The Texas Golf Insider: Landa Park Golf Course

Golf Insider TEXAS

SUMMER 2021

The Official Guide to Golf in Texas

LANDA PARK GOLF COURSE

IN NEW BAURNFELS “TEAM CENTRIC”

Inside: Desert Greens

LA to Las Vegas

Small Town Texas “Big Time Golf”

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Award Winning Courses Await

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Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene and exceptional year-round golf on courses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await you in Alabama.

Plus, with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the mountains to the coast you can take it all in.

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I. J, On Louisiana's world-class Audubon Golf Trail,

On Louisiana's world-class Audubon Golf Trail,

you can enjoy 17 courses, 306 holes, 365 days a year.

you can enjoy 17 courses, 306 holes, 365 days a year.

Not to mention a location world-famous for food,

Not to mention a location world-famous for food,

music and nightlife.

music and nightlife.

For great golf, among other things, visit our website.

For great golf, among other things, visit our website.

Call 337-433-2255 for tee times and information.

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Cover Stories

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6 WELCOME

HOW TO CONTACT US WITH GOLF NEWS AND STORIES

8 LANDA PARK MUNICIPAL GC Landa Park Golf Course 16

TEAM CENTRIC

16 HILL COUNTY ‘S LAGO VISTA GC CONTINUES TO SHINE

28 SMALL TOWN TEXAS BIG TIME GOLF

42 STAR RANCH IN HUTTO LagoVista Golf Club 42

CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF SERVING GOLFERS

CONTENTS 54 THE HIDEOUT GOLF CLUB & RESORT TEXAS GOLF PERFECTION

66 THE COLONY, TEXAS Star Ranch Celebrates 20Years 54

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The Hideout Luxury Resort 66

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The Alamo City Golf Trail boasts Eight challenging, beautifully maintained and affordable golf courses in the City of San Antonio. Some shaped golf history – like Brackenridge Park, the original home of the Texas Open and the home of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Others are shaping golf’s future – like San Pedro, with its lighted driving range, par 3, golf simulator, and a full-service restaurant and bar. You’ll be able to play well into the night. Be sure to check out our Players Club Program to save on golf year-round.

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FROM THE FROM THEPUBLISHER EDITOR

Letter From The Publisher Texas

GOLF INSIDER P.O. Box 310652 New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-964-2152 FAX 830-964-2153 thetexasgolfinsider.com Mike Ratchman Texas Publisher Office: 830-964-2152 mike@thetexasgolfinsider.com Director of Marketing: Joe Valentino, DFW Office: 940-735-1265 Editor: Ava Ratchman Contributing Writers: Steve Habel, Dave Daubert, Art Sticklin, Andrew Marshall

Wow! I cannot believe half of the year is over. From a mild winter (except for February), to a very mild wet spring the game of golf is in full swing like I have not seen in decades. Golf courses are jammed packed and course conditions throughoutTexas have never been better. Not only are people playing golf, but they are traveling as well.

And not just inTexas, althoughTexas is still a big travel market.Traveling outside the state’s borders to stay and play the game has become the thing golfers are excited about now that life is somewhat back to normal.

When you’re loading your sticks up and traveling to your next golf destination, I say put our featured Landa Park golf course in New Braunfels and LagoVista golf course in LagoVistaTexas on your list of travels this summer. Follow that up with some remarkably interesting small-townTexas but big-time golf getaways and golf courses in some of the most unexpected places.This issue is the first of 3 parts that will send you traveling to some of the coolest hideaways in the Lone Star state, starting with southTexas and then moving our way north in the next couple of issues.

Contributing Photographers: Valero Texas Open, MI & SCD Communications, Mark Lindsay, Steve Giles, Justin Becker,

Now if you are feeling comfortable about traveling outside theTexas borders, we have a few places that I think you might want to visit, and we even threw in some golf and gambling as well.

Office Manager/Social Media: Marcede Pullen

I think you will find there is a lot to read about the game of golf inTexas in this issue and I hope you get to visit a few places you have not been before.As always, we would like to hear about your golf experiences at www. thetexasgolfinsider.com

Production: Pat Gondert 3 ANNUAL EDITIONS Copyright ©2020 Texas Golf Insider. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Golf course rates are subject to change at any time. Texas Golf Insider and its affiliates are not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions or changes in rates or information.

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I hope you have a great golfing summer Mike Ratchman Publisher

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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JoeValentino

A forty year veteran of the construction industry, he has marketed products all over the world.

Golf is his passion and he has been fortunate enough to play top courses in seven countries. Joe is currently living in Denton and loves calling on North Texas courses for TGI.

Top 100 Clubfitters in the Country Huge selection of new and used clubs 8,000 sq ft facility, with hitting bays and custom Club Fitting

Steve Habel

Contributing golf writer and correspondent for TGI, managing editor for Texas CEO Magazine, contributing editor for Horns Illustrated Magazine, a publication focusing on University of Texas sports and staff writer for the San Antonio Spurs.

Art Stricklin

One of the foremost experts on golf history and travel in Texas, Stricklin has written a total of seven books and has personally played at a majority of the state’s 800 golf courses.

Visit our Golf Shop to See Major Benefits from: -Monitors and fitting equipment -Fully stocked Golf Apparel -Fast and Reliable Repairs -Custom Refinishing and Stamping -Friendly Customer Service -Personlized Lessons

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COVER STORY

Conditions, attention to detail help make Landa Park Golf Course a cut above

By Kevin Steve Habel ContributingWriter Writer By Drake,,Contributing

If you like excellent golf that won’t beat you up in a nearby and picturesque locale, then look no further than the finer-than-fine Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs in the heart of the central Texas German centric tourist town of New Braunfels.

The fun-factor here is off the charts, with plenty of chances to show off your game and use every club in the bag, all just steps from one of the Lone Star State’s top tourist attractions.

Yes, we know New Braunfels is more famous for being the home of the original

Landa Park Golf Pro Shop

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Landa Park Clubhouse

Schlitterbahn Water Park, for hosting Wurstfest each November and for the huge Buc-ee’s convenience store up on Interstate 35, but the golf here is great too and should be appreciated in its own right.

And now, with most of the specter of COVID-19 behind us and a return to near-normalcy on the horizon, Landa Park Golf Course and New Braunfels have never been more appealing.

The course is owned and operated by the City of New Braunfels.There has been golf on the site since 1938, when the City opened a nine-hole track on 61 acres.

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In 1972, the course added another nine holes after acquiring 52 adjacent acres.

That track was completely renovated in 2013 by the noted Houston-based golf architecture firm of Finger, Dye and Spann, who used its $7 million budget to turn a weary and sometimes arduous course into one of the most surprising – and fun – places to play golf in the region.

“Over the past seven years since the renovation, the course has improved each season,” said Chad Donegan, PGA Manager at Landa Park Golf Course. “We have enjoyed record numbers as golf participation as a whole has increased during the coronavirus.”

“Our tee sheet is full on a constant basis, an indication that players enjoy the course, feel safe in this environment and want to be able to enjoy the outdoors.”

The renovation, which touched every part of the golf course, has created a layout that is fair but demanding, loaded with character and a little bit of everything that’s fun about the game.

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Landa Park hole # 4

“Our City leaders understood what a valuable asset Landa Park Golf Course is and made the investment to assure that the course is one of the most appealing in the region,” said Ken Wilson, the City of New Braunfels’ Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation. “Our team at Landa Park Golf Course have done an excellent job making sure the course is great, but always improving.”

Landa Park Golf Course will not overwhelm players with its length – it only plays at 6,205 from its back set of tee boxes. But the par 71 course can be a

Landa Park Banquet Room

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COVER STORY

Hofbrau Bar & Grill

tester (slope rating of 136), with three of its par-3 holes carded a 182 yards or more, the tough 434-yard par 4 17th and the 571-yard fourth hole, which from the tips is a true three-shot challenge.

Part of the experience at Landa Park Golf Course is the abundant fauna (ducks, egrets, and more) and all the deer grazing in the rough and resting in the shade.

The course is scenic with trees, native areas and ponds plus the clear water of the Comal River, which comes into play on several holes.There are spots here where golfers can watch tubers riding the rapids; on the back nine, you’ll hear a lot of whooping and hollering at nearby Schlitterbahn.

Landa Park Golf Course has an interesting routing, featuring a front-nine with a lone par 3, six par 4s and a pair of back-to-back par 5s that plays to a par of 37.The back nine is short at 2,851 yards, but plays much longer than that because of subtle elevation changes and constant doglegs and is carded as a par 34 with 3 par 3s, a single par 5, and five par 4s.

The greens at Landa Park Golf Course are well-guarded, with multiple bunkers, slope, undulation, tiers, ridges, or swales.

All those aspects have produced a growing membership and a myriad of leagues, including men’s, seniors, ladies and other options to get out and enjoy the game. “Our staff appreciates our members

Landa Park’s natural setting attracts more than just golfers

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COVER STORY

and players and works hard for them,” Donegan said. “We feel the golfers who play here are our family and we are grateful to be a part of their lives.”

Landa Park Golf Course has also partnered with the nearby Gruene Mansion Inn for stay and play packages.

This is a great option for golfers looking for a little getaway.

Donegan said that the course is on pace for a record year of rounds played.

Gruene Mansion Inn

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Landa Park hole # 18

Landa Park Golf Course carded just over 44,000 rounds last year and could hit 50,000 this time around.

Much of the appeal of Landa Park Golf Course is its consistent turf conditions, a hallmark of a staff that has had challenges aplenty over the past year.

In April, Brody Dillard, Landa Park Golf Course’s Superintendent, was named the 2020 Roy and Erwin Kizer Central Texas Golf Course Superintendent of the Year by the Central Texas GCSA.This award was voted on by his peers, CTGCSA’s membership. Only six candidates were nominated for the award out of 204 superintendents, with Dillard the gracious winner.

Landa Park hole # 16

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COVER STORY

Landa Park’s Golf Course Staff

“This award really goes to our entire team,” Dillard said. “Our team has taken a real ownership stake in their work here and continues to go above and beyond to make sure Landa Park Golf Course is kept in pristine condition. We pay attention to every detail.”

“Winning this award validates our hard work here at Landa Park Golf Course. Our team works tirelessly and to be selected for this award was incredible.”

Landa Park hole # 6

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Dillard has worked for the Landa Park Golf Course for nearly six years and has made an incredible impact on the turf conditions that are played, and loved, by golfers, Donegan explained.

“We see the difference in the turf quality and hear about it daily from our patrons,” Donegan said. “We are very proud that Brody has been recognized for the hard work he and the entire maintenance team have dedicated to Landa Park Golf Course.”

Hole 6

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FEATURE STORY

Lago Vista Golf Course

continues to shine as its plan is making things even better

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

Re-building the reputation and great word of mouth for a once downtrodden golf course is no easy task. Any resurgence must begin from the top, with the vision and determination and budget to turn what was once forgettable into something memorable and vivid. And then it takes care and consistency and customer service to keep the ball rolling, and the golfers coming.

There was a three-year plan put in place for the reintroduction and renewal, if you will, of Lago Vista Golf Course and its amenities when Chris Godwin came aboard as the facility’s head golf professional in 2018.

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Godwin and his staff have Lago Vista GC ahead of schedule in establishing the course as a sense of pride for its hundreds of members and as a solid go-to option for prime daily-fee play for golfers in the northwest suburbs of the Austin area and beyond.

“It’s not been an easy journey so far, but I’m very proud of how we’ve all worked to bring this course back to relevance and the way our team has continued to focus on the big picture,” Godwin said.

“The challenges have just made us want things even more, to work a little harder.”

There’s no way anyone could have predicted a 100-year flood that, literally,

FEATURE STORY

swamped the golf course in 2019 or the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 that forced everyone everywhere to adapt to a new day-to-day routine and shuttered courses for two months. Nor could the historic freeze of 2021, which had Texas in its icy grip for more than two weeks and set golf on its proverbial ear, been anticipated.

Godwin is proud how his golf customers responded to the latest crisis and how his staff have been able to adhere to their customer-service goals.

“Our golfers have been very happy for the opportunity to get on the golf course and we continue to have full tee sheets and lots of repeat customers,” Godwin explained. “We’ve actually been able to weather these situations pretty well, and our course will have more rounds this year than in any year since we’ve been here.”

The city of Lago Vista is serious about golf and its golf course as it has continued to display a commitment to improvement and excellence at this municipal track that commands the better part of a peninsula into the north side of Lake Travis.

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For more than five decades, this bedroom community northwest of Austin has been a bit of a secret, its winding streets, small commercial area, and golf courses separated by tall hills and a switchback road from the urban sprawl of Central Texas that has grabbed a chokehold on many of the small towns in the region.

Community leaders have been and are being proactive about their town and its assets, with a keen eye toward the quality of life for residents and the desire to drive tourism, on a limited scale, to the municipality.

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Lago Vista Golf Course, because of upgraded maintenance and conditioning and an attention to detail on the course, has enjoyed renewed interest from golfers both in the city and from around the region.The track, long a hidden jewel that might have been lost in the shuffle of other area tracks, has spread its wings.

The latest work to refresh the course is the total reconstruction of the putting surfaces on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes.The project, which was completed last summer, adds better drainage to those greens complexes and returns them to USGA specifications.

“We have been patient and will continue to be so – things are so much better

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here than when we started it’s hard to even compare,” Godwin added. “We can only control what we can control and are taking things as they come, and enjoying our little milestones and victories along the way.”

Lago Vista Golf Course’s 18-hole layout provides both challenge and plenty of fun – all amid rolling topography with so-close-you-can-almost-reach-out-andBaker’s Bar & Grill touch-it views of the lake.

