Texas Golf Insider Fall/Winter 2021 Bayou Golf Course

Golf GolfInsider InsidTEXAS TEX-

FALL/WINTER 2021

The TheOfficial OfficialGuide GuidetotoGolf GolfininTexas Texas

Bayou Golf Course, Texas City Time To Get Coastal

Inside: Edwin Watts Golf

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Putting Blanco on the Map

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Cover Stories

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6 WELCOME

HOW TO CONTACT US WITH GOLF NEWS AND STORIES

8 TEXAS TRIO PUTTING BLANCO, TX Texas Trio at Rockin’ J Ranch

ON THE MAP

19 THE BAYOU GOLF COURSE

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MAKING TEXAS CITY PROUD

26 EDWIN WATTS GOLF YOUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

32 SOUTHERN TEXAS PGA

HONORS CHAMPIONS

The Bayou Golf Course 26

CONTENTS 42 LLANO RIVER GC IS A JEWEL AND A JOY TO PLAY

56 DOUBLE SCHOTTS, NEW BRAUNFELS Time for Christmas Shopping 32

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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,, Art Sticklin, Neil Wolkodoff Contributing Photographers: Connie Black, Mark Lindsay, Steve Giles, Justin Becker, Office Manager/Social Media: Marcede Pullen 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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A big welcome to our northern friends and thanks for pickingTexas to make your home during the frosty winter months where you are from.There are very few places in the county that can offer you so many distinctive styles of landscape to play golf than the Lone Star State. Many are right here in this issue of theTexas Golf Insider. Or you can go to: www.thetexasgolfinsider.com and link up to hundreds of websites to make your picks and tee times.

Ok, for everyone reading today you know by now how hard it is to get a tee time, which is because the game of golf has become a bigger story than the pandemic.

Think I am kidding? Try getting a primetime tee time by calling a day in advance, or 2-days or even a week at some of the more popular golf courses and resorts.The game has exploded! More than twenty-four million people have played golf in the US this year and another twelve million on off the course activities which includesTopgolf and driving ranges or full swing simulators. Combining the traditional game of golf with entertainment and technology has moved the game of golf way beyond its wildest expectations. I must tip my hat to the ladies, who lead the way in the growth of golf followed by the juniors and what is crazy, over 40% of the rounds played are people in their 30’s and 40’s. The game of golf is no longer just for the old fogies like myself.Alright, I rambled a little bit but its so much fun to be in the golf business right now and contributing to part of its growth. But I was not kidding about the tee time thing, get yours early.

It is no big secret that the Hill County has some of the most premium real-estate and golf inTexas.Vaaler Creek Golf Course at Rockin’ J Ranch in Blanco has been showing itself off for years inTheTexas Golf Insider as one of premier places to live between Austin and San Antonio. Read all about it as one of our feature stories.They even give you a little incentive to take the drive. Live it! Play it!

I want to wish everyone HappyTurkey Day, Merry Christmas, and a happy Golfing NewYear.

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 Clubsfitters in the Country

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.

Huge selection of new and used clubs 8,000 sq ft facility, with hitting bays and custom Club Fitting

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COVER STORY

Three key figures have led to triumph of

By Kevin Drake, Contributing Writer Rockin’ J Ranch, Vaaler Creek GC Colonel Roper, Brubaker and Grosch have marshalled and managed this Hill Country community and its golf course to continuing success

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

If you are reading this article, you likely have played or planning to tee it up on the finer-than fine Vaaler Creek Golf Club that’s the centerpiece of the sprawling Rockin’ J Ranch 1,064-acre luxury community set five miles south of Blanco.

There’s been plenty of history made by this community in the almost two decades since it was platted and envisioned as the luxury neighborhood that it has become,

Rockin’ J Ranch, Blanco,TX

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truly one that stands apart from the norm.

Rockin’ J Ranch has grown up over the 16 years since development began on the spectacular Hill Country neighborhood that was once just rolling fields of flowers and stands of oak and cedar trees.

There are 1,800 homesites here, and all but about 275 have been sold since 2004. But the sense of one-ness with the land remains, thanks to the forethought of

COVER STORY

Colonel Lee Roper, an El Paso businessman and 24-year Army veteran, who was entranced by the land that has become Rockin’ J Ranch from the minute he set eyes on the sprawling tract more than 30 years ago.

Vaaler Creek Golf Club is named after Roper’s friend and fellow Army veteran Jack Vaaler, who served in Panama, Brazil, Korea, Germany and Vietnam as well as 12 US military posts over a 26year stint. Vaaler passed away in 2005 at age 76.

During officer training school at Fort Sill Oklahoma,Vaaler met and became lifelong friends with PGA golf professional Chi Chi Rodriguez and became an avid golfer and a low-handicap player in his own right.

Roper, now pushing 93 years of age, has been one of three people who have been a constant and involved with the development and nurturing of Rockin’ J Ranch and Vaaler Creek Golf Club through the years.

The other two are Ryan Brubaker, the community’s sales manager since nearly day one, and Adam Grosch, the director of golf at the highly-regarded course, who’s been in that role since 2006. It says something about all three men that they’ve been able to become synonymous with the community.

