large putting surface seems to disappear between grass-covered dunes – there’s more room on the green than you think. The closer at Newport Dunes allows you to leave the course with some bragging rights. A par-5 playing at 508 yards, you must avoid two large grassy dunes at the landing area and three small bunkers at the front of the green. Newport Dunes should be considered one of the best courses in Texas. With its perfect conditioning, fantastic landscaping and firstclass touches like wooden flag poles and old-time wooden trap rakes, the experience at Newport Dunes is second to none.
Changes in latitude and attitude at South Padre Island GC There is a change in attitude as you go further south in latitude on your way toward the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Here – even as the region continues to grow in population and as a center for commerce and a link to Mexico – time seems to pass a little slower. This is a place where life is good and the living is fun and a bit more laid back. A recent National Golf Foundation poll found that the Rio Grande Valley has more
playable days of golf per year (less than 25 days lost) than anywhere else in the United States, making the Valley the place to tee it up once the weather turns frigid. Longtime PGA Tour professional Dave Stockton once said, “When the ducks are walking, you know it is too windy to be playing golf.” The South Texas coast is a place where folks don’t even mention the wind unless it tops the 40-mile per hour mark. At the South Padre Island Golf Club, golfcourse designers Stephen Caplinger and Chris Cole took the fact that there would normally be at least a 20-mph wind into consideration when they fashioned the track. Around every bend and on virtually every hole at South Padre Island Golf Club, you will find reasons that it is one of the finest in the Rio Grande Valley. Enveloped by nature and buffeted by the wind, the track is truly an oasis. Set across Laguna Madre, the area’s intercoastal waterway, from its island namesake, South Padre Island GC features a handful of holes right on the water, all just a few short miles from the Gulf of Mexico – it’s the southernmost course in Texas. Don’t expect protection from the wind, so just deal with it and take advantage of the chances you will have to attack the course with the
breeze at your back. Opened in 1997 as the centerpiece of a gleaming residential community developed by Landmark Land, the folks behind PGA West, Kiawah Island and Oak Tree, the South Padre Island GC plays to a par of 72 and is 6,931 yards from its back set of five tees. It carries a rating of 73.8 and a slope of 129, but the track must be taken seriously, especially when its hardest holes – the 415yard par-4 eighth, the 409-yard par-4 11th and (perhaps surprisingly) the 133-yard par3 12th – play into a stout wind. For most of the year, the course’s shorter holes play into the wind (making them more of a challenge) and its longer offerings are tackled with a helping breeze, which allows you to hit the ball farther but also affects the spin on your ball on the approaches. The design features wide fairways bordered by native yucca, mesquite and cactus, and shots that fail to find the fairway will bury in waste areas and deep rough. The challenges at South Padre Island GC are varied and testing. The holes go one direction, then turn for a while, then go in another direction. Besides the wind, you’ll also face water on half the offerings plus wetlands and high grass areas to make your round even more interesting.
FOR THE TRUE GOLF ENTHUSIAST! ROBERT TRENT JONES UNLIMITED GOLF PACKAGE WITH GOLF LESSON & BREAKFAST BUFFET Immerse yourself in the incomparable luxury of Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott, Texas’ most distinguished retreat-45 minutes NW of Austin on constant-level Lake LBJ. Experience the world-class golf that has drawn repeat guests and newcomers to this destination - year after year - for generations.
RATES STARTING AT $99 PER PERSON CERTAIN RESTRICTION APPLY | RATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
The RTJ Unlimited Golf Package includes: Standard Accommodations Daily breakfast buffet at the Lantana Grill Unlimited golf per person on any of three Robert Trent Jones. Sr. golf courses Transport service to and from the golf courses Complimentary Round on Whitewater Putting course 30-minute group golf lesson at 8am or 1pm
Call 877.258.4512 to book your reservation or visit www.hsbresort.com Terms and Conditions: $99 rate now through March 8, 2013. Package rate is per night, per person based on double occupancy; advance reservations required. Cart Fee additional. Rate does not include tax or $26 nightly resort fee. Weekends are defined as Friday & Saturday nights. Subject to availability; limited rooms available; some restrictions and blackout dates may apply. Not applicable to groups. Please Note: All tee times are subject to availability and a minimum 24-hour cancellation policy. Tee times cancelled within 24 hours will be billed to the guest’s credit card on file.
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