This course has been one of Texas’ best kept secrets over the years. It plays to a par of 72 and at 6,544 yards from its back set of four tee boxes, which carry a rating of 72.6 and a slope of 134, plenty testing for any level of golfer.

The course was designed by legendary Texan Leon Howard and originally opened as a nine-hole facility in 1971 to help promote lot sales in the young, unincorporated neighborhoods that make up the city of Lago Vista today.

Shortly thereafter the course was renovated and expanded to 18 holes, and operated as a private country club until the mid 1990s.Today, all golfers are welcome to enjoy the undulating fairways, epic lake views, and abundant wildlife at Lago Vista Golf Course.

The course’s two separate nines offer differing tests and a bit of a split personality.The front-nine is basically wide open

FEATURE STORY

and relatively flat (at least until you get to the ninth hole) and a back-nine is narrower and, in this opinion, sport more of a test.

All four of the par 3s at Lago Vista GC will need a tee shot of 199 yards or more to reach the putting surface, so a good long-iron or hybrid game is required here to succeed.

After a relatively easy opener, the 562yard par 5 second, which plays to a wide landing area over native grass to a slope and then back up to an elevated putting surface, needs three good shots to put yourself into position for a birdie.

At 204 yards and playing downhill, the par 3 third might need one less club than you would normally take off the tee, The 529-yard par 5 eighth can be tricky, but is ultimately playable with three good shots, the second of which is blind over a hill. Par is a good score, but birdie is well within reach with proper execution.

None of what you saw on the first eight holes prepare you for the 377-yard ninth. After you favor the right side off the tee, you’ll have to walk up the

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fairway a bit to see the green, which is at the bottom of a three-tiered hill and sits up against the access street, with the clubhouse and the 18th green in the neardistance and Lake Travis plainly in view.

You’ll notice a change in the course immediately on the 10th hole, a 495-yard par 5 with a short dogleg to the right.The fairway slopes left to right and large trees and a stream run down the right side.

Three bunkers guard the green well.

Godwin calls the 372-yard par 4 11th his favorite hole because of its need for course management, two precise shots to reach the putting surface and a back-tofront undulating sloping green that can easily turn a birdie putt into bogey.

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FEATURE STORY

Large trees and a concrete ditch running across the fairway can make navigating the hole, which is the No. 1 handicap at Lago Vista GC, a real challenge. “It’s a hole that demands that you hit two really good shots to score and, with all the trouble, a big number can easily come into play,” Godwin said.

The par 4 14th is short but demanding, asking for a tee shot that carries across a pond onto a small fairway with plenty of trees and a well-placed bunker.

Large trees and two more bunkers guard the putting surface, which is elevated.

The round here ends with the 407yard par 4 17th, with its elevated tee and a wide fairway that crosses a shallow valley and slopes left to right, and the 204-yard par 3 18th, which plays over a stream and a residential street to an elevated green guarded by two large bunkers, all in the shadow of the clubhouse.

The city spent more TheTexasGolfInsider.com

than $250,000 to expand and completely renovate the clubhouse, with the stated goal of making the building and its surrounds into a true community meeting place.

The practice facility at Lago Vista provides a relaxing atmosphere for honing your game with its beautiful view of the lake.Three tiers of natural grass teeing surface and a practice putting green are available.

Lago Vista Golf Course is all that’s good about golf wrapped up in one neat package – and just a short trip from the hustle and bustle of Austin and its suburbs makes it well worth the trip.

NEW AND IMPROVED Lago Vista Golf Course

Baker’s Bar & Grill

Newly Remolded Pro Shop

For tee times and tournaments call 512-267-1170 or go to: www.lagovistagc.com

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FEATURE STORY

DESERT GREENS LA to Las Vegas Golf Journey

By Andrew Marshall, ContributingWriter Photos by Paul Marshall

Brothers Andrew & Paul Marshall hit the road from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on a classic road journey in search of some of the best places to swing a club…

Road journeys don’t come more quintessential than the 450-mile trip (give or take a few) from Los Angeles to Las Vegas via Death Valley. From lone roadside diners and highways stretching to infinity, to buzzards circling cloudless skies and distinctive Joshua trees dotting the desert landscape – all the classic imagery is here in abundance.

And for serious golfers, this is a true place of pilgrimage.

From Trump National Golf Course at $264 million, one of the most expensive golf courses ever built - to the world’s lowest level golf course and some of the

Wolf Creek Golf Club photo courtesy ofWolf Creek

best desert layouts on the planet - the sheer quantity and variety of golf courses in California and Nevada is astonishing.

After loading our clubs into our spacious Alamo SUV at LAX, my brother Paul and I cruise north along palm-fringed Pacific Highway 1, passing through Santa Monica, Malibu andVentura towards the picturesque beachside town of Santa Barbara, dubbed the American Riviera thanks to its low-slung red-tiled roofs, white stucco buildings and gorgeous sunsets.

Santa Barbara makes a good base for our first round at Sandpiper Golf Club, sometimes known as the ‘Poor Man’s Pebble Beach.’ Nestled against the scalloped coastline, it’s an inspiring combination of challenge and beauty with a links-style layout. Another is majestic La Purisima Golf Course near Lompoc, which has been crafted out of a rollercoaster canyon interlaced with scrub oak. A demanding test, La Purisima has been used numerous times for PGA and Champions Tour qualifying events.

Mountainside Glen Annie Golf Club in Goleta, and the fun Alisal River Course, where the golf scene in the wine movie Sideways was shot, are The par-5, 18th at Reflection Bay, Lake LasVegas Resort. other choices.

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From Santa Barbara we backtrack to Ventura and follow Highway 33 into the golden hills of the Los Padres National Forest, and the renowned Ojai Valley immortalised as the mythical Shangri-La in the movie Lost Horizon, filmed here in 1937.

Here, we play our second round at the historic Ojai Country Club, originally built in 1923 under the direction of George C. Thomas, where old wooden bridges lead over gurgling brooks, and ancient oaks and sprawling pepper trees stand sentinel along the fairways and greens.

DESERT DRIVE Leaving the Ojai Valley behind, we head north-east on Highway 14 to Mojave along roads flanked by distinctive Joshua trees.

By late afternoon the sun still beats down like a hammer on Highway 178, as heat waves peel off the sweeping line of asphalt that stretches towards distant snow-capped mountains and Death Valley - one of the lowest and hottest places on earth.

As we near Death Valley, the names on our crumpled road map take on an ominous tone: Furnace Creek, Desolation Canyon, Starvation Point, Hell’s Gate and Stovepipe Wells. Death Valley National Park’s headquarters are situated within the welcoming oasis of Furnace Creek where a plantation of 1,800 date palms were planted in the 1920s, creating a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in the African Sahara.

We base ourselves at The Ranch, comfortable accommodation in Furnace Creek situated close to the 18-hole golf course nestled among the date palms, with magnificent views of the surrounding desert mountain ranges. On Masters Sunday, we watch the final round drama unfold in the comfort of our air-conditioned room.

As Tiger Woods slips on a green jacket for a momentous fifth time, we slip out for a late afternoon round - on the lowest golf course on earth.

THE ROAD TO VEGAS It’s twilight the following evening along Highway 160 when the pulsating neon

The 18th green and clubhouse at OjaiValley Inn & Spa’s golf course, California.

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FEATURE STORY

Club.When it opened in 1998, it was the first public resort course in Nevada to be designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus.

Sculpted from the desert’s natural contours and surrounded by stunning lake and mountain vistas, highlights include five eyecandy holes that run along a mile and a half of shoreline.We couldn’t wait to tee-off in the afternoon and check out the course for ourselves.

A golfer takes a rest among the date palms at Furnace Creek Golf Course, DeathValley

VINTAGE GOLF The following morning, we find ourselves inside the office of Vegas Vintage Classic Car Rentals, surveying the list of exotic vehicles for hire.We want to add a little ‘vintage’ to our LA to Las Vegas golf trip and before long, our classic 1961 Cadillac Series 62 with fins is cruising down Highway 15 towards the border town of Mesquite (77 miles north of Vegas), and the promise of eighteen glorious holes at one of the planet’s most amazing courses - Wolf Creek Golf Club.

signs and surreal skyline of the infamous Las Vegas Strip looms into view. Love it, loathe it, or both,Vegas may be cheesy, artificial and completely over the top, but it’s also one of the world’s best luxury golf destinations.

Over the past couple of decades, the number of immaculately conditioned golf courses within a two-hour drive of the city has increased to more than 70 and many are top-flight tracks designed by some of the biggest names in golf including Nicklaus, Palmer, Dye and Fazio.The desert landscape has offered them an amazing canvas from which to create their works of art - swathes of emerald green fairways in a sea of red rock, such as Primm Valley, Angel Park, Paiute Golf Resort, Bali Hai, Shadow Creek, Cascata and Desert Pines.

Our base in Las Vegas is the Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa - one of the most luxurious golf resorts in the Vegas area.With sparkling blue waters, white-sand beaches and gently swaying palm trees, it’s a desert oasis away from the razzle and dazzle of the Strip.

The palm-fringed green at From our room’s patio we Reflection Bay’s par-4 7th, have fantastic views of the par-3 Lake LasVegas Resort.

8th hole of Reflection Bay Golf TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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There are some overused words when it comes to describing a golf course - spectacular, dramatic and golf on a grand scale - which makes it difficult to describe Wolf Creek in an original way as it’s all of those things and more. Set high above the desert floor among red-rock canyons, teeming waterfalls and glistening creeks, it looks as though strips of green velvet have been laid out on a lunar landscape.There are precious few courses that can generate a genuine sense of awe for several holes at a stretch. Exceedingly rare is the layout that can sustain the feeling for an entire round - Wolf Creek Golf Club is such a place.

Developer Doug Clemetson was determined to leave the distinctive natural landscape in place, accepting that a number of non-traditional golf holes would be the result. On the 2nd tee box, for example, 90 granite steps lead up to the driving area, which is located some eleven storeys high.

The 215-yard par-3 3rd hole plays uphill to one of the highest points on the course with 70-mile views and the 5th is a short par-5 that makes a rather abrupt turn left through the rocks before heading to the green.

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Night Scene, Los Angeles.

Photo Courtesy of Los Angeles

Another classic is the par-3 11th, an island in a sea of red rock and typical of Wolf Creek’s dazzling visual appeal. As we prepare to hit our drives from the elevated tee of the 17th hole, the sun casts long shadows across canyon walls, gullies and surreal dried-earth formations, which glow red, pink, and gold in the late afternoon light. Leaning on our drivers we take in this classic desert scene - one that provides a fitting finale to our LA to Las Vegas golf journey...

WHERE TO PLAY Sandpiper Golf Club: www.sandpipergolf.com Ojai Country Club: www.ojaivalleyinn.com Furnace Creek GC: www.oasisatdeathvalley.com Reflection Bay Golf Club: www.reflectionbaygolf.com Wolf Creek Golf Club: www.golfwolfcreek.com

Wolf Creek Golf Club is Nevada’s ultimate golfing experience.

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Take A Tour Today & Receive 2 FREE Rounds of Golf at Vaaler Creek Golf Club

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FEATURE STORY

Small-town Texas, BIG-time golf

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

Great golf is where you find it, but discovering wonderful courses in the lesser-known places is much easier than you might expect. Smaller cities and towns in the state understand that golf courses, especially ones that offer excellent routing and conditions in locales off the beaten path, can be real economic engines and a true source of pride for their communities.

It seems like the Lone Star State has a plethora of such courses, in virtually every part of the massive state. From San Angelo to Texas City, from Lajitas to Gladewater, from Brownwood to Blanco, there are bigtime golf memories waiting in small towns.

Here are a handful of destinations that you should consider for golf away from the big cities. And we aren’t done yet…

the two offerings in New Braunfels, which sits about a half-hour north of San Antonio on the banks of the cool blue rapids of the Comal River. New Braunfels was settled

by Germans and the influences run deep in the town, which hosts the famous Wurstfest each November.The town is also the home of the original Schlitterbahn Water Park, part of which can be seen from just about anywhere in the area.

The golf courses here – Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs downtown and The Bandit Golf Club about 15 minutes east– are very different but equally fun.

Landa Park Golf Course, set in the famous park, was given a new lease on life by a complete renovation in 2013 by the noted Houston-based golf New Braunfels architecture firm of A template for Finger, Dye, Spann. great courses and The designers golf experiences in were handed a $7 a smaller town are Landa Park GC Hole # 4, New Braunfels million budget to TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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rejuvenate and refigure the course and in the nine years since Landa Park GC has become one of the top places to play golf in the region.

No stone, green or bunker was left untouched in the renovation, and the layout that now winds through the park is fair but demanding, loaded with chances to score and penal enough to quickly get your attention if your game is not sharp.

Landa Park Golf Course is not long – it only plays at 6,205 from its back set of tee boxes. But the par 71 course can be a tester, with three of its par-3 holes carded a 182 yards or more, the tough 434-yard par 4 16th and the 571yard fourth hole, which from the tips is a true three-shot challenge.

“We get plenty of golfers who make their next tee time on our course as soon as they finish playing their round,” said Chad Donegan, PGA golf manager at Landa Park GC. “The reaction we get from golfers who are playing the course for the first time is usually one of surprise. Surprise at how good the course is and surprise that they haven’t played it before.”

Part of the experience at Landa Park Golf Course is watching the tubers tackle the rapids on the course’s edge; on the back nine, you’ll hear a lot of whooping and hollering at Schlitterbahn.There’s plenty of chances to get in touch with nature here as well – you’re likely to see ducks, egrets, and deer in its ponds and shady areas and grazing in the rough.

About 10 minutes east of town is The Bandit GC, the centerpiece of a neighborhood that still manages to be supremely isolated and fun.The track was sculpted into the rolling terrain along Long Creek and the shores of Lake McQueeney by world renowned golf course architect Keith Foster, who crafted a strategic and challenging 6,928-yard par-71 track with significant elevation changes and natural water hazards throughout.The course is a great balance of fun and challenge.