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We sat down for a chat with Brubaker and Grosch recently to let them tell us about how they came to Rockin’ J Ranch and Vaaler Creek and some of Ryan Brubaker the highlights Real Estate Manager of the near20 years of working together.

Brubaker began by flying by the seat of his pants Brubaker started with Colonel Roper as the pilot of his private aircraft, working in that role for about two years before transitioning to land and homesite sales at the fledgling community.

“I told the Colonel that I needed to be looking at something else because we weren’t making a whole lot of money flying by the day for him,” Brubaker said. “ He said ‘why don’t you try selling property for me?’ That was 2004 and I’ve been with him in that role ever since. He’s been like a second father for me.”

Vaaler Creek Golf Club

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COVER STORY

said. “It is really as simple as that.We had people that wanted to buy land and we were able to make it happen for them.They still want to believe that a handshake and your word is worth something, and it has been an important part of the success of the community.”

Rockin’ J Ranch offers a variety of custom homes There is a hustle and Brubaker began by selling land on the bustle to Rockin’ J Ranch as the commuweekend and still flew for the Colonel nity continues to thrive. when he needed a pilot.

“We started selling in Rockin’ J Ranch in 2004 – that was before the golf course,” Brubaker explained. “The golf course was in design, we were talking about it, but we were still selling the one-acre tracts at the front of the property. Once we sold all those and then we moved into unit two, we needed to find something to do with our gray water so that’s how our golf course came about.”

Then some six years ago, Colonel Roper asked Brubaker to oversee his 24 developments around the region.

The Colonel still offers in-house financing for his lots. Roper’s ultimate Real Estate Developer Colonel Roper vision for the future and Rockin’ J Ranch is a balance of the delicate Hill Country “We’ve signed off on a lot of houses lifestyle with amenities that families desire since March – it’s been crazy,” Brubaker for comfort and convenience. said. “I would say the plans for probably “One of our key features at Rockin’ J more than 120 houses have been approved Ranch is our owner-financing,” Brubaker over the past six months.”

Rockin’ J Ranch focuses on community amenities

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COVER STORY

Golf course has been a huge success under Grosch’s leadership Grosch wasn’t long out of college when the call came for him to be a part of the Rockin’ J Ranch team and director of golf at the then, unbuilt,Vaaler Creek Golf Club.

He was the head pro at The Links at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso, New Mexico when the head course superintendent at that property was Mike Lowry, who would eventually be the golf course architect of record on Vaaler Creek GC. “In 2005 one of the partners of the newly developing Rockin’ J Ranch tracked down Mike with the idea of adding a golf course to the land development here,” Grosch said. “Mike moved down here in the latter half of 2005 and, based off of our relationship, he said that I was a shoe-in to run the golf operation if I wanted to.”

Grosch made a trip to Blanco that fall to see the property and to meet with Colonel Roper. He was invited to the Colonel’s Christmas party, and that helped solidify his decision to be a part of the development and golf operation.

“There were a few things that really made me excited about this place,”

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Stay and Play at Tuscany Height Condominiums

Grosch explained. “Colonel Roper was a big influence with his fantastic attitude and wonderful ideas on how to run a successful business and land development. I believed in the way the property ownership and golf course would work together to prosper off of each other for years to come.”

Rockin’ J Ranch has two water wells with access to the Trinity Aquifer, which assures plenty of water rights for the golf course and homes, but the Colonel was also planning for central water and sewer

Hole 17 - Par 4, 425 yards

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FEATURE STORY

Dogleg Left, Hole 18 - Par 4, 405 yards

along with a treatment plant, which is nearly impossible to find in the Hill Country.

“For that reason, I bought a piece of land, and I ended up building the second home within Rockin’ J Ranch,” Grosch said. “Those first several years were almost like I had my own 1,100-acre ranch.”

When he moved to the development in July 2006 there was grass on the driving range and on what would become the 18th hole – everything else was still natural ranch land.

“I spent some of those early days setting up merchandise accounts, preparing the 140-year old ranch house to become

Half Island Green, Hole 12 - Tricky Par 3, 195 yards

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the golf shop, and meeting with prospective land owners at the real estate office,” Grosch said. “And I spent a lot of time with Mike as he was laying out the course. Mike had a great idea of making a course that worked with the natural topography while having the course look intimidating but play easier for the vast majority of players.”

“On holes where he intended to put a bunker, once we cleared it of trees and underbrush I would take a hitting mat to where the back tees would be and I would hit about 20 drives; wherever my shots congregated is where we would dig fairway bunkers.”

FEATURE STORY

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Community Pool and Pool House at Rockin’ J Ranch

The plan was to make the fairways pinch in for the long hitters but provide a wide landing area for the average player and allow them to more easily hit the next shot over the fairway bunker.The routing and layout have worked – Vaaler Creek GC is known to be friendly and fun for all levels of golfer while still being challenging to the low handicapper.

Grosch spent the rest of 2006 and into the spring of 2007 shaping and growing in the back-nine because that’s the area that developed first for real estate.

“We had opened the driving range in November 2006 on Colonel’s birthday, and then we were ready to open the original nine holes on July 4, 2007,” Grosch said.

“By that time we were already pushing dirt for (what would become) the front nine.

We had 97 inches of rain that next year, which delayed construction slightly, but we got everything done and opened the full 18 holes two years later on July 4, 2009.”

