind is almost always a factor and there's plenty of gorse to gobble up golf balls.
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Texas Golf Destinations

  • The Dallas Metroplex

    The Dallas Metroplex area has never had a problem with attractiveness. The Oil Boom brought great wealth here and Yankees by the multitudes continue to move to Texas to escape the cold winters of the North. The Dallas area is now an amalgamation of classic Texas scenery and attitude with lavish consumerism.

    Traditions at The Courses at Watters Creek
    Traditions has received the most acclaim from the two courses at The Courses at Watters Creek, at one point being ranked by the Dallas Morning News as the No. 1 public course in the state.
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    Tangle Ridge Golf Course
    Tangle Ridge Golf Club's location near Joe Pool Lake is favorable because of the elevation changes that spice up this well maintained public course. The course offers some outstanding holes, highlighted by impressive bentgrass greens that putt true. In addition to the elevation changes, Jeff Brauer's design features generous fairways lined by thick brush and huge trees.
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    Riverside Golf Club
    Riverside Golf Club is appropriately named. The course sits in a floodplain along the Trinity River with water in play on seemingly every hole. This is a combination links-style/traditional layout that is surprisingly difficult for a municipal course. Great holes abound on the Roger Packard layout, which requires the rare combination of length and accuracy when playing from the tips.
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  • Austin

    Austin is known for its legendary music scene and beautiful Hill Country terrain and natural resources, like the Colorado River and the lakes that were spawned from it. 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.

    Hidden Falls Golf Club
    Hidden Falls Golf Club is a Leon Howard design that opened in 1974. The course cuts through a pecan grove on the front and what seems like an ocean of water on the back, creating two totally different golf experiences. Howard uncharacteristically left out water on the tight, pecan-lined front, with the wet stuff in play on only one hole.
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    ShadowGlen Golf Club
    Located just 15 minutes northeast of downtown Austin, ShadowGlen Golf Course is considered by locals to be one of the area's hidden gems. At 7,174 yards from the back tees, it is a long, tough course that will test even the most seasoned players. Some consider it to be the most difficult public golf course in Texas.
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    Lago Vista Golf Course
    The Lago Vista Course is Lago Vista resort’s original track, designed by Leon Howard in the late 1960s and renovated by Dave Bennett in 1992. The golf course has four water holes, more than 40 bunkers, and dramatic elevation changes of up to 100 feet.
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  • West Texas

    As the old saying goes, the harder you have to work for something, the more you appreciate it. This is applicable to West Texas' golf scene. Although miles outside of many of Texas' metropolitan areas, West Texas offers some incredibly attractive golf courses that many casual visitors may overlook.

    Horizon Golf Club
    Horizon Golf Club (formerly Emerald Springs) is the place where Lee Trevino honed his trade in the big-money El Paso games of the 1960s. The layout winds through a housing community and features wide fairways and large, well-maintained greens.
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    The Rawls Course at Texas Tech
    The 18-hole Rawls Course at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX is a public golf course that opened in 2003. Designed by Tom Doak, Rawls Course at Texas Tech measures 7349 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 139 and a 75.
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    Creek at Meadowbrook Golf Course
    Meadowbrook Golf Course, whose original 18 holes dates back to circa 1930, offers 36 holes of golf with its Canyon and Creek Courses. Ralph Plummer laid these out back in the 1940s, Warren Cantrell put his signature here in 1955, then Bob Lohmann came along for another renovation in 1988.
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  • San Antonio

    More than 26 million people visit San Antonio each year. And while most of them know that the Alamo City is indeed famous for its nickname mission that has inspired several movies, San Antonio offers so much more when it comes to tourism, not the least of which is its golf. With several first-rate golf resorts in and around the city, San Antonio just might be Texas' best golf destination, especially when you consider all the other things to do.

    Alsatian Golf Club
    Known as one of the best golf values in the San Antonio area, the Alsatian Golf Club offers an outstanding golf experience for a town of 2,700. This well-designed links-style track takes full advantage of the terrain, making use of every possible variation in elevation.
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    Vaaler Creek Golf Club
    Located inside the Rockin' J Ranch community deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Vaaler Creek Golf Club is a Michael Lowry/J.R. Newman design that features breath-taking vistas of the rolling countryside and live oaks. Golfers who book tee times at Vaaler Creek G.C. can expect beautiful water features and expertly placed bunkers.
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    Hill Country Golf Club - Lakes/Creeks
    The 18-hole Lakes/Creeks at Hill Country Golf Club in San Antonio, TX is a resort golf course that opened in 1993. Designed by Arthur Hills, Lakes/Creeks at Hill Country Golf Club measures 6931 yards from the longest tees.
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  • Houston

    There's no denying the nation's fourth largest city has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment, restaurants and golf. In addition to three pro sports teams, thriving downtown theater and museum districts, loads of shopping and warm weather year-round, the Houston area boasts about 150 courses, the majority of which are public.

    Palmetto Course at Longwood Golf Club
    The 9-hole Palmetto Course at Longwood Golf Club in Cypress, TX is a semi-private golf course that opened in 1995. Designed by Harry Yewens and Keith Fergus, Palmetto Course at Longwood Golf Club measures 3240 yards from the longest tees and has 4 sets of tees for different skill levels.
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    The Golf Club at Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe
    Nestled along Lake Conroe in Montgomery, Texas, The Golf Club at Margaritaville Lake Resort is a self-contained retreat that offers outstanding golf, a variety of lake activities, and lodging in its 21-story hotel complex overlooking the lake. The Dave Marr-designed golf course at Margaritaville Lake Resort plays around 7,100 yards from the back tees. Pines and oaks line the fairways and the bunker-laden track is spiced up with waterfalls, fountains, lakes, and even an island tee box.
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    Sienna Plantation Country Club
    The Arthur Hills/Mike Dasher-designed Sienna Plantation is a flat, wooded course that has been enhanced to provide elevation changes. The result is a challenging track that rolls between lakes, creeks, and the native hardwoods that dominate the landscape.
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