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Kissing Tree GC hole 18, San Marcos

San Marcos Sticking with the Central Texas theme, we travel another 20 minutes north up I-35 toward Austin and stop at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos, home of Texas State University and now, one of the most desirable 55-plus neighborhoods in the nation.

Opened in 2018 as an amenity of the burgeoning community, Kissing Tree was routed by Gary Stephenson and plays at an “easier for the senior set” 6,572 yards from the back tees. But there is nothing easy about the course – its set of four par 3s are among the most challenging you will ever play, and there are four par 4s that are carded at more than 400 yards (the 13th is carded at 449 yards!) and all seem to play into the wind.

Stephenson also designed reachable par 4s at the end of each nine – both are attacked downhill with the ninth at 325 into a cape green and the 18th just 287 yards.

“Kissing Tree is very fair and challenging for all levels of play and is loaded with character throughout the course,” said Steve Shields, the facility’s general manager.

“The corridors off the tee are wide and forgiving, but not pushovers – this is really a second-shot golf course more because of the severity of the putting surfaces than the hazards around them.”

The routing incorporates the natural rolling character of the land’s footprint and a Hill Country backdrop to create a TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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FEATURE STORY

Vaaler Creek Golf Club Hole # 18, Blanco

memorable and testing experience for golfers.

The course at Kissing Tree serves as an extension of the natural landscape, blending grades on the edges, bringing the slopes and contours of the landscape into fairways. Each hole provides an avenue of play with varied angles that allow golfers of any skill level to enjoy the game and feel challenged.

Kissing Tree GC is part of the Audubon International program that preserves and highlights the native environment.

With that in mind, Stephenson designed the course to be very gentle in shape, allowing it to fit seamlessly into the natural landscape.

A round here is memorable because of the variety, the conditioning and the way the whole package comes together over the course of play.

Blanco From San Marcos we head west about 40 miles, back out into the Hill Country to the once sleepy town of Blanco which, in the past decade or so, has become a not-sodistant suburb of north San Antonio, about 45 miles from the confines of the Alamo City.

Blanco is the home of Vaaler Creek Golf Club and the Rockin’ J Ranch neighborhood that surrounds it.

If you’ve paid attention to golf in this neck of the woods over the past 15 years, TheTexasGolfInsider.com

you know about Vaaler Creek.Word of mouth and a bushelful of great reviews have been enough to elevate the course into the top tier of places to play in the region at any price.

Vaaler Creek GC was voted the nation’s No. 19 Best New Course for 2010-11 by Golf Digest, buoyed by its playability and excellent conditioning. Opened as a nine-hole track in 2007, the course – the first signature design by Michael Lowry, expanded to a full 18 two years later.

Lowry fashioned a much-tougher-than-it’scarded 6,874-yard, par-72 track among live oak, cactus and scrub brush-filled prairies.

There are all sorts of cool features to deal with at Vaaler Creek GC: ponds, sand hazards of sundry sizes, elevated tee shots and wavy, tree-lined fairways.

“There are a great variety of challenges at our course, and you can be as aggressive as you think you can handle,” said Adam Grosch,Vaaler Creek GC’s general manager and head professional. “The bottom line is that it’s a fun place, a course you can get around in a good pace and one that you will enjoy every time you play.”

Both nines offer far-reaching views of the surrounding region.The back-nine at Vaaler Creek is a bit more mature and not as severe as the newer outward half. Given its length, golfers might think they can overpower the course, but finding success here is not that simple.The routing has a rich variety of long and short holes, with shots involving strategically-placed bunkers and the occasional carry over water.

Vaaler Creek GC’s true last line of defense is its lightning-quick, mounded and sectioned putting surfaces, which can make even the most aggressive players a bit timid and prone to second-guessing.

FEATURE STORY

Vaaler Creek has become a real favorite for Hill Country golfers and continually draws players from the region’s bigger cities. It’s one of the best conditioned and fun places to play in the region.

Lago Vista Hit 281 North up to Marble Falls and turn east on the curvy FM 1431 for about 30 minutes to the town of Lago Vista. Here you will find Lago Vista Golf Course, which in recent years has enjoyed a rejuvenation as the city’s leaders have grasped that having a great public course can be an asset to their residents and drive limited tourism.

Lago Vista Golf Course’s 18-hole layout is rolling topography with views of both the Hill Country and Lake Travis. Playing to a par of 72 and at 6,544 yards from its back set of four tee boxes, the course provides both challenge and plenty of fun and has enjoyed a whispered reputation as one of Texas’ best kept secrets over the years.

Designed by legendary Texan Leon Howard as a nine-hole facility in 1971, the course was used help promote lot sales in the new neighborhoods that have grown over the past 40 years to make the city of Lago Vista what it is today.

Lago Vista Golf Course was eventually expanded to 18 holes, and operated as a private country club until the mid 1990s.

All golfers are now are welcome to enjoy the course’s two separate nines offering differing tests and a bit of a split personality.

The front-nine is basically wide off the tee and relatively flat (at least until you get to the ninth hole) while the back-nine is tighter and, after a round or two, certainly proves more of a test.

“We have spent the past three and a half years working on the golf course to improve it and to make it a real destination and option,” said Chris Godwin, the facility’s head golf

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professional. “It’s so much better now. It’s hard to even compare it to what was here before.”

All of the par 3s at Lago Vista GC asks golfers to hit an accurate tee shot of 199 yards or more to reach the segmented greens, so a good long-iron or hybrid game is required here to succeed.

Lago Vista Golf Course has enjoyed renewed interest from golfers both in the city and from around the region because of its upgraded maintenance and conditioning and an absolute attention to detail on and off the course.The track, long a hidden jewel that might have been lost in the shuffle of other area tracks has, after four decades, come of age.

Brownwood Further up 281 and off the beaten path is the town on Brownwood, home of the finer-than-fine Hideout Resort and its wonderful, Bentgrass-greened, golf course.

The resort’s Bill Johnston-designed track was expanded from nine to 18 holes in 2008 and takes full advantage of the rolling terrain to create a true Hill Country destination.Teeing it up from the track’s highest points provide beautiful vistas of lush fairways, meandering creeks and giant oaks, along with distant views of Lake Brownwood.

Johnston didn’t have to manipulate the ground much here to fashion the 6,981yard par-72 course, using the natural

LagoVista Golf Club, LagoVista

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FEATURE STORY

The Hideout Luxury Resort, Brownwood

beauty and the native hardwoods to create the perfect mix of challenge and fun.There are four sets of tees to allow everyone to enjoy the course, as the routing allows for a playable round for golfers of all skill levels.

The course here is replete with plenty of bunkers, stands of trees and water hazards strategically placed to reward distance and accuracy. And, again, the putting surfaces are smooth and flawless Bentgrass, a rarity for a semi-private course in these locales.

Amenities at The Hideout include an 11,000-square-foot lodge, a 55-foot by 95-foot swimming pool with spa and, for the little ones, a kiddie pool. Dining at the Hideout Golf Club Restaurant is a snap for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with food so good you’ll likely want to take all three meals here as often as possible.

You can stay and play in style here, with the choice of well-appointed accommodations in either the resort’s six clubhouse lodge rooms, one of the property’s 17 cabins, or the expansive Ranch House for larger parties.

Glen Rose Further on north up the road is the Somervell County destination of Glen Rose, a charming town of shops and restaurants and tourist attractions worthy of a whole TheTexasGolfInsider.com

weekend’s stay.That stay would include a round at both the golf courses at Squaw Valley Golf Club, a 36-hole facility ranked among Texas’ top public-access courses and drive-to golf destinations.

Squaw Valley GC, with courses designed by noted Texasbased architects and former partners Jeffrey D. Brauer and John Colligan, is a true joy to experience. Starting as an 18-hole championship course designed

by Brauer in 1992, Squaw Valley GC was, in 2001, expanded to 36 holes with the addition of a new track fashioned by Colligan.

The two courses have their own personalities, and each is really fun to play. They are a study in contrast, with the eastern portion of the property virtually flat and treeless, while the western half contains large native live oak, pecan and bur oak trees.

Squaw Valley GC offers golfers a serene and satisfying golfing experience via beautiful vistas of century-old oak trees that define rolling plains. Squaw Creek meanders through both courses, creating carries over water on numerous holes.

“Our two courses are fun and challenging for all levels of golfers, and that’s always been our draw and the reason we get repeat play and strong word of mouth,” said Steve Heppler, Squaw Valley GC’s head golf professional. “There’s a little bit of everything in the courses – from

SquawValley Golf Club, Glen Rose

FEATURE STORY

drivable par 4s, reachable-intwo par 5s, and long and short par 3s.”

Somervell County and Glen Rose have plenty to do off the courses, including Barnard’s Mill & Art Museum, the building that started this area as established by Charles Barnard in 1849; the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, ranked No. 3 in the nation as the “Best Wildlife Safari Park;” and Dinosaur Valley State Park, one of Texas’ top State Parks and a place where children of all ages can walk in the fossilized footprints of dinosaurs.

Other favored attractions are: the Eagle Eye Ranch and Carriage Company (for horseback riding in the park, hayrides, and carriage rides); Dinosaur World, where 150 life-size dinosaurs are displayed in a unique setting; and the Creation Evidence Museum, with its 25-foot replica of Noah’s Ark, a biosphere, and artifacts and scrolls.

Texas City No trip around the Lone Star State would be complete without at least a day on the coast, so we high-tailed it south to Texas City and the wonderful Bayou Golf Club just on the mainland side of Galveston Bay. Bayou Golf Course has long been known as one of the region’s friendliest and most playable places to tee it up and roll it in. But in recent years, with the City of Texas City footing the bill for a needed renovation and refreshening, things have gone from good to even better.

The hybrid links/parkland-style course was originally designed by legendary Texan Joe Finger back in 1974, and was restored in 2014 by Houstonian Mike Nuzzo and is carved out of about 200 acres.

The Bayou GC’s 6,596-yard par-72 track has a little bit of everything, with plenty of challenges for every level of golfer. Moses Bayou skirts the property as the tributary makes its way to Galveston

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Bayou Golf Club,Texas City

Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, with the routing bringing water into play on 12 of the holes.There are also 18 sand bunkers scattered about to form a formidable combination with the course’s slightly elevated tees and greens.

“When things are right with this course, we can get the greens rolling to 13 on the Stimpmeter and, with the undulations added in, can create as challenging a round of golf as you would ever want,” said Mike Skiba, the course’s head professional and director of golf. “But in reality our course is a place where golfers can have a blast playing with their friends.”

Breezes off the bay and the tides constantly affect this open course, making it play longer than the yardage on the scorecard and more difficult that its 71.1 rating and 123 slope. From the tips every par 5 plays at more than 500 yards, and four of the par 4s are carded at over 400 yards.

One of the best parts of Bayou Golf Club is its five-and-a-half acre, walking, family pitch-and-putt course that helps grow the game by benefitting both the skilled golfer looking to hone his or her short-game skills (and who isn’t) as well as the beginners just learning about how great golf can be.

This is the first of a continuing series… stay tuned to this space for even more big time golf in Texas’ smaller locales.

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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REVIEW

Visit colorful Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country for golf and much more

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

A trip through the Texas Hill Country toward the city of Kerrville, long noted as one of the Lone Star State’s most popular escape destinations, makes one think a lot about the beauty of this often-austere landscape, and the will and work it took settlers to bend the land in ways to make life a little easier.

Kerrville, about an hour’s drive from San Antonio and twice that distance from Austin, was built by those settlers in the early years of Texas as a part of the United States.

Surrounded by bony hills, outcrops and rolling pastureland and nurtured

Unique Arts & more in Kerrville

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Downtown Kerrville at Dusk

by the sparkling, spring-fed waters of the Guadalupe River, Kerrville attracts tourists, summer campers, hunters and (for our purposes) golfers from around the world.

Aside from its setting, Kerrville’s resort-city atmosphere stems from the combination of its many attractive features: unique antique stores and unusual gift shops in Old Town Kerrville; the exceptional gold and silver jewelry of world-famous James Avery Craftsman; the significance of the Hill Country Museum’s rich history; and the truest testimonies of the Old West portrayed in the art displayed at the Museum of Western Art, which houses works by some of the nation’s most distinguished living artists following the tradition of Remington and Russell.

There’s natural scenic beauty for miles in every direction, and many artisans and musicians make Kerrville their inspiration and their home.

Then there are the ranches.

Perhaps the most famous is the legendaryY.O. Ranch, which spans more than 50 square miles

REVIEW

and contains one of the nation’s largest registered herds of longhorn cattle. Also roaming the range are zebras, giraffes, antelope and more than 36 other exotic species spotted on a guided tour.

Golf is a true passion in Kerrville and a draw to the region as well, and a venture to the city and its surroundings showed us a trio of courses that rival any in the region.

In a recent trip here, and on a flawless spring day, we teed it up at one of the area’s top municipal tracks.

Scott Schreiner GC is muni golf at its best History and challenge rule the day at venerable Scott Schreiner Golf Course.

Set against the foothills of Tivy Mountain, the city-owned and operated layout provides both challenge and fun.

The par-70 track plays to 6,453 yards from its back tees and features mounded greens in a variety of sizes and shapes. Schreiner’s fairways offer generous landing areas, yet are tight enough to present a test.

Originally opened as the Kerrville Country Club in 1923, the vintage

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nine-hole course was the design of John Bredemus, the true father of Texas golf and the architect of such gems as Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth and Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Throughout the Roaring Twenties, Kerrville Country Club was the social and recreational hub of the region as its original clubhouse was an inspiring stucco building with a large gallery, ballroom and band alcove.