Over the past 15-plus years a lot has changed at Rockin’ J Ranch and Vaaler Creek Golf Club. The golf facility continues to get even better and more popular, the real estate has been a great success and is nearing completion of sales, and

the number of homes has recently seen a dramatic increase.

“Colonel Roper, Ryan, and myself are about the only things that have stayed consistent,” Grosch reiterated. “The three of us have a great relationship.This has been an absolute dream come true for me to be here from the beginning and to help grow this amazing community and golf course.

“My son, Owen, was 3-months old when we moved here, and now he’s driving. I’m so blessed to have been able to raise him and my younger daughter, Gretschen, in such a great place.”

Adam Grosch Director of Golf

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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

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H I L L C O U N T R Y

W I N E R I E S

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Welcome to Bayou Golf Course A little piece of heaven in Texas City

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

Call Today!

409-739-9622

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FEATURE STORY

Texas City’s Bayou Golf Course offers a heaping helping of fun

Go ahead and enjoy this Bay Area municipal course and the challenges produced by the routing and by Mother Nature

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

One of the great joys of being a golfer is finding and playing courses that really make the game fun and your time spent memorable. If you can get a tee time on such a track and it’s affordable and the people who run it are customer-centric and friendly, well, that’s even better.

Such is the experience at Bayou Golf Course in Texas City. From the time a golfer turns onto the property and drives down the long road past the facility’s five-and-a-half acre walking family pitchand-putt course to when he or she heads home after playing the recently renovated 6,596-yard par-72 main track, the hours here are real blast.

The Pavilion at the Bayou Golf Course

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I’ve had the chance to play Bayou Golf Course many times, and I’ve tested it with my game in varied conditions and conditioning.This is a course that can challenge any level of player despite its lack of length, as the winds whipping through the palms create difficulties that don’t show up on the scorecard or seem unlikely on such a flat piece of ground.

Bayou Golf Course is just a short 14 miles from the Galveston city limits and is located in Galveston County on the outskirts of Texas City.The hybrid links/parkland-style course was carved out of about 200 acres of marshland and originally designed by legendary Texan Joe Finger back in 1974. It was painstakingly restored in 2014

by Houstonian Mike Nuzzo and is better now than ever.

“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,” Mike Skiba, the course’s head professional and director of golf, said.

FEATURE STORY

“But in reality our course is a place where golfers can have a blast playing with their friends and leave with a smile on their face.That, to me, is what golf is all about.”

You have to love that attitude. Golf should be fun – but sometimes challenge breeds success and happiness. Bayou Golf Course is a great mix of everything good about the game.

Nuzzo’s renovations created consistency on the putting surfaces and increased their size – most notably on Bayou’s first eight holes – by an average of 5,000-square feet.They were turfed with Mini-Verde Bermuda, which was chosen for its hardiness and overall quality, and the expanded size allows for additional hole placement options so Skiba and his staff can clamp things down and really challenge the golfer when severity is called for.

Moses Bayou skirts the property as it meanders its way toward Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, with the routing bringing water into play on a dozen of the holes.There are also 18 sand bunkers strategically placed in the routing to form a formidable combination with the course’s slightly elevated tees and greens.

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A welcome sign invites golfers to try their luck

The more I’ve played Bayou Golf Course, the more I’ve come to realize that every shot here needs one more club than you might originally choose. Just when you think the winds are going to help you, they end up knocking your shot out of the sky.

I’ve also found out that utilizing knockdown shots and getting the ball on the ground as soon as possible is paramount – don’t be afraid to try to run up the ball when openings at the front of the greens allow for that strategy.

Clubhouse at the Bayou Golf Course

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FEATURE STORY

L to R: Pro Shop Assistant Randy Burrows, Manager & luck AAssistant welcome sign invitesMark golfersRipley to try their General Manager Mike Skiba

Bayou Golf Course is certainly more difficult that its 71.1 rating and 123 slope would indicate. From the tips three of the par 5s play at more than 500 yards, and four of the par 4s are carded at over 400 yards.

After two relatively benign holes to start the round, the 414-yard par 4 third hits you like a cold slap in the face. It plays into the prevailing Easterly wind, with water all along the left on the approach and trees along the right aside the optimum landing area.The bayou also skirts behind the smallish and undulating putting surface at the back-left.Writing down par here is like having a prayer answered.

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The 414-yard par 4 sixth demands thought and execution.Your tee shot must be short of the bayou some 225 yards off the tee and the approach asks for another windaffected long iron to another tiny green.

I love the 481-yard par-5 10 because of its risk/reward options.There is a lake in play off the tee and on the approach and out of bounds on the left, but birdie or better is within the grasp of the daring and talented, or just lucky, golfer.

The back-nine concludes with a demanding four-hole test.The 573-yard par 5 15th is the longest hole at the Bayou and features a double dogleg, and is followed by the deadly and long 191-yard par 3 16th.

The 17th, at 457 yards, is a doglegleft with a stout carry across the turn to the fairway and the longest par 4 on the course.Trees also guard the left side, which if taken on with a successful drive can shorten the approach; if not you’ll card bogey or worse. Master that hole with its challenges and elevated green and you’ve really done something, pal.

The round wraps up with a 393-yard par-4 that’s considered one of the best finishing holes in the area. It features water along the left side and a deep bunker that guards the tournament hole placement back-left.