Situated on gently rolling terrain and offering many holes with scenic vistas, Scott Schreiner Golf Course was taken over by the city in 1933 and nine more holes were added in 1977.The facility, named for a former civic leader and

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REVIEW

Scott Schreiner Golf Course

rancher and a member of the famous pioneer Schreiner family, underwent extensive renovations by renowned architect Joe Finger, who had retired in the area, in 2000.

Finger came out of retirement to make the $2 million Schreiner renovation his final project; he reportedly charged the city nothing for the design and only half his usual fee for overseeing the work.

“Joe had played the course and heard comments about it, and he hoped it could be improved so Kerrville could have a better municipal course, so he took it upon himself to do it,” Julia Finger recently said of her husband’s interest in improving the Schreiner layout.

Despite a rating of 70.4 and a slope of 122, Scott Schreiner Golf Course has plenty of teeth.The outward nine has three par-3s, all of which play at 178 yards or less, and is highlighted by the 582-yard par5 third with water cutting into the fairway twice and an elevated green that requires a perfect approach.

Another great offering is the 407-yard par-4 eighth, which plays downhill from the highest spot on the course near the newly refurbished clubhouse.Your tee shot here is always under scrutiny from those gathered to settle scores and enjoy a pre- or post-round libation on the nearby veranda.

Camping is a treat in the Texas Hill Country

Take advantage of the short (342yard) par-4 10th because you will need all your game on the next three holes.

No. 11 is a 443-yard, dogleg-left par-4 that requires a big ball off the tee and precision to reach the green, which is surrounded on both sides by trees and on the front-right by a sand bunker. The 12th is a tight hole that sports trees and a creek bed down the entire left side and requires an approach that will have to carry uphill and over that creek near the putting surface.

After that tough pair, you’ll need perhaps your best shot of the day on the uphill par-3 13th, which – at 226 yards from the tips – usually plays into wind and is guarded by a bunker front-left and two more front-right.

The signature hole here is No. 17, a 535-yard, par-5 where water comes into play on the second shot, then again on the approach to a green ringed by water on three sides. A waterfall to the right adds an aesthetic touch to the proceedings, but is of no help if you hit your shot in that direction. Because of the various shots required during your round, Scott Schreiner GC proves a good test for all level of golfer and is well worth the trip.

For more information, visit http:// www.golfkerrvilletex.com.

REVIEW

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Amphitheater in Kerrville-Schreiner Park

Other Surprises in Kerrville When in Kerrville stay at either the expansiveYO Ranch Resort Hotel and Conference Center (check out the huge pool, and chandeliers made of branding irons in the hotel lobby) or the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center. Both hotels are run by 1859 Historic Hotels, Ltd., a firm known for quality and service.

Nestled in the hills and along the Guadalupe River you’ll find a 517-acre camping park – Kerrville-Schreiner Park.The campgrounds include camping accommodations to suit almost any preferred camping style. RV hook-ups— many with water, electricity and sewer connections—are plentiful, as are tent campsites, cabin rentals and ranch houses.

The recreation amenities at KerrvilleSchreiner Park include a fishing pier, boat ramp, and approximately 10 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Whether you’re a novice hiker or an experienced trekker, you’ll find a trail and terrain fit for your skill level. Basketball, sand volleyball courts and a playground are additional outlets for fun.

Wildlife you may spot in the park includes whitetail deer, blackbuck antelope, axis deer, rabbits, foxes and birds. Annual passes to Kerrville-Schreiner Park are $50 per vehicle, or day-use passes may be purchased for individuals at rates ranging from $2-$4. Overnight camping and facility rental fees vary. For more information, please visit www. kerrvilletx.gov, call (830) 257-7300, or e-mail kerrpark@kerrvilletx.gov.

As far as restaurants, we visited a few that were awesome.We were supremely pleased with the offerings at Francisco’s Restaurant on the square downtown; order the Veracruzana nachos (they are made with a signature chicken salad) and sit back, relax and contemplate your next round in Kerrville.

Kerrville is host to many outdoor activities

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COURSES

SAN ANTONIO | HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN

Municipal Course

MAP # 17

RATES

Twilight

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Mon-Thur $43 $33* Fri-Sun $50 $38 Holiday $50 $38 Pricing includes cart fee *Twilight Winter months start 2 p.m.

Summer months start 3 p.m.

STATISTICS Par: 70 Blue White Gold Red

Yards 6453 6016 5184 4826

Rating 70.4 68.4 64.4 67.8

Slope 122 116 108 104

AMENITIES • Putting Green • Chipping Range with Sand Bunkers • Driving Range • Complete Pro Shop • Professional Golf Lessons 1 Country Club Drive Kerrville, Texas 78028

(830) 257-4982 golf@kerrvilletx.gov www.kerrvilletx.gov

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Kerrville

Scott Schreiner Golf Course BEST KEPT SECRET OF THE SOUTHWEST Scott Schreiner Golf Course is an 18-hole course that is nestled among the rolling hills in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Redesigned by renowned golf course architect Joe Finger in 1999, it is one of the best kept secrets of the southwest.

The layout features mounded greens in a variety of sizes and shapes. The fairways offer generous landing areas, yet are tight enough to present a comfortable challenge. The signature hole is number 17, a 535-yard par-5. Water comes into play on the second shot, then again on the approach to the green, which is surrounded by water on three sides. A waterfall to the left of the green adds a pleasing aesthetic. Set against the beautiful hills and rustic Texas landscape, this course is fun for all.

The course is located in Kerrville, Texas making it an easy drive from San Antonio or Austin. A putting green, driving range, chipping greens with sand bunker, complete pro shop, and available golf lessons with the latest video technology are some of the many amenities at the course.

Awarded the number 1 course in Kerrville,Texas by the Kerrville Daily Times in 2020

Looking for more tee times?

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For more info call 830-964-2152 or email Mike@thetexasgolfinsider.com

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When you sign up for a Gate Pass Limit 1 coupon per person Redeemable at any JBSA Courses Exp: 10/31/21

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FEATURE STORY

The Golf Club Star Ranch is everything great about golf

By Steve Habel, Contributing Writer

If you’re a golfer looking for a solid and always challenging course in line with the most ballyhooed tracts in the Central Texas region, look no further than the Golf Club Star Ranch, set in a burgeoning bedroom community in the suburbs northeast of Austin.

Opened in 2001 on the former site of the Timmerman Ranch, Star Ranch is located on the northwest side of the 130 toll road just north of Gattis School Road, where Hutto, Pflugerville and Round Rock’s borders meet. Designed

by Austin-based golf course architect Roy Bechtol with help from Carter Morrish and Randy Russell, Star Ranch is an 18-hole facility that plays to a par

Clubhouse and Pavilion

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hole # 7 of 71 and 7,017 yards of golf from the back set of tees.

In the ranch’s stead, a Hill Country golfing experience has taken shape as the centerpiece of a massive and bustling neighborhood. The course fulfills its promise as both a test and a reward for golfers of all skill levels, following the natural rolling contours of the land while using a central lake and prevailing wind to create an experience both formidable and fun.

The course is rated at 73.5 and has a slope of 130 on Bermuda grass and sports undulating fairways and putting surfaces flanked by pristine white-sand bunkers.

FEATURE STORY

Star Ranch will celebrate its 20th anniversary this summer Over the past two decades the course has been meticulously maintained and improved, cementing its status as one of the area’s best tracks.

The numbers don’t lie – rounds at Star Ranch have increased each year and are at an all-time high.

“When we opened 20 years ago we were far away from just about anything but now, with the toll road and the continued growth of the areas around us, we are in the middle of everything,” said Rob Fulford, director of golf at Star Ranch.

“The course’s borders look a little different now than they did in 2001, but the course itself has the same footprint and playability.”

Star Ranch was designed to be a fun course for every level of golfer. There are times when you think your shot may be out of play but you find it in the light rough. It’s not as punitive as some courses where you have no way to recover.

The focus here is for golfers to enjoy the round, not to be beat up.

Expect to shoot a few strokes better than normal here, thanks to the course’s friendly bounces and playability.

But don’t take Star Ranch for granted – it is a true and fair challenge.

Great play is certainly rewarded as well here.

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Hole # 15

Star Ranch is lorded over by a massive stone clubhouse and stand-alone event center that has become a haven for weddings and group gatherings.

I always play Star Ranch thinking that I can go low if I can take advantage of its “getable” holes. That starts from the very first swing, with tee shot placement on the 398-yard dogleg-right opening hole essential for a birdie that can kickstart a round in the best way. The move to attack continues on the 455-yard second hole, which is usually played with the wind.

Star Ranch has its own “Hutto Horseshoe” on the front-nine, with holes 5-7 playing around a creek and a pond created by its damming.

First, is a 582-yard par-5 played into the wind that’s (for my money) the toughest hole on the course.

Then comes a 357-yard par 4 that’s bordered by a huge pond on the left and bunkers to the front right.

Finally, play is TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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FEATURE STORY

hole # 9

turned back to the north with the 189yard par 3 seventh, with the pond again on the left.

I try to manage my expectations on those three holes, and get back into “go-for-it” mode on the 474-yard par-4 eighth, which plays much shorter, and the 386-yard par 4 closer to the first nine.

The best stretch of holes here are likely on the back-nine, where golfers are faced with two par-3s (the 196-yard 12th and the 15th, a 170-yard tester over a pond), a reachable par 5 at the 532-yard 13th and a short but deadly par-4 in the 376-yard 14th hole.

I always feel that I should go after the 453-yard 10th and 446-yard 11th, backto-back par 4s that, again, are friendlier than the yardage would indicate. The 12th is always a tough par, but you can get back in the attack saddle on the 13th, a hole that can produce an eagle putt with two decent shots.

Then the 14th, which is no more than a hybrid off the tee, and the picturesque 15th, with a waterfall at the front and all along the right side that bring the creek back into play. The rest of the round is played into the wind, ending with the 507-yard 18th, a par-5 that looks easy on TheTexasGolfInsider.com

the scorecard but is anything but simple when you actually play it.

Star Ranch also features a 55,000-square foot driving range and a short game area with multiple teeing areas, six tired target greens, five bunkers, two chipping greens and rolling terrain for every golf shot in the bag.

And then there are the little things, the stuff that makes Star Ranch great that Fulford and his staff are doing out of the public eye.

“We look to the smallest detail in customer service and course conditioning at Star Ranch because we know that’s what our players expect and what they return for,” Fulford said. “Over the passing of time we’ve made sure that we improve on something every year, whether it’s replacing the sand in the bunkers or something behind the scenes to make the experience better for our customers.”

A round at Star Ranch is always enjoyable. Pace of play, another feature Bechtol and Morrish built into the course with the routing, is always on pointe, and you will always leave the course satisfied and ready for another trip around the ranch.

Happy Anniversary !

Providing Great Golf for 20 Years

For Reservations:

(512) 252-Golf (4653) Book Online at :

www.Starranchgolf.com Located just north of Austin off the 130 Toll Road. – 2500 FM 685 Hutto, TX 78634 Now Booking 2021 Golf Outings Call 252-4653 ext. 2 for details.

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DIRECTORY SAN ANTONIO | HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN

COURSE TYPE PHONE COURSE TYPE PHONE AUSTIN: Avery Ranch Golf Club Semi-Private Falconhead Golf Club Semi-Private Grey Rock Golf Club Semi-Private Hancock Park Golf Course Public Jimmy Clay/Roy Kizer GC Public Lions Municipal Golf Course Public Morris Williams Golf Course Public Riverside Golf Club Public BANDERA: Flying L Ranch Golf Course Resort BASTROP: Colovista Golf Club Semi-Private Hyatt, Wolfdancer Resort Pine Forest Golf Club Public BLANCO: Vaaler Creek Golf Club Semi-Private BOERNE: Tapatio Springs Resort Resort BURNET: Delaware Springs Golf Course Public CANYON LAKE: Lakeside Golf Club Public CASTROVILLE: Alsatian Golf Course Public COMFORT: Buckhorn Golf Course Public CONCAN: Club at ConCan Resort DEVINE: Devine Golf Course Public FLORESVILLE: River Bend Golf Club Public FREDERICKSBURG: Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course Public HORSESHOE BAY: Blue Lake Golf Club-9 holes Public Horseshoe Bay Resort Resort Apple Rock Resort Ram Rock Resort Slick Rock Resort HUTTO: Golf Club at Star Ranch Semi-Private KERRVILLE: Scott Schreiner Municipal GC Public KINGSLAND: Legends Golf Course Public KYLE: Plum Creek Golf Course Public LAGO VISTA: Lago Vista Golf Course Semi-Private LAMPASAS: Hancock Park Golf Course Public LEANDER: The Golf Club at Crystal Falls Public LLANO: Llano Golf Club Public MANOR: Shadow Glen GC Semi-Private MARBLE FALLS: Hidden Falls Golf Club Semi-Private

(512) 248-2442 (512) 402-1558 (512) 288-4297 (512) 978-2330 (512) 974-4653 (512) 477-6963 (512) 974-8333 (512) 223-6677 (830) 796-7745 (512) 629-4585 (512) 308-9653 (512) 321-1181 (830) 833-0706 (830) 537-4197 (512) 756-8471 (830) 899-3301 (830) 931-3100 (830) 995-5351 (830) 232-4471 (830) 665-9943 (830) 216-2800 (830) 997-4010 (830) 598-5524 (830) 598-8600 (830) 598-8600 (830) 598-8600 (830) 598-8600 (512) 252-4653 (830) 257-4982 (325) 388-8888 (512) 262-5555 (512) 267-1170 (512) 556-3202 (512) 259-5855 (325) 247-5100 (512) 278-1304 (830) 693-3300

NEW BRAUNFELS: The Bandit Golf Club Public Landa Park Golf Course Public PLEASANTON: Pleasanton Country Club Semi-Private PFLUGERVILLE: Blackhawk Golf Club Public ROUND ROCK: Forest Creek Golf Club Public The Golf Club of Star Ranch Semi-Private TeraVista Golf Club Semi-Private SALADO: Mill Creek Inn & Country Club Semi-Private SAN MARCOS: Kissing Tree Golf Club Semi-Private SAN SABA: San Saba River GC Public SEGUIN: Starcke Park Golf Course Public SPICEWOOD: Pedernales Golf Course Public SPRING BRANCH: River Crossing Club Private The Club at Rebecca Creek Semi-Private SAN ANTONIO: Brackenridge Park Golf Course Public Canyon Springs Golf Course Public Cedar Creek Golf Course Public Gateway Hills Golf Course Public Golf Club of Texas Public Hyatt Hill Country Resort Resort La Cantera Golf Club Public La Loma Grande GC Public Mission Del Lago Golf Course Public Northern Hills Golf Club Public Olmos Basin Golf Course Public Randolf Oaks Golf Course Public Riverside Golf Course Public Salado Del Rio GC Public San Pedro Range & Par 3 Public Silverhorn Golf CLub Public The Palmer Course Public The Quarry Golf Club Semi-private The Republic Golf Course Public TPC San Antonio Resort Windcrest Golf Course Semi-private Willow Springs Golf Course Public UNIVERSAL CITY: Olympia Hills Golf & Conference Ctr Public UTOPIA: Utopia Golf Course Public VICTORIA: Riverside Golf Course Municipal WIMBERLEY: Quicksand at Woodcreek Public

(830) 609-4665 (830) 221-4340 (830) 281-3486 (512) 251-9000 (512) 388-2874 (512) 252-GOLF (512) 651-9850 (254) 947-5698 (512) 749-1031 (325) 372-3212 (830) 401-2490 (512) 264-1489 (830) 904-4653 (830) 885-5168 (210) 226-5612 (210) 497-1770 (210) 695-5050 (210) 671-3466 (210) 504-2550 (210) 647-1234 (210) 558-4653 (210) 222-9386 (210) 627-2522 (210) 655-4148 (210) 826-4041 (210) 652-4570 (210) 533-8371 (210) 222-9386 (210) 349-5113 (210) 545-5300 (210) 558-2365 (210) 824-4500 (210) 359-0000 (210) 491-5800 (210) 655-1421 (210) 226-6721 (210) 945-4653 (830) 966-5577 (361) 573-4521 (512) 847-9700

SAN ANTONIO | HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN DIRECTORY

THE COAST COURSE TYPE PHONE Alice Municipal Golf Course Public Brownsville Golf Center Public Buccaneer Bay Public GC Public Colony Creek Country Club Semi-Private Cottonwood Creek Golf Course Public Ebony Hills Municipal Golf Course Public El Campo County Club Private Ganado Golf and Country Club Public Goliad Golf Club Public Harlingen Country Club Private L.E. Ramey Golf Course Public Los Lagos Municipal Golf Course Public Lozano Golf Center Public Oso Beach Municipal GC Public Northshore Golf Course Public Padre Isles Country Club Private Palm View Golf Course Public Palmilla Beach Golf Club Semi-Private Rio Colorado Golf Course Public South Padre Island Golf Club Public The Victoria Country Club Semi-Private Tierra Del Sol Golf Club Public Tierra Santa Golf Club Public Treasure Hills Country Club Semi-Private Village Executive Golf Course Public Valley International Country Club Semi-Private

(361) 664-7033 (956) 541-2582 (361) 790-7513 (361) 576-0018 (956) 428-7758 (956) 292-2144 (409) 543-6592 (361) 771-2424 (361) 645-8322 (956) 412-4110 (361) 592-1101 (956) 316-0444 (361) 826-8016 (361) 826-8010 (361) 643-2798 (361) 949-8056 (956) 687-9591 (361) 749-4653 (979) 244-2955 (956) 943-5678 (361) 573-3712 (956) 702-2320 (956) 973-1811 (956) 365-3100 (956) 968-5616 (956) 546-5331

RIO GRANDE VALLEY COURSE TYPE PHONE Adobe Wells Country Club Alamo Country Club Brownsville Municipal GC Cimarron Cottonwood 21 Ebony Hills Golf Course Fair Winds G.C & Practice Range Fort Brown Memorial GC Harlingen Country Club Jim Paul Golf Course Llano Grande Golf Course Los Lagos Golf Club Martin Valley Ranches Golf Course McAllen Country Club Meadow Creek Golf Club Palacio Real Golf Course Palm View Golf Course Rancho Viejo Country Club Raymondville Municipal Course River Bend Resort Shary Municipal Golf Course South Padre Island Golf Club The MAX Golf Course Tony Butler Municipal GC

Private Private Public Private Semi-Private Public Public Public Private Public Public Public Public Private Public Semi-Private Public Semi-Private Public Semi-Private Public Public Public Public

(956) 686-8801 (956) 787-0910 (956) 541-2582 (956) 581-7408 (956) 428-0766 (956) 381-1244 (956) 423-2010 (956) 541-0394 (956) 412-4110 (956) 943-7520 (956) 565-3351 (956) 316-0444 (956) 585-6330 (956) 928-0440 (956) 581-6267 (956) 381-0964 (956) 687-9591 (956) 350-4000 (956) 689-9904 (956) 548-0191 (956) 580-8770 (956) 943-5678 (956) 726-2000 (956) 216-5970

49

16

Laredo

127

ConCan

Harper

Utopia

17

17

Castroville

1604

37

Comfort

Kingsland

78 78

26

473

58

20

1431

1604

75

725

73 31

22

Kyle

620

Marble Falls Leander

Spring Brand

6 13 10 85 11

9 12 3

46

87 87

2

2342

84

3

130 1825

Pharr

83

50

Practice Fac. Restaurant Banquet Fac. Pro Shop Instructions Ad on Page

Par

Yardage /Rating /Slope

51

Type Hole

Map Number

SAN ANTONIO |HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN COURSES

(210) 226-5612

P 18

72

6234/70.3/126 • • • • 5

(210) 695-5050

P 18

72

7150/74.1/131

• •

• • 5

Gateway Hills Golf Course (210) 671-3466

26 1800 Dimsted Pl., Lackland AFB, TX 78236

P 18

72

6917/73.1/125

•

• • 41

LaLoma Grande GC at Fort Sam Houston (210) 222-9386 P 18 85 1050 Harry Wurzbach, San Antonio, TX 78209

72

6774/72.5/124 • • • • • 41

Lago Vista Golf Course (512) 267-1170 M 18 20 4616 Rimrock Dr., Lago Vista, TX 78645

72

6579/70.0/118 • • • • • 16

Landa Park Golf Course (830) 221-4340 M 18 73 180 Golf Course Rd., New Braunfels, TX 78130

71

6205/68.9/112 • • • • • 13

Llano River Golf Course (325) 247-5100 M 18 78 2835 West Ranch Road 152, Llano, TX 78643

71

6094/69.1/123 •

• • 47

(210) 627-2522 P 18

72

7044/73.4/132 • •

• • 5

Northern Hills Golf Course (210) 655-4148 P 18 9 13202 Scarsdale, San Antonio, TX 78217

72

6602/71.9/123 • • • • • 5

Olmos Basin Golf Course 10 7022 McCullough, San Antonio, TX 78216

(210) 826-4041 P 18

72

6847/71.8/131 • •

• • 5

Randolph Oaks Golf Course (210) 652-4653 P 18

75 Bldg. 1300 Golf Course Rd, Randolph AFB, TX 78150

72

7172/74.5/125 •

• • 41

Type: M=Municipal, PR=Private, P=Public, SP= Semi-Private.

Brackenridge Park Golf Course 6 2315 Avenue B, San Antonio, TX 78215 www.alamocitygolftrail.com

Cedar Creek Golf Course

37 8250 Vista Colina, San Antonio, TX 78255 www.alamocitygolftrail.com

www.myjbsa-fss-mwr.co

www.ftsammwr.com /recreation/golf.html

www.lagovistagc.com

www.landaparkgolfcourse.com

www.cityofllano.com

Mission Del Lago Golf Course

58 1250 Mission Grande, San Antonio, TX 78221 www.alamocitygolftrail.com

www.alamocitygolftrail.com

www.alamocitygolftrail.com

www.myjbsa-fss-mwr.com

Riverside Golf Course 11 203 McDonald, San Antonio, TX 78210

(210) 533-8371 P 18

San Pedro Range & Par 3 12 6102 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78216

(210) 349-5113 P

www.alamocitygolftrail.com

www.alamocitygolftrail.com

9

72 6694/71.2/114

Salado Del Rio GC at Fort Sam Houston (210) 222-9386 P 18 72

85 1050 Harry Wurzbach, San Antonio, TX 78209

•

• • 5

• • 5

6819/70.8/124 • • • • • 41

www.ftsammwr.com/recreation/golf.html

Scott Shreiner Municipal Golf Course (830) 257-4982 M 18 17 1 Country Club Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028

70

6453/71.6/126

• •

• • 38

www.golfkerrvilletex.com

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Practice Fac. Restaurant Banquet Fac. Pro Shop Instructions Ad on Page

Yardage /Rating /Slope

Type: M=Municipal, PR=Private, P=Public, SP= Semi-Private.

Par

COURSES SAN ANTONIO | HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN

Type Hole

Map Number

52

Star Ranch Golf Club (512) 252-4653 P 18 3 2500 FM 685, Hutto, TX 78634

71 7030/71.0/117

• • • • 45

Vaaler Creek Golf Club (830) 833-0706 P 18 87 228 Jeff Vaughn, Blanco, TX 78155

72 6864/73.0/140 • • • • 27

www.starranchgolf.com

www.vcgc.golf

Willow Springs Golf Club (210) 226-6721 P 18 13 202 AT&T Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78219 www.alamocitygolftrail.com

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72

7221/74.6/130 • • • • 5

SAN ANTONIO | HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN DIRECTORY

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SHOPPING/SERVICES | ACCOMMODATIONS/DINING | TOURNAMENTS/INSTRUCTION INSTRUCTION/TOURNAMENTS ACCOMODATIONS/ DINING Audubon Golf Trail | Ad Page 83 Louisiana | www.audubongolf.com

City of Llano | Map #78 | Ad Page 47 301 West Main, Llano, TX | www.cityofllano.com | 325-247-4158 Coushatta Casino | Ad Page 84 777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder, LA | www.CoushattaCasinoResort.com | 800-584-7263 Double Schotts Sports Bar & Grill| Map #22 | Ad Pg 49 2055 Central Plaza # 102 | New Braunfels, TX www.doubleschotts.com | 830-632-5355

Vaaler Creek Golf Club | Map #87 | Ad Page 27 Golf Lessons with Edwin Dickens | 228 Jeff Vaughn, Blanco, TX 78606 www.vcgc.golf | 830-833-0706

REAL ESTATE Rockin’ J Ranch | Map# 2 | Ad Page 26 288 John Price, Blanco, TX 78606 | www.rockinjranch.net | 830-833-2266

Kerrville Parks & Recreation| Map #17 | Ad Pg 34 2385 Bandera Hwy. | Kerrville, TX 78028 www.kerrvilletx.gov | 830-257-7300 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail | Ad Page 2 Alabama | www.golfalabama.org | Rockin’ J Ranch | Map# 87 | Ad Page 26 288 John Price, Blanco, TX 78606 | www.rockinjranch.net | 830-833-2266 The National Golf Club of Louisiana | Ad Page 82 1400 National Dr, Westlake, LA 70669 www.nationalgcla.com | 337-433-2255 Tobacco Haus | Map #31 |Ad Page 46 651 N. Business IH-35, #525, New Braunfels, TX Facebook@tobaccohaus07 | 830-620-7473 Vaaler Creek Golf Club | Map# 87 | Ad Page 27 228 Jeff Vaughn, Blanco, TX 78606 | www.vcgc.golf | 830-833-0706

SHOPPING/SERVICES

Bash in the Box Boutique style Party Supplies

www.bashinthebox.com

Bash in the Box | Ad Page 53 www.bashinthebox.com Edwin Watts | Map # 3 | Ad Page 15 1050 N,.E. Loop 410, San Antonio, TX www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 210-822-4060 Edwin Watts | Map # 83 | Ad Page 15 4526 South Padre Island Dr., Corpus Christi, TX www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 361-852-0358 EpoxyMaster | Ad Page 52 www.epoxymaster.com | 888-376-9954 Facebook Live ‘Golf After Hours’ | Ad Page 3 Thurdays 7-8 pm | The Golf Ranch | Map #84 | Ad Page 7 610 N Austin Ave., Georgetown, TX | 35 & Williams Drive at exit 262 www.golfranchshop.com | 512-863-4573

www.bashinthebox.com

54

FEATURE STORY

THE HIDEOUT

Texas Golf Perfection Available to All

by Art Stricklin, Contributing Writer The Hideout, the luxury resort and home community in scenic Brownwood, near the center of Texas and the center of vacation and home ownership action is a hidden secret no longer.

The word is out. Golfers for a day, a weekend or a lifetime are headed for the Hideout where it’s exclusively public, open for all to experience.

In fact a recent story on the effects of the global pandemic stated one of the biggest lasting effects is that golfers were headed for the hills to get away from crowded city life. There can’t be many better places than The Hideout where

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Mick Jones oversees the championship golf operation and an experienced management team presides over the resort with a large pool, cabins, and wonderful wide out spaces at the gateway to West Texas.