FEATURE STORY

It’s this time of year – when the winds turn to the north and the course’s devilish putting surfaces are at their absolute best – that you really have to work to score at Bayou Golf Club.

There’s plenty of Texas golf history at Bayou Golf Course.The architectural lineage from Finger to Nuzzo is impressive and unique.Then there’s the fact that Butch Harmon, one of the game’s most noted and famed instructors, got his first job in the business at the Texas City facility.

“There are people who want to play this course just because Butch used to teach here,” Skiba said with a smile. “I’m no Butch Harmon, but if you want to improve your golf game, I can get you on the right track.”

The aforementioned short course, which has holes that play from 60 to 90 yards and is home to a First Tee program, continues to grow the game. Here is where you can find both the skilled golfer

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looking to hone his or her skills around the greens (and who isn’t) as well as beginners just learning about how great golf can be.

“I’ve never seen anyone leaving the short course without a smile on their face – how cool is that,” Skiba said. “I love to see the kids out there – that’s our future right there, and they are learning just how much fun golf can be. Our First Tee program is growing.”

Isn’t that the whole goal in a nutshell?

Go play Bayou Golf Course and see if you can keep a smile off your face.

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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FEATURE STORY

In 2020, Carlos Sainz Jr, Director of Instruction at Houston Oaks Country Club & Family Sports Retreat, claimed the season as a five-time champion, four of which were Section Majors. Sainz’s decorated year earned him the title of 2020 Omega Player of the Year for his outstanding performance on the course.

But we left the year of 2020, the year of Carlos Sainz Jr. behind to enter the year of 2021, a fresh start, and a new year for another to claim the Section Major season.

The first Section Major of the year was postponed as the summer months witnessed an endless rain, drenching the golf courses and rendering them unplayable. By June, the rain had cleared, and the Southern Texas PGA kicked off their first Section Major of 2021 at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, Texas.

The Stroke Play Championship led

to a playoff after Ben Kern, PGA Head Professional at Georgetown Country Club and Lonny Alexander, PGA Teaching Professional at Onion Creek Club tied for the lead with a two-day total of 137 (-7).

Alexander jumped out to an early lead in Round Two when he shot a 31 (-5) on the front nine. However, Kern battled back on the back nine by making backto-back birdies on 14 and 15 to take a one stroke lead before Alexander made a birdie on 16 to tie the lead.

On the third playoff hole, Kern hit a 9-iron to 6 feet and proceeded to make par to secure the victory and earn the first Major title of 2021 and his first Major title with the STPGA. “I am really excited to win my first major title with the STPGA,” said Kern who has been in the STPGA since 2018. “I have had six second place finishes and it feels great to win.”

At the second Major, three-time Rolex Player of the Year, Ben Willman, PGA Teaching Professional at Axis Golf Academy won his fourth Tradition Championship title at Golf Club of Houston (Tournament Course) in July. “It feels like the first time,” said Willman. “It’s been a while since I won so it feels good to win again.”

Starting off his first round with a chip in for eagle on hole one, Willman carded an 18-hole total of 67 (-5), just one stroke behind leader JJ Wood, PGA Director Ben Kern, PGA Champion at the of Instruction at Golf Southern Texas PGA Professional Championship.

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FEATURE STORY

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Willman fought to put his name on a second Major title in 2021 after tying Ben Kern for the lead on hole 15 at Memorial Park Golf Course with just three holes left to play for the win.

Heading into the final round, Kern lead the field by three strokes, with an impressive bogey free round one of 8-under-par. Willman and Robert Scott, PGA Teaching Professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, followed closely behind tied for second at 5-under-par. With three holes left to play in the final round, Kern and Willman were Lonny Alexander, PGA Teaching Professional at Onion tied through 15, but Kern managed back-to-back birdies on 16 and Creek Club at the 2021 Stroke Play Championship.

17 to reclaim the lead and win his third major in 2021.

Performance Group. Three back-to-back Now with a decorated year of three birdies on the back nine during Round out of four Section Major wins, and his two gave him a three-stroke lead to win name at the top of the points list, the the championship with a final score of Southern Texas PGA Professional Champi8-under-par 136. onship carried a greater weight to its title However, at the third Section Major, as Kern headed to the fifth and final Major Ben Kern reclaimed his position on top of the year. after shooting 68-64 for a two-day total of The Section Championship proved to 132 (-12), leaving the rest of the field in the be a challenge for many with the largest dust with a six-stroke lead. “So many times, you play a round of golf and you think ‘I putted great, but I didn’t do this great or that great,” said Kern. “Today I hit the ball great, I hit every fairway, putted great, and I was just in sync all day.” Those nine birdies in his second round at the Clubs of Kingwood (Deerwood) earned him the TPx Communications Championship title and his second Major win of 2021.

At the Memorial Ben Willman, PGA Teaching Professional at Championship, Ben Axis Golf Academy at the Tradition Championship.

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FEATURE STORY

purse of the year on the line, a guaranteed spot in the 2022 PGA Professional Championship, a PGA TOUR exemption, and a place for your name on the most esteemed trophy in the Section.