A thrilling landscape with rolling vistas dotted with live oaks, mesquite, bluebonnets, Black-eyed Susans, and Indian paintbrush makes Brownwood, Texas a picturesque place to discover land for sale. Brownwood combines the best of small-town friendliness with a captivating historic downtown and a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.

The thriving city of Brownwood is located near the geographical center of the Lone Star state. Less than 3 hours away from all major cities nearby including: Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Abilene, San Antonio, Waco, San Angelo, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa.

If you’re looking for a tranquil lake inviting

FEATURE STORY

you to wade in and enjoy. The Hideout has waterfront property overlooking beautiful Lake Brownwood and all the best that Central Texas offers. This 1,400acre resort community also offers non-lakefront property with views of Lake Brownwood, the golf resort, and the scenic rolling landscape.

The endless array of inspiring vistas and rousing recreation make it the perfect place to enjoy being with newfound friends or spending time with your cherished family in this relaxing resort environment.

For those who desire something more permanent and lasting at The Hideout, like a custom home for a weekend or a lifetime, the community has that covered as well.

Bringing your dream custom home to life at The Hideout couldn’t be easier.You can work with our preferred builders or a builder of your choice to design your new home from the ground up.

When you work with our preferred builders you can expect a personalized experience as they help you build a custom home with quality craftsmanship.

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From flooring to finishes and everything in between, our builders can include all the features you want to make your house a home.

These respected local builders offer an impressive collection of single-family homes starting from 1,900 square feet featuring handsome architecture, spacious interiors and all of today’s best features, fixtures and appliances. The Hideout allows you to choose your views by the lake, the course or wherever your desired location might be.

The Oaks at 14 is a new collection of lots on the 14th hole of our championship golf course with each lot featuring an incredible view of the course. When

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FEATURE STORY

you own property at The Hideout, you can enjoy complimentary rounds of golf, priority reservations and discounts on lodging, merchandise discounts, and an introductory membership in the Coast to Coast network of resorts and campgrounds.

Of course, if now is not the right time to get started, a homesite at The Hideout gives you “Buy Now, Build When You Want” flexibility. We have many landowners who purchase

their land at The Hideout and enjoy the benefits of being a resident until the time comes to build their home.

While you are making a decision about the length of your tenure at The Hideout, there is plenty to keep you entertained. Community leaders recently introduced their summer concert series, Live at the Lake! Throughout the summer live music will be performed by local bands and artists.

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Now you can bring your friends or family to kick back and jam out with a cocktail in hand or bite to eat from The Hideout Grill while listening to an ever changing upcoming live music lineup.

From the championship par 72 Bill Johnson designed golf challenge to the stay and play packages, the beautiful scenery and the chance to own a piece of Texas paradise forever, The Hideout stands out in plain sight for all to see.

Come join the over 500 families that have purchased land and are building their home at The Hideout!

Discover

PARADISE in Central Texas

LOTS FOR SALE FROM $39,900* Located on beautiful Lake Brownwood, The Hideout is Central Texas’ favorite destination for golf outings, lakefront resort getaways, and vacation-style living. Our award-winning 18-hole championship golf course is ideal for all skill levels.

Enjoy priority tee times and unlimited golf cart usage as a property owner or golf club member.

Plus, experience great recreation, water sports, priority reservations and discounts on lodging, rentals, merchandise, and much more!

CALL 325-252-3774 TO BOOK YOUR NEXT

Getaway

FROM $189/PERSON

• Your choice of Resort Accommodations • Unlimited Golf (including cart) on 18-hole course • Full Use of Resort Fitness & Recreational Amenities

Visit TheHideoutTexas.com For More Information 185 Hideout Lane · Brownwood, TX 76801 | 325-252-3774

Broker Participation is Welcomed and Encouraged. *Lakefront land prices available upon request. Prices and availability are subject to change at any time without notice. Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.

Reserve your Tee Time Online!

Scan Me

PHILADELPHIA, MS • (601) 663-0011 • www.dancingrabbitgolf.com A development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

FEATURE STORY

59

Mississippi’s Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is worthy of all the accolades

By Steve Habel, Contributing Writer Before I ventured to this area of the Magnolia State, the only thing I knew about east-central Mississippi and the expanse surrounding the town of Philadelphia was from books and newspapers containing stories about the recruitment of former Oklahoma running back Marcus Dupree in the 1980s.

With the advent of casino gaming in 1994 and opening of the Pearl River Resort by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians at the turn of the 21st Century, a new star has risen in the region.

The Pearl River Resort in Choctaw consists of the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, the Silver Star Hotel & Casino, a handful of restaurants, the renowned Geyser Falls Water Theme Park, and, for our purposes, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club.

Where there is top-quality gaming, great golf courses usually follow, and that’s certainly the case at Dancing Rabbit. Here, nestled among the towering pines and oaks an hour and a half’s drive northeast of the capital of Jackson, are a pair of the South’s most acclaimed tracks and a facility that is as wonderful as it is surprising and a stay and play here rivals golf trips anywhere in the South.

Claiming a home in this lush environment are a duo of award-winning, par-72 courses, the Azaleas and the Oaks, each designed by Tom Fazio in collaboration with former U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate.

These two tracks combined encompass more than 700 acres sectioned by five miles of spring-fed streams, an exquisite setting that accentuates the beauty of the golf courses while adding to the challenge of play and a feeling of serenity and isolation.

Nestled quietly among ancient pines and hardwoods, the two tracks embrace the gently rolling hills and valleys indigenous to this part of the world while still retaining the character and grandeur

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FEATURE STORY

of the great Southern woodlands from which they were carved. Each golf course offers five different sets of tees to accommodate every level of play.

And the overall stay at Dancing Rabbit is every bit as good as its courses.

“The No.1 goal at Dancing Rabbit is to offer our guests the best golf experience possible, and we come to work every day striving to achieve this goal,” says Mark Powell, Pearl River Resort’s longtime director of golf and No. 1 pitchman. “I love the convenience our facility provides to golfers – once their clubs are unloaded at the clubhouse everything is self-contained. Dancing Rabbit is truly an escape.”

Opened in July 1997, the Azaleas at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club has received

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the lion’s share of recognition, and it deserves every accolade.

Azaleas is a living work of art, and a track some call “the next best thing to Augusta.”You could virtually put every hole on the Azaleas Course into a picture book. Once you’ re done with your round, you will want to tee it up again immediately, which is always the sign of great track and one that gives - and takes away - opportunities to score.

The Oaks debuted in 1999 and has improved its ranking through the years to where the 2021 ranking of Golfweek’s “Best Courses You Can Play” in Mississippi ranks it two spots above the Azaleas.

The Oaks Course equals Azaleas in both charm and challenge while offering golfers a completely different look, mainly because all the water that enters play. On Oaks, streams and ponds are larger and provide a greater degree of difficulty.

Even though a stint at the tables or slot machines may be part of your trip to Pearl River Resort, the golf at Dancing Rabbit is the REAL sure thing.

Those in the know have latched on to what they’ve found at Dancing Rabbit, and make sure the Pearl River Resort and the sumptuous courses are on their constant must-play list.You should as well.

Hot Springs’ Diamondhead Golf Club offers challenges in tourism hotbed There is nothing quite like Hot Springs, Arkansas, a tourism hotbed about an hour from Little Rock that is as appealing as much for its past – a simpler, more laid-back time – as it is for its bustling present and promising future.

Hot Springs is famous for its bathhouses, which has drawn visitors from around the world for centuries, for its fabulous horse racetrack and casino and – for our purposes – its golf. One of the area’s top places to play is Diamondhead Golf Club, located about 15 minutes southeast of downtown.

Set on rolling and heavily forested land, Diamondhead GC is a pleasure to play for golfers of all skill levels.

The course, carded at 6,621 yards from its back set of three tee boxes, challenges players with its relaxing, picturesque backdrop and testing holes, some that travel uphill through the trees. Diamondhead GC is a favorite of local golfers and tourists alike, as an increase of more than 4,000 rounds in 2021 illustrates.

After the golf, revel in the area’s history, stay in the peerless Arlington Hotel, relax at Oaklawn’s expanded casino downtown or browse and buy in the town’s many shops.You can even see where Babe Ruth hit his first home run during Spring Training.

The course is near three lakes with rentals available. Lake Catherine State Park is located less than a mile from the golf course, and stay and play packages are available.

CASINO

Relax in our expanded casino downtown with many shops to see.

HOTEL A historic hotel full of rich history and southern charm

For more information go to www.diamondheadgolfandcc.com or call 501-262-3745

The Destination is Worth the Journey!

T

ucked away in Texas' historic Big Bend, Lajitas Golf Resort is the perfect awayfrom-it-all adventure. Our 27,000 acre resort is famous for its solitude, natural beauty and rugged desert environment.

If you are a golfer, chances are that you have heard about our bucket list golf course Black Jack’s Crossing, designed by Ryder Cup captain Lanny Wadkins. Activities extend beyond playing golf as you can test your shooting skills, saddle up for a sunset trail ride, zip on world-class ziplines, relax in the Agave Spa or navigate the Rio Grande on a Stand-UpPaddleboard, Lajitas delivers fun for all. With non-stop fights via private charter available out of Houston or Dallas, Lajitas is a short plane ride away so come out and see us and experience the magic of the Big Bend region at Lajitas Golf Resort.

#1 Course You Can Play in Texas - The Dallas Morning News #1 Course You Can Play in Texas - Golfweek

Call 877-525-4827 Today! www.LajitasGolfResort.com

Lajitas Real Estate Sales

Inquire today about our luxury villas, condos or lots available for residential development.

For more information, contact us at realestate@lajitasgolfresort.com.

Squawvalleygc.com

254-897-7956

History * Heart * Hospitality

Hole 12

Hole 3

Glenroseexpo.org 254-897-4509

Somervell.co 254-897-3750

Scenic Drives

A golfer’s paradise only 20 minutes north of Dallas. With three stunning lakeside courses, attractions and world-class dining, The Colony offers a tranquil getaway complemented by urban luxuries.

VisitTheColonyTX.com/Golf | 972.624.5253

FEATURE STORY

67

Golf in The Colony A boom on and off the course

By Art Stricklin, Contributing Writer

The annual host of the LPGA’s Volunteers of America Tournament for the last three years is the epicenter of the boom of golf in The Colony, which features both The Old American Golf Course and The Tribute courses now operating under the same golfing umbrella along with the 9-hole Stewart’s Peninsula.

“We are full speed ahead to make the course the best it’s ever been,” said Old American/Tribute General Manager Mike McCabe. “We know we will have a stellar field (for the LPGA) because it’s the Fourth of July weekend plus four days of national television coverage to showcase the course and community nationwide.”

This year, the boom will be literal as well. Last year there were no fans due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now there will be all manner of activity, from a 5K run to junior clinic, a full pro-am and galleries, plus plenty of on-course fireworks from the best players in the world.The off-thecourse variety will be lighting up the skies over Lake Lewisville for the holiday.

“We’re really looking forward to having the fans back and looking forward to showcasing the great courses,” McCabe said.

Home of the only LPGA Event in Texas, theVolunteers of America Classic

Other than a slight alteration making the former first hole the 18th hole and pushing all the holes up one position at the Tripp Davis/Justin Leonard designed course, McCabe said the biggest change will be the fans and true measure of the holes in summer conditions.

“We had never done that before, but we think it will come out fantastic,” he said of the new time for the unique par-72 layout which pays homage to the classic courses in America of the 1920s and ‘30s and is annually ranked as as one of the top public course in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area.

“It’s disappointing there were no fans last year, but it’s a great spotlight for the new Golf Clubs at The Tribute. All we are waiting on is what we get on the weather from Mother Nature.The snow and ice hurt us and now we’ve had a lot of

Golf Clubs at The Tribute Clubhouse

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FEATURE STORY

Old American Golf Club

which sits adjacent to Old American.The Davis designed course was built as a tribute to the great courses in Scotland and Ireland, many Davis had played with co-designer Justin Leonard.

Amateur golfers who have never traveled across the ocean or have any desire to, can play some of the greatest holes in golf from Royal Troon and the Postage Stamp along with Murfield, St. Andrews Old Course and many others.

The area has grown tremendously, not only in golf, but in population around the golf course, many of them The Colony’s most avid golfers.Today, there are more than 2,000 homes in The Colony community around the two golf courses and in sight of the third.

In January 2020,The Tribute and Old American combined together as a 36-hole facility with its large multi-story clubhouse which includes overnight lodging.

“The combination has been fantastic,” said McCabe. “We are able to cater to the members, but also allow the public to play both courses.We have had tremendous acceptance to the two golf courses.

“Golf in The Colony is as great as it’s ever been and only getting better.” A boom on and off the course.

rain, but it should be really good, so we’re hoping for the best,” McCabe added.

Aledo’s Cheyenne Knight won the 2019 tournament with Fort Worth’s Angela Stanford taking home the 2020 title. McCabe said a local three-peat would be Texas Tough for sure.

“It would be great to have another local winner this year, we’ll have to wait and see if we can pull it off,” said McCabe.

Along the boats and lapping waves clearly visible on Lake Lewisville from the front nine at Old American, golfers can clearly see the nine-hole Stewart’s Peninsula course in The Colony on the other side of the lake. It was actually Tripp Davis’ first golf design in the 1990s, but has clearly stood the test of time and been a local favorite to walk and test the rolling fairways with water visible on almost every hole.

“Golfers often love a change of pace and Tripp’s first design certainly provides that,” said McCabe. “It’s really fun.”

The iconic manufactured lighthouse/clubhouse signals golfers are in for another treat in this Denton County golf destination.