Heading into the final round at Briggs Ranch Golf Club, JJ Wood and Shane Hall, PGA Assistant Professional at Sugar Creek Country Club lead the field by one stroke at 6-under-par. Kern sat tied Robert Scott, PGA Teaching Professional at for fifth at four-under-par, Royal Oaks Country Club at the Memorial Championship. just two strokes behind the score of 10-under-par to claim the title for leaders. With six birdies the fifth Major of the year, his fourth Major and an eagle in his second round, Kern win total, and the face of the 2021 season. climbed to the top, shooting a 36-hole “It feels really good. Being the Section Champion means everything to me,” said Kern. “It’s an honor to have my name on the Tommy Aycock trophy with a lot of good players. The Section Champ is special.”

With his win at the Section Championship, Ben Kern was named Rolex Player of the Year, which will earn him exemptions into the 2022 Houston Open and Valero Texas Open for his outstanding performance on the course throughout the year.

Kern will also lead six other PGA Professionals to the 2022 PGA Professional Championship at OMNI Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas on April 17-20, 2022. JJ Wood, PGA Director of Instruction at Golf Performance Group, Gregory Hiller, PGA Director of Instruction at TPC San Antonio, Shane Hall, PGA Assistant Professional at Sugar Creek Country Club, Jared Jones, PGA Director of Instruction at River Oaks Country Club, Robert Scott, PGA Teaching ProfesShane Hall, PGA Assistant Professional at Sugar Creek Country Club at the Southern Texas sional at Royal Oaks Country Club, PGA Professional Championship. and Derrick Dixon, PGA General TheTexasGolfInsider.com

FEATURE STORY

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Manager at Briggs Ranch Golf Club will join Kern in Austin next April. As the 2021 PGA Professional Champion, Omar Uresti, PGA Life Member, also earned an exemption into the 2022 PGA Professional Championship as the reigning champion.

By placing second on the Rolex Player of the Year points list, Ben Willman earned an exemption into the 2022 Mexico Championship on April 25 – May 1 in Mexico City, Mexico.

As 2021 comes to a close, we celebrate the year of Ben Kern, a new dominant force in the Southern Texas PGA to defeat the next season, and each of our incredible PGA Members and Associates who have made it a year to remember and one to JJ Wood, PGA Director of Instruction at Golf Performance top come 2022.

Group at the Tradition Championship.

Southern Texas Qualifiers heading to the PGA Professional Championship in 2022.

L to R: Robert Scott, Jared Jones, Shane Hall, Gregory Hiller, JJ Woods, Ben Kern

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REVIEW

Olmos Basin Golf Course - Worth the Wait

The Olmos Basin Golf Course, originally built in 1963, has been the City of San Antonio’s most played facility for decades.

Closed since early January 2021 for renovations, the eleven month and nearly $4 million dollar rehab are now complete.

Under the direction of the Alamo City Golf Trail, who manages the City’s golf facilities, the course went through a tee to green remodel. The course routing is nearly unchanged, but new teeing grounds (five tee boxes per hole), bunker complexes, greens and surrounds, cart paths, expanded driveway, resurfaced parking lot, a facelifted clubhouse, new golf cart storage facility, and a new pavilion have been built, upgrading the roughly 60-year-old course’s original features. Olmos Basin, as the name suggests, is in one of the area floodplains, and heavy rains bring with it flooding and debris. In fact, this project was delayed by

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a few weeks during construction due to a rare snowstorm in mid-February and heavy rains in late spring and summer.

New golf course infrastructure consists of underground drainage for all the greens, bunkers, and low-lying areas around the course. Heavy rains will always take a toll on this facility simply because of geography, however, the speed at which the golf course recuperates will be much quicker than the original design with no underground drainage.

While the course remains a par 72, the par on two holes were changed.The 11th hole, previously a sub-500-yard par 5, is now a par 4 playing at approximately 375 yards, and the 14th, previously a 221-yard par 3 was converted into a par 4 playing approximately 320 yards.The course, depending on the chosen tee box, will play shorter than before from the forward tees, and longer (at just over 7000 yards) from the championship tees.

“We’re extremely proud of the results we achieved with this project”, said Andrew Peterson, President and CEO of the Alamo City Golf Trail. “The staff, golf course architect Jeff Blume, and the construction crews of VM Golf Services were instrumental in pulling off such a large project in such a short period of time.We think the citizens of San Antonio will like what we’ve done”.

Enjoy the History, the Challenge, and the Hospitality.

As stewards of the golf facilities owned by the great City of San Antonio, we are proud to bring you 8 unique golf experiences. From Historic Brackenridge Park, the site of multiple Texas Opens and the oldest municapal golf course in Texas, to our recently rebuilt and modern San Pedro Driving Range/Par 3 with Bar and �rill, you will �nd a course that �ts your game.

Brackenridge Park Est 1916

Olmos Basin Est. 1963

Northern Hills Est. 1969

San Pedro Re-Est 2017

Cedar Creek Est. 1989

Mission Del Lago Est. 1989

Riverside Est. 1968

Willow Springs Est. 1923

www.AlamoCityGolfTrail.com 210.212.7572

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FEATURE STORY

Lago Vista Golf Course Making a Serious Investment

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

The number of rounds on this “notso-hidden” jewel of a course show its popularity is growing It wasn’t that long ago that taking a trip to Lago Vista was a serious investment of time in the truck and there wasn’t much to see or do once you got out on the peninsula of Lake Travis northwest of Austin.

But the journey was always worth it because of Lago Vista Golf Course, a hidden gem that is the centerpiece of the city’s first real neighborhood.

As the Central Texas area has grown

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out toward the once-sleepy town there has been one constant – the quality of the experience at Lago Vista GC.Yes, there have been some bumps in the road (like at any golf course) but over the past four years, expert care has led to a rebirth of sorts for the golf course, spurred by investment from the city leaders and the management of head professional Chris Godwin.

A round at Lago Vista GC offers a little bit of everything, as the routing moves through the neighborhood and winds down to the edge of the lake. There are

FEATURE STORY

places on the course where the fairways are (almost) too wide to miss, and there are others (the par 4 11th comes readily to mind) where maybe two in 10 golfers will find the sweet spot.

That’s part of what makes the round here so much fun – nothing can be taken for granted.

“We feel like this course has been one of the region’s best kept secrets over the years,” Godwin said. “The word has got out and more people have played the course over the past four years.

Our rounds have grown every year we’ve been at Lago Vista GC, and we understand that we need to continue to improve to get players to return and to tell their friends about us.”

Over the past few years Godwin and his staff have reworked a handful of the course’s putting surfaces, returning them to their originally planned sizes and finding additional hole locations that help reduce wear and tear from constant use.

“We’re committed to providing a golf experience for our members and guests that is casual, memorable, and most importantly, fun,” Godwin added.

Lago Vista GC has a bit of a split personality, with a front-nine that’s

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basically wide open and relatively flat (at least until you get to the ninth hole) and a back-nine that’s more narrow and, from this view, more difficult.

There are a handful of holes that always come to my mind on the drive to the course. I love the 562-yard 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, and requires three good shots to put me into position for a birdie.

On the 377-yard ninth, you must favor the right side off the tee, after which you’ll have to walk up the fairway a bit to see the green, which is at the bottom

Newly remodeled Pro Shop

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FEATURE STORY

Bunker Bar & Grill

of a three-tiered hill and hard against the access street, with the clubhouse and the 18th green in the near-distance and Lake Travis plainly in view.

On the back, the aforementioned 11th, challenges with its demand for course management. Large trees and a concrete ditch running across the fairway asks you for two precise shots to reach the putting surface and a back-to-front undulating sloping green can easily turn a birdie putt into bogey.

The round here ends with the 407yard par 4 17th, with its elevated tee

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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 street to an elevated green guarded by two large bunkers, all in the shadow of the clubhouse.

Lago Vista GC is the place to hang out after your round too, or to see and be seen when you want Bar &from Grill to check out theBaker’s scuttlebutt around the neighborhood. There’s an expansive restaurant and bar area that rivals those of private clubs, with plenty of big screen TVs to watch the big game.

The practice facility at Lago Vista GC, with its beautiful view of the lake, is an excellent place to hone your game. Three tiers of natural grass teeing surface and a practice putting green are offered for your enjoyment.

All-in-all, Lago Vista GC remains the place to go for a great round of golf, a nice meal and cold beer afterward, and a totally friendly Texas-style vibe. All of that, and more, make the trip – which somehow doesn’t feel as long as it used to – worthwhile.

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NEW AND IMPROVED Lago Vista Golf Course

Club House

Bunker Bar & Grill

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

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FEATURE STORY

it’s a jewel and a joy to play and it’s only getting better

By Steve Habel, Contributing Writer

I have a confession to make. Even though I’ve played golf since 1986 and in places all over the world – from Marquette, Michigan to Cape Town, South Africa – and have lived in the Texas Hill Country for 45 years, I never teed it up at Llano River Golf Course and RV Park, even though the course is just an hour and half’s drive from me.

Given that aspect, I really didn’t know what to expect when I finally made the trip to Llano in September. I left the course four hours later with a smile on my face and thinking that I’d made a huge mistake waiting so long to play the fabulous track on the banks of the wide Llano River.

Llano River GC is a jewel, and it’s only going to get better. Carded at just 6,265 yard from the tips, the course here will not overwhelm you no matter what your skill level may be. But the challenge is real – with more than enough to keep

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your attention and demand your best ball-striking and putting.

It’s a tale of two nines here. The par 35 front side is a shotmaker’s delight, with short, tight par-4s, one reachablein-two par 5 and a memorable closing stretch with three holes smack-dab on the banks of the river.

The back side, which was the original course when Llano River GC was just nine holes and built in 1935, is wide-open if a bit disjointed, with just a few stands of trees to define the holes, a reachable par 5 (the 10th), a drivable par 4 (the 283-yard 17th), and two monster par-3s (the 205-yard uphill 11th and the 217-yard 14th).

There’s not one sand bunker on the course – instead there are deep, fluffy, grass bunkers – which makes “just missed” approach shots into the small, raised segmented putting surfaces super tough to recover from.

FEATURE STORY

As good as the golf experience is now, the facility will be loads better when the current improvement and renovation project, headed by Director of Golf Scott McDonough, is completed. As for the impetus for the improvements, renovations and additions, you can thank Mother Nature.