The first 18-hole course in The Colony came from Davis, a native Oklahoman himself, when he built The Tribute Golf Links The Tribute Golf Course, TheTexasGolfInsider.com

DALLAS | FORT WORTH DIRECTORY ARLINGTON: Lake Arlington Golf Course Texas Rangers Golf Club Tierra Verde Golf Club

Semi-Private Semi-Private Semi-Private

AZLE: Cross Timbers Golf Course

Public

BROWNWOOD: The Hideout Golf Club

Semi-Private

BURLESON: Hidden Creek Golf Course Southern Oaks Golf Club

Public Public

CARROLTON: Maridoe Golf Club Indian Creek Golf Course

Private Public

DALLAS: Bear Creak Golf Club Buffalo Creek GC Cedar Crest Golf Course Keeton Park Golf Course Luna Vista Golf Course Preston Trail Golf Club Steven Parks Golf Course Tension Glen Golf Club The Golf Club of Dallas Trinity Forest Golf Club

Semi-Private Public Public Public Public Private Public Semi-Private Semi-Private Private

GORDONVILLE: (817) 451-6101 Rock Creek Resort Golf Club (817) 275-5941 (817) 478-8500 GUNTER: The Bridges (817) 444-4940 GRAND PRAIRIE: Grand Oaks Golf Club (325) 784-4653 Prairie Lakes Golf Club Riverside Golf Club (817) 447-4444 Tangle Ridge Golf Club (817) 426-2400 HASLET: (972) 416-2131 Willow Springs Golf Course

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Private

(903) 523-5357

Semi-Private

(903) 696-0022

Semi-Private Public Semi-Private Public

(972) 264-6161 (972) 237-4156 (817) 640-7800 (972) 299-6837

Semi-Private

(817) 439-4653

(800) 369-4137 IRVING: Cottonwood Valley Golf Course Public (972) 456-3200 TPC Las Conlinas Course Public (972) 771-4003 Municipal (214) 670-7615 Twin Wells Golf Course

(972) 717-2525 (972) 717-2525 (972) 438-4340

KELLER: Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club

Public

(817) 498-1414

LANCASTER: Country View Golf Course

Public

(972) 227-0995

(214) 670-8784 (214) 670-6322 (972) 248-8448 (214) 670-7506 (214) 670-1402 (214) 333-3595 (214) 646-3570

LIPAN: Sugar Tree Golf Course

DENTON: Wilderson GC at Robson Ranch Semi-Private

(940) 246-1001

Semi-Private

(817) 341-1111

DESOTO: Thorntree Country Club

Public

MUENSTER: (972) 296-2146 Turtle Hill Golf Club

Public

(940) 759-4896

EULESS: Texas Star Golf Course

Semi-Private

PLANO: Pecan Hollow Golf Course Ridgeview Ranch GC (800) 579-3089 The Course at Watters Creek

Public Public Public

(972) 941-7600 (972) 390-1036 (214) 509-4653

Semi-Private

(903) 786-4638

Public

(972) 234-1416

ROCKWALL: Buffalo Creek Golf Club

Semi-Private

(972) 771-4003

RUNAWAY BAY: Runaway Bay Golf Club

Semi-Private

(940) 575-2225

Public

(254) 848-7800

Public Public

(972) 227-0995 (972) 937-3521

(817) 685-7888

FAIRVIEW: Heritage Ranch Golf Course

Public

FERRIS: Old Brickyard Golf Course

Public

FLOWER MOUND: Bridlewood Golf Club Tour 18

(972) 355-4800 POTTSBORO: Tanglewood Resort GC

Public Public

(972) 355-4800 RICHARDSON: (817) 430-2000 Sherrill Park #1

FORT WORTH: Hawks Creek Golf Course Public Meadowbrook Golf Course Municipal Pecan Valley Golf Course Municipal Rockwood Golf Course Municipal The Golf Club at Champion Circle Semi-Private The Golf Club at the Resort Public Whitestone Golf Club Semi-Private FRANKSTON: Pine Dunes Resort and Golf Club Public

(817) 738-8402 (817) 457-4616 (817) 249-1845 (817) 624-1771 (817) 497-2582 (817) 750-2178 (817) 249-9996

WACO: Bear Ridge Golf Club

(903) 876-4336 WAXAHACHIE: Country View Golf Course (972) 292-3089 Waxahachie Country Club

FRISCO: Frisco Lakes Golf Club Trails of Frisco Golf Club

Public Public

GARLAND: Duck Creek Golf Course Firewheel Golf Park

Public Public

Canyon West Golf Course (214) 440-2229 (972) 205-2765 Oeste Ranch Golf Course

Public Public

(817) 596-4653 (817) 441-1044

GLEN ROSE: Squaw Valley Golf Club

Public

WYLIE: (800) 831-8259 Woodbridge Golf Course

Public

(972) 429-5100

(972) 668-4653 WEATHERFORD:

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ACCOMMODATIONS/DINING | SHOPPING/SERVICES | ACADEMY/INSTRUCTIONS

ACCOMODATIONS / DINING

Audubon Golf Trail | Ad Page 83 Louisiana | www.audubongolf.com

Coushatta Casino | Ad Page 84 777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder, LA | www.CoushattaCasinoResort.com | 800-584-7263

TOURNAMENTS/SHOWS DFW Golf Show | Ad Page 64 Dallas Market Hall | August 6-8, 2021 www.dfwgolfshow.com |

Lajitas Golf Resort | Ad Page 62 100 Main Street, Lajitas, TX 79852 | www.LajitasGolfResort.com | 877-525-4827

Bash in the Box

Pearl River Resort Casino & Hotel | Ad Page 58 Highway 16 West, Choctaw, MS | www.PearlRiverResort.com | 866-447-3275

www.bashinthebox.com

Diamondheadl | 501-262-3745 | Ad Page 61 Arkansas | www.diamondheadgolfandcc.com

The Colony CVB | Ad Page 66 6900 Main Street, The Colony, TX | 75056 www.visitthecolonytx.com | 972-624-5253

Boutique style Party Supplies

The Hideout Golf Club & Resort | Map# 44 | Ad Page 54 185 Hideout Lane, Brownwood, TX 76801 www.thehideouttexas.com | 325-208-1937 The National Golf Club of Louisiana | Ad Page 82 1400 National Dr, Westlake, LA 70669 www.nationalgcla.com | 337-433-2255

SHOPPING / SERVICES Golf After Hours | Ad Pg 3 Facebook Live Thursdays 7-8pm Edwin Watts | Map # 7 | Ad Page 15 5808 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 77107 www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 817-731-4441 Edwin Watts | Map # 10 | Ad Page 15 410 W SW Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701 www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 903-561-8851

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www.bashinthebox.com

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Practice Fac. Restaurant Banquet Fac. Pro Shop Instructions Ad on Page

Yardage /Rating /Slope

Par

Type: M=Municipal, PR=Private, P=Public, SP= Semi-Private.

Type Hole

Map Number

DALLAS | FORT WORTH COURSES

Apache Links at Squaw Valley GC (254) 897-7956 M 18 17 2439 E. Hwy. 67, Glen Rose, TX 78043

72

6731/72.7/131

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Comanche Lakes at Squaw Valley GC (254) 897-7956 M 18 5 2439 E. Hwy. 67, Glen Rose, TX 78043

72

6731/72.7/131

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Dancing Rabbit Golf Club -The Azaleas (601) 663-0011 SP 18 13541 Hwy. 16 West Philadelphia, MS 39350

72

7128/74.4/135

• • • • • 58

(601) 663-0011 SP 18 13541 Hwy. 16 West Philadelphia, MS 39350 www.dancingrabbitgolf.com/the-oaks

72

7076/74.6/139

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Stewart Peninsula Golf Course

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33

2676/33/126

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The Hideout Golf Club & Resort (325) 208-1937 SP 18 44 185 Hideout Lane, Brownwood, TX 76801

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The Old American Golf Club (972) 370-5465 SP 18 10 1000 Lebanon Rd., The Colony, TX 75056

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7084/75.2/145

www.squawvalleygc.com

www.squawvalleygc.com

www.dancingrabbitgolf.com/the-azaleas

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club - The Oaks

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(972) 625-8700 P 100 Cottonwood Springs Cir, The Colony, TX 76112 www.stewartpeninsulagolf.com

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www.thehideouttexas.com

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• • 67

www.golfclubsatthetribute.com

The Tribute Golf Links (972) 370-5465 SP 18 9 1000 Lebanon Rd., The Colony, TX 75056

72 7002/73.9/130 • • • • • 67

www.golfclubsatthetribute.com

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Accommodations TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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FEATURE STORY

Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 become PGA REACH Southern Texas Patron Partner The Southern Texas PGA announced today that Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 will become a Patron Partner of PGA REACH Southern Texas.

Both dealerships are owned by local husband and wife team: Jeff and Tiffany Sebastian.

Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 have been serving the community for more than a decade with unbelievable customer service and high-quality vehicles.

“We are so excited to become a Patron Partner of PGA REACH Southern Texas,” said Jeff and Tiffany. “Golf is a game that teaches so many valuable life lessons, and the work that the STPGA does each year is truly remarkable.”

As the newest Patron Partner, all three STPGA Junior Golf Series’ will be rebranded as the Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 Spring, Summer, and Fall Series ending with the Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 Spring Series Championship, STPGA Junior Championship, and Fall Series Championship.

“With this partnership, PGA REACH Southern Texas will not only be able to continue to provide high quality junior golf events, but it will allow us to continue to

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

grow,” said Thomas Hutton, PGA Executive Director for the Southern Texas PGA. “We are fortunate to have people like Jeff and Tiffany that believe in our mission to impact lives through golf. We appreciate their support.”

Due to the generosity of Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6, this partnership will help provide financial assistance to families that are new to the game.This will include free memberships as well as free tournaments for qualified individuals. “Communities thrive when its members work together,” said Tiffany. “This is a perfect example.”

“We want to get as many juniors involved in the sport as possible,” said Jeff. “Our dealership has a long-standing history of supporting the community and we believe that golf is a great avenue for the next generation.”

The Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 Summer Series is under way and will run through August with over 200 events in all seven metro areas within Southern Texas. It will conclude with the largest junior golf event in the state with the Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 STPGA Junior

FEATURE STORY

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The Southern Texas PGA hosted this year’s National Car Rental Southern Texas Assistant PGA Professional Championship and the Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club on Monday, May 17 - Tuesday, May 18. Carlos Sainz Jr, Director of Instruction at the Clubs at Houston Oaks claimed the National Car Rental Southern Texas Assistant PGA Professional Championship title for the third straight year, earning him a spot in the 45th National Car Rental Assistant PGA The STPGA Junior Golf Program’s mission is to create Professional Championship. lifelong golfers by fostering programs and tournaments Justin Engel, PGA Assistant for juniors of all skill levels.

Professional at Shadow Hawk Golf Club finished one stroke behind Championship August 3-5 at The Woodlands Sainz Jr. and KC Lim,Teaching Professional Country Club. The STPGA Junior Golf at The Bandit Golf Club at 136 (-8), securprogram is open to juniors ages 6-18 looking the third qualifying spot to the national ing to play in tournaments that range from 5-hole to 36-holes. The STPGA Junior Golf Championship. program prides itself on being local, affordable, and extremely well run by our 800 PGA Members within Southern Texas.

The STPGA looks forward to working with Classic Chevy Sugar Land and Classic Chevy HWY 6 throughout this partnership and appreciates their support.

Eleven PGA Professionals to Represent the STPGA in National Championships

Carlos Sainz Jr. Winner of the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship

High Meadow Ranch Golf Club

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

74

FEATURE STORY

The Clubs of Kingwood, Deerwood Course

The National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship brings together a field of contestants representing the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections and all rounds will be played on the Wanamaker Course. A cut after 36-holes of play to the low 70 scorers and ties will be made.

The national Championship, supported by Srixon, Cleveland Golf, XXIO, Asics and John Deere will be held at PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla on November 11-14, 2021.

In the Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship, Jeff Strong, PGA Teaching Professional at The Deerwood Club of Kingwood claimed the championship title after a three-hole playoff against Tim Thelen, PGA Assistant Professional at Texas A&M Golf Club. Strong, along with Thelen and Robert Thompson, PGA Teaching Professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club, who previously earned their exemptions into the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship, will lead five additional Section PGA Professionals to compete in the national Championship on October 21-24.

Billy Sitton, PGA Golf Executive at Triumph Golf LLC, Steve Parker, PGA Life Member and Carl Cooper, PGA Teaching Professional at Stonebridge at Newport finished three strokes behind Strong and Thelen at 141 (-3). Thelen, Sitton, Parker, TheTexasGolfInsider.com

Jeff Strong STPGA Senior Professional Champion

Cooper, Strong and Thompson are joined

by John Gibson, PGA Assistant Professional at Memorial Park Golf Course and John Martin, PGA Head Professional at Golfcrest Country Club for the qualifying spots into the Senior PGA Professional Championship.

The Senior PGA Professional Championship brings together a field of contestants representing the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections.The first two rounds will be conducted on the Ryder and Wanamaker Courses.The first cut will be made after 36 holes of play to the low 90 scorers and ties. The second cut will be made after 54 holes of play to the low 70 scorers and ties. The final two rounds will be played on the Wanamaker Course.

2800 Ted Dudley Dr Texas City, Texas 77592 www.bayougc.com

Call Today!

409-739-9622

76

FEATURE STORY

Texas Swing produces bevy of memories and popular champions, with more to come!

Now expanded to five stops, the Lone Star State is home to great events and Hall of Fame golfers

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

Texans are never shy, so the bold statement you are about to read now from a native of the Lone Star State should, perhaps, be expected: Professional golf would not be the same if not for the impetus of Texas businessmen, golfers and the tour stops hosted here.

Sure, there have been changes along the way, in courses, in time slots on the PGA Tour schedule and now with a new tournament for Texas with the addition of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin.