Golf course was swamped There is only 14 feet of fall from Ranch Road 152, which makes up the south property line of the course, and the Llano River, though there are times when one would swear there’s more drop than that. During the flood of 2018, the Llano River poured over its banks and covered the course with water.

Since the floods, the course has had its irrigation repaired and replaced as needed. A new 1,800-square foot clubhouse has been built to replace the double-wide trailer that used to act as the centerpoint for course transactions.

McDonough, a long-time Hill Country-based golf professional who’s previous stops include stints at Horseshoe Bay and the Scott Schreiner GC in Kerrville, came to Llano about a year ago

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and immediately began refining the experience at Llano River GC. He started by lifting the canopies of the trees on the course, giving the holes more open corridors and the greens more ventilation.

McDonough and his staff have also emphasized the quality of the putting surfaces at the course, with the thought that every golfer can be happy if greens are good and consistent and fair.

“It was just a series of little things that we could do right away to help things out here, to make the course better overall and a little more memorable,” McDonough explained.

The property is alive with activity and construction. A new pavilion is being constructed next to the clubhouse that will house the facility’s car fleet. A new patio is set to be poured behind the clubhouse that will be the focal point after rounds and tournaments, to sit outside and either watch television or observe players finishing the ninth and 18th holes.

New Llano River Clubhouse

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FEATURE STORY

On course improvements coming this fall is a switching of the nines, with the current front nine (designed by Jep Wille and opened in 1997) being changed to Nos. 10-18, which means the final three holes (a downhill par 4 whose putting surface is next to the water, a thrilling par-3 and a 442-yard par 4) that run along the river will be the last ones played in a round.

The current back nine will be holes 1-9, but the routing will be reconfigured to make the order of play flow better together and to keep golf cart traffic out of the parking lot. McDonough’s planned routing will mean the round will start and end on the river, with the current 15th hole (a par 5) now the opening hole and the 14th (the aforementioned deadly par 3) finishing the front nine between the clubhouse and the river.

“We know that the best holes out here are on the river and that’s the way we want the course to start and end,” McDonough said. “It’s a dynamite beginning and finish. With this configuration the round both begins and ends right next to the clubhouse as well, which is

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better for our management and the flow of the round.”

In the immediate future, McDonough plans to selectively reestablish sand bunkers on the course, to finish upgrading the facility’s irrigation (that’s about 75 percent done already), to mow around grass bunkers to make them more playable and to refine the course’s cart paths.

“The city leaders understand that this course is a real asset to the community, and we have established that if we do the right things in the right way out here that the asset will be even more valuable,” McDonough outlined.

Given the bang-for-your-buck quality of the golf experience at Llano River Golf Course now, the plans have to be whetting the appetite of players from around the area and beyond.

Don’t make the mistake I made by waiting – get to Llano River Golf Course now and enjoy yourself. It’s worth the trip.

The Llano River Golf Course is located 2.5 miles west of Llano on Ranch Road 152 adjacent to the City of Llano’s Robinson City Park.

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COURSES

SAN ANTONIO | HILL COUNTRY | AUSTIN

Municipal Course

MAP # 17

RATES

Twilight

18

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

1 FREE Round of Golf (Cart Included)

When you sign up for a Gate Pass Limit 1 coupon per person Redeemable at any JBSA Courses Exp: 02/28/22

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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

DAVID OGRIN GOLF ACADEMY 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM 7 Days a Week Open to Public

1357 Wald Road New Braunfels, TX 78132 Phone: 830-660-3998 Email: ogringolf@gmail.com

DAVID OGRIN Director of Everything and Lead Coach & 1996 Valero Texas Open Champion

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16

Laredo

127

ConCan

Harper

Utopia

17

17

Castroville

1604

37

Comfort

Kingsland

78 78

26

473

58

20

1431

1604

42

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

99

Pharr

83

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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 • • • • 37

(210) 695-5050

P 18

72

7150/74.1/131

• •

• • 37

Gateway Hills Golf Course (210) 671-3466

26 1800 Dimsted Pl., Lackland AFB, TX 78236

P 18

72

6917/73.1/125

•

• • 47

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 • • • • • 47

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

72

6579/70.0/118 • • • • • 41

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

71

6205/68.9/112 • • • • • 5

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

71

6094/69.1/123 •

• • 45

(210) 627-2522 P 18

72

7044/73.4/132 • •

• • 37

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

72

6602/71.9/123 • • • • • 37

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

(210) 826-4041 P 18

72

6847/71.8/131 • •

• • 37

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

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

72

7172/74.5/125 •

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72 6694/71.2/114

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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

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

85 1050 Harry Wurzbach, San Antonio, TX 78209

•

• • 37

6819/70.8/124 • • • • • 47

www.ftsammwr.com/recreation/golf.html

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

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6453/71.6/126

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www.golfkerrvilletex.com

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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

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

71 7030/71.0/117

• • • • 2

Tierra Del Sol Golf Club 99 700 E. Hall Acres, Pharr, TX 78577

72 6266/69.9/128 • •

www.starranchgolf.com

www.golf.pharr-tx.gov

(956) 402-4545 P 18

• • 59

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

72 6864/73.0/140 • • • • 15

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

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www.vcgc.golf

7221/74.6/130 • • • • 37

www.alamocitygolftrail.com

GARAGE FLOORS

BASEMENTS

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COMMERCIAL

COUNTERS

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 3 Louisiana | www.audubongolf.com