It would not be a stretch to say the versions of the first four of five tournaments played in the state in 2021 – the aforementioned Match Play, the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, the AT&T Byron Nelson in suburban Dallas, and the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth – have produced a bevy of memories and popular champions.

Straight out of the box, before it was even known as the Texas Swing, the best players in the game ruled the state.The Texas Open set the pattern for lucrative professional events around the world and the state of Texas played an important role in establishing the PGA, LPGA and Senior (now Champions) tours.

In 1922 the first Texas Open was held in San Antonio at Brackenridge Park.The $5,000 prize – the largest in pro golf to that time – attracted the best talent to Texas, and the tournament was the inspiration of two farsighted Texans: San Antonio newspaperman Jack O’Brien and pioneering golf architect John Bredemus.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, the Texas tour stops were dominated by the state’s Hall of Fame professionals – namely Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, both of whom grew up in Fort Worth. Nelson won the

TheValero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio

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FEATURE STORY

first Dallas Open in 1944, Sam Snead the second and Ben Hogan the third. Hogan won the first Colonial tournament in Fort Worth in 1946 and repeated the next year, and would go on to serve as the tournament’s unofficial host until his death.

At the Texas Open, Hogan beat Byrd by six shots in 1946 and then it was Snead’s turn in 1948 and 1950. Jack Burke Jr., yet another Texas golf legend, triumphed in 1952. And then there was Ben Crenshaw, fresh out of the University of Texas, capturing the 1973 event at Woodlake Golf Club.

Native son Don January won the event two years later, and the Merry Mex, Lee Trevino, garnered his first Texas Open in 1980.

Both stars in the making and those

77

already established have made it a point to play the Texas tournaments. Crenshaw grew up in Austin. His first PGA Tour victory was the 1973 Texas Open and he also won the Colonial twice as well as the Nelson.

“You used to love it - you didn’t have to go all over creation to play,” Crenshaw said.

“The Nelson was always a must-play when Byron was alive and there is obviously a void there without Byron. It’ll always be his place, though; the way Colonial is Hogan’s place.”

The Texans-winning-Texas-events tradition continued in 2000, ‘01 and ‘07 when Dallas’ Justin Leonard won on the Resort Course at LaCantera in San Antonio, and with Jordan Spieth winning this year’s Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.

2021 editions make for great golf The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, played since 2016 at Austin Country Club, can’t really be considered part of

Billy Horschel

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club

the Texas Swing, but it might be one of the most important golf tournaments in the world, and its impact on golf in the state can’t be understated.

This year’s event was won by Billy Horschel, who defeated Dallas resident and University of Texas-ex Scottie TheTexasGolfInsider.com

78

FEATURE STORY

AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney

Scheffler in the finals, 2 and 1.The top 64 players in the world qualified to play in the tournament, which is unique on the PGA Tour and competed over five days on the shores of Lake Austin.

The following week, the Tour moved south to the Alamo City and the Valero Texas Open.The VTO is the third-oldest event on the PGA Tour and also holds the distinction of being the longest-running event held in the same city.

over former champion Charlie Hoffman after firing a six-under 66 in the final round.

The win was K. H. Lee,Winner of the first for AT&T Byron NelsonOpen Spieth since the 2017 Open Championship, ending a drought of 83 tournaments covering 1,351 days.

In May, the PGA Tour contested the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, with first-time winner K.H. Lee of South Korea outlasting the steady rain and runner-up Sam Burns to triumph by three strokes at 25-under-par.

The course, softened by a week of rain, was fodder for the field. But the Jordan Spieth,Winner ofValero Texas Open best thing was the feel of the event, as – with Charlie Hoffman and caddy with plenty of people and parties galore, This time around, it was Spieth, the the week harkened back to the days when popular Dallas resident and University the tournament was held in Irving and was of Texas ex, that triumphed by two shots the toast of the town.

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club

FEATURE STORY

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The Memorial Day weekend brought the Tour to Cowtown and venerable Colonial Country Club for the Charles Schwab Challenge. History is in the air in Fort Worth as the tournament at Colonial is the longestrunning event on the PGA Tour to be played Jason Kokrak, winner of Charles Schwab Challenge at its original site, and the course was the first been carded in PGA Tour history, 10 have Texas venue to host a U.S. Open (in 1941) come in Texas, including five at San Antoand a U.S.Women’s Open (1991). nio.Tommy Armour III owns the PGA Tour When Annika Sorenstam teed it up at record for lowest aggregate score, 254, the Bank of America Invitational at Colonial which he set in San Antonio in 2003.The in 2003, she became the first woman in San Antonio event is the third-oldest on the nearly 50 years to play in a PGA Tour event. PGA Tour, not counting the majors.

This year’s event was captured by Jason Of the five Texas events, including AusKokrak, who held off Spieth in a defacto tin, no one has won all of them, but nine final-round match to win by two strokes have won three, including Arnold Palmer, at 14-under. It was Kokrak’s second win of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Gene Littler and the year, and the second of his career and Crenshaw. earned him a place on the club’s famous “There’s more than a little bit of history Wall of Champions, along with the likes of here in Texas,” said Tom Kite, who lives in Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer,Tom Austin. “Texas tournaments have produced Watson and Phil Mickelson. some great champions and also contributed huge amounts of money to charity. It’s a And on deck… great legacy.”

Still to come in this calendar year is the Vivint Houston Open, which was played in November 2020 on this season’s wrap-around schedule at the renovated Memorial Park Golf Course.The event was won last year by Carlos Ortiz, who posted a final-round 5-under 65 to finish two shots clear of Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and World No. 1 Dustin Johnson.

Ortiz became the first Mexican to win on the PGA Tour since 1978.This year’s event will be held Nov. 11-14 in the Bayou City.

The Texas tournaments have always been a good place to go low and make history. Of the 52 times a 60 or lower has TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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DIRECTORY

COURSE TYPE

GREATER HOUSTON | TEXAS COAST LOCATON

PHONE

COURSE

Alvin Golf & CC

PUB

Alvin

281-331-4541

Memorial Park GC

M

Augusta Pines

SP

Spring

281-290-1910

Moody Gardens GC

Babe Zaharias GC

PUB

Port Arthur

409-796-1327

Bay Forest GC

PUB

La Porte

Bayou Din GC

PUB

Bayou GC

TYPE LOCATON

PHONE

Houston

866-256-6688

PUB

Galveston

409-683-4653

Newport GC & Conf.Ctr

PUB

Crosby

281-328-3576

281-471-4653

North Shore CC

Semi Portland

361-643-6057

Beaumont

409-796-1327

Oakhurst GC

PUB

Porter

281-354-4653

M

Texas City

409-739-9622

Pasadena Municipal GC M

Houston

281-481-0834

Beacon Lakes GC

PUB

League City

281-337-1459

Pearland Golf Club

PUB

Pearland

713-773-9603

Bellville GC

PUB

Bellville

979-865-9058

Pecan Lakes GC

PUB

Navasota

936-870-3889

Brenham CC

SP

Brenham

979-836-1733

Quail Valley GC

M

Missouri City

281-403-5910

Briarcrest Golf Course

SP

Bryan

979-776-1490

Raven Nest GC

PUB

Huntsville

936-438-8588

Chambers County GC

M

Anahuac

409-267-8235

Rayburn Country

R

Brookeland

409-698-2444

PUB

Houston

713-738-8000

Red Wolf GC

PUB

Huffman

281-324-1841

Columbus GC

M

Columbus

979-732-5575

River Point GC

PUB

Richmond

281-343-9995

Country Club of Texas

SP

Beaumont

409-840-9440

River Terrace GC

PUB

Channelview

281-452-2183

Cypress Lakes

PUB

Cypress

281-304-8515

Sharpstown GC

M

Cypresswood GC

PUB

Spring

281-821-6300

Sienna Plantation

Eagle Pointe GC

PUB

Mont Belvieu

281-385-6666

Freeport

979-233-8311

Clear Creek GC

Freeport GC

M

Houston

713-988-2099

PUB

Missouri City

281-778-GOLF

Southwyck GC

PUB

Pearland

713-436-9999

Swanson Golf Center

Pub

Houston

281-440-1308

PUB

Houston

713-453-7501 979-845-1723

Gleannloch Pines

PUB

Spring

281-225-1200

Texaco GC

Greatwood GC

PUB

Sugar Land

281-343-9999

The Course at Texas A&M PUB

College Station Deer Park

Gus Wortham GC

M

Houston

713-928-4260

The Battleground at Deer Park PUB

Henry Homberg GC

M

Beaumont

409-842-3220

The Golf Club of Houston PUB/PV Humble

Hermann Park GC

PUB

Houston

713-526-0077

The Village GC

PUB

Panorama Village

936-856-5531

Heron Lakes GC

PUB

Houston

281-807-0207

The Wilderness

PUB

Lake Jackson

979-297-4653

High Meadow Ranch GC PUB

Magnolia

281-356-7700

Timber Creek GC

PUB

Friendswood

281-993-1140

Houston National GC

PUB

Houston

281-304-1400

Tour 18 Houston

PUB

Humble

281-540-1818

Idylwild GC

PUB

Sour Lake

409-753-2521

Wedgewood GC

PUB

Conroe

936-441-4653

Country Club of Texas East SP

Beaumont

409-866-9191

West Brazos Golf Center PUB

Brazoria

979-798-4653

Jersey Meadow GC

M

Jersey Village

713-896-0900

West Fork Golf and CC

Conroe

936-760-1776

Kingwood Cove GC

PUB

Kingwood

281-358-1155

Westwood Shores GC PUB

Trinity

936-594-3805

PUB

109

Indus New

109

281-478-4653 281-459-7800

Margaritaville Golf Resort R

Montgomery

936-448-3022

Wildcat GC

PUB

Houston

713-413-3400

Legendary Oaks GC

PUB

Hempstead

979-826-4001

WindRose GC

PUB

Spring

281-370-8900

Longwood GC

PUB

Cypress

281-373-4100

PUB-Public, M-Municipal, SP-Semi-Private, R-Resort, PV-Private

Melrose GC

PUB

Houston

281-847-1214

B

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E 5 w

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Magnolia

109 Industry

60

New Ulm

Mont Belvieu

1458 109

3 Pasadena

Deer Park

Yardage /Rating /Slope

Practice Fac. Restaurant Banquet Fac. Pro Shop Instructions Ad on Page

Bayou Golf Course (409) 739-9622 M 18 17 2800 Dudley Dr., Texas City, TX 77590

17

Par

Type: M=Municipal, PR=Private, P=Public, SP= Semi-Private.

Type Hole

Map Number

17

72

6496/71.7/117

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ACCOMMODATIONS/DINING | SHOPPING/SERVICES | ACADEMY/INSTRUCTIONS

ACCOMODATIONS / DINING Bayou Golf Course | Map #17 | Ad Pg 75

Fire of Ring Brew & Que 2800 Dudley Dr., Texas City, TX 77590 www.bayougc.com | 409-739-9622 | 409-643-5852

SHOPPING / SERVICES Edwin Watts | Map # 3 | Ad Page 15 5395 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77056 www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 713-627-2411 “Golf After Hours” On Air ‘Texas Golf Insider’ | Ad Page 3 Facebook Live | Thurdays 7-8 pm |

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TRIPS INCLUDE: Premium Golf Riding/Walking with Caddies On-Site Transportation; Hotel and Food Final Evening Celebration Dinner Course History and Stories

About Art Go With Someone Who Has Been There ...

ART STRICKLIN! Art's connections in the golf world will make your trip fun but will put you on a course you may never be able to play on your own!

STPGA Junior Golf | Ad Page 73 www.stpgajuniorgolf.com

TOURNAMENTS Houston Open | Ad Page 79 Nov 11-14, 2021 | www.pgatour.com

Call: 972-989-2310 or Email: art@theartofgolftravel.com

www.theartofgolftravel.com

Call 337-433-2255 for tee times and information.

Visit our website at www.nationalgcla.com • • • •

Site of APT Tour Events/Adams Tour and State Louisiana Golf Association Championships.

Great Golf! Challenging Layout!

Weekends - $54 Weekdays - $45 Friday - $49 Download our free app - National Golf Club Louisiana

Texas Friendly… Texas Residents - Mention this ad and receive a 20% discount on fees through October 2021!

Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene and exceptional year-round golf on courses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await you in Alabama.

Plus, with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the mountains to the coast you can take it all in.

www.GolfAlabama.org

/

I. J, On Louisiana's world-class Audubon Golf Trail,

On Louisiana's world-class Audubon Golf Trail,

you can enjoy 17 courses, 306 holes, 365 days a year.

you can enjoy 17 courses, 306 holes, 365 days a year.

Not to mention a location world-famous for food,

Not to mention a location world-famous for food,

music and nightlife.

music and nightlife.

For great golf, among other things, visit our website.

For great golf, among other things, visit our website.

Call 337-433-2255 for tee times and information.

Visit our website at www.nationalgcla.com Louisiana Travel.com

Louisiana Travel.com

Louisiana's

Louisiana's

GOLF TRAIL

GOLF TRAIL

Texas Friendly… Texas Residents - Mention this ad and receive a 20% discount on fees through October 2021!

Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, Birmingham AudubonGolf.com

of Culture, Recreotion & Tourism

AudubonGolf.com '.Q 2021 Louisiono Deportment of Culture, Recreotion & Tourism

Golf Insider TEXAS

SUMMER 2021

The Official Guide to Golf in Texas

LAGO VISTA GOLF COURSE CONTINUES TO SHINE

Billy Horschel

Jordan Spieth

Inside: The Club at Star Ranch

Celebrating Great Golf for 20 Years K.H. Lee

Jason Kokrak

Watch our new Facebook Live “Golf After Hours” Podcast!

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The Texas Swing

A Texas Success

The Hideout Golf Resort Texas Golf Perfection