City of Llano | Map #78 | Ad Page 42 301 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 54 2055 Central Plaza # 102 | New Braunfels, TX www.doubleschotts.com | 830-632-5355 Kerrville Parks & Recreation| Map #17 | Ad Pg 46 2385 Bandera Hwy. | Kerrville, TX 78028 www.kerrvilletx.gov | 830-257-7300

David Ogrin Golf Academy | Map #42 | Ad Page 49 1357 Wald Road, New Braunfels, TX 78130 | ogringolf@gmail.com | 830-660-3998 Vaaler Creek Golf Club | Map #87 | Ad Page 15 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 14 288 John Price, Blanco, TX 78606 | www.rockinjranch.net | 830-833-2266

Rockin’ J Ranch | Map# 87 | Ad Page 14 288 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 The Oasis in San Miguel | Ad Page 58 www.oasisinsanmiguel.com | 480-664-3200 Vaaler Creek Golf Club | Map# 87 | Ad Page 15 228 Jeff Vaughn, Blanco, TX 78606 | www.vcgc.golf | 830-833-0706 Valencia Hotel Group | Ad Page 67 San Antonio, College Station, Lubbock, Austin,| Irving, TX www.valenciahotelgroup.com | 866-842-0100

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 31 1050 N,.E. Loop 410, San Antonio, TX www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 210-822-4060 Edwin Watts | Map # 83 | Ad Page 31 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 25 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

REVIEW

Double Schotts Sports Bar & Grill is an every day kind of place

By Steve Habel, Contributing writer

Varied menu, specials, and quality options in a neighborhood setting make the New Braunfels bar and grill a must-stop for fun, food and libations Neighborhood bars are a dime a dozen, but one that checks off all the boxes for fun, food, friendliness, cleanliness and affordable libations in an upscale setting will certainly pique my attention and likely earn my repeat business.

A Perfect Choice For Every Palate

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

Double Schotts Sports Bar & Grill in New Braunfels is just one of those places…and a whole lot more.Yes, this eatery has all the trappings of a top-drawer sports bar, with plenty of televisions (32 in all) inside and out, drinks and beer and wings and burgers and comradery in spades.

Double Schott’s menu also has fresh (not fried) foods, healthy options and cocktails that are meant to be enjoyed by both hungry men and women, in an upscale atmosphere where all are welcome and fun abounds.

“We actually have an all-women’s group that comes in for happy hour,” said Austin

REVIEW

A menu of great choices

Hanna, Double Schotts’ founding owner and operator.

“We pride ourselves in being a place where everyone is comfortable and feels welcome.”

“We are a sports bar and there is always a game to watch, and on Saturdays and Sundays we enjoy coming together to watch our football,” Hanna added. “We are also a fine-dining establishment with a lot of TVs showing sports.”

Double Schotts was opened in 2018 to be a place here where you can always get a great meal and top service based on Hanna and his team’s 110-percent customer satisfaction model. No stone has been unturned in the quest to be at the forefront of the list for food options and service that makes a real difference – and assures repeat customers, the lifeblood of any business.

Hanna understands the formula. He spent years working in

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the corporate restaurant world, beginning as a busser and moving up to management, learning along the way what works best in the kitchen, in the front of the house and in the bar.

“For years I was making money and building success for the corporate restaurants while knowing if I had the chance I could take all the great things they are doing and combine them with what they aren’t to make a bar and restaurant that can be really special,” Hanna explains.

Hanna eventually stepped away from the corporate restaurant world and spent some time in the oilfield, using

Deft hands serving up your pleasure

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REVIEW

“We’ve built and improved on a space we could picture spending hours in, eating delicious dishes that create a unique dining experience while watching sports with friends and family.”

While many restaurants struggled during the closures created by COVID-19 in early 2020, Hanna, Meadours and the Schotts took

Good Food

the time on the rig to build up his bank account, to clear his mind and to ruminate on the idea that would become Double Schotts.

He ran his idea past a few friends at a backyard barbeque, and they were also keen on Hanna’s plan.

Those friends, James Meadours (Double Schotts’ director of operations) and JP and Katie Schott, also founding owners, grew up with Hanna in the area and have been involved with the bar and grill since the start.

“Double Schotts comes from deep community roots and a need to serve our neighborhood,” Hanna said. “Together, JP, Katie, James and I have decades of experience navigating the industry and acted on our desire to create a New Braunfels bar like no other.”

The foursome saw a need for a higher-end sports bar that catered to locals.

“We know what our ideal customers want because we are our ideal customers,” Hanna said.

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

Good Times

the two months Double Schotts was shuttered to improve their place and adapt to the changes forces by the pandemic.

They expanded the outdoor seating at Double Schotts, giving customers the option to enjoy the bar and grill from the safety of the open air. They also found ways to deliver food to those that wanted to stay home until things were more manageable.

Good People

Once Texas Gov. Greg Abbott allowed for restaurant reopening with restrictions, Double Schotts was one of the first to come back on line and welcome customers.

“It’s not just a bar and restaurant that people are coming to – it’s an establishment that our local friends and family come to,” Hanna said of Double Schotts.

“They come in to forget about their personal problems, hang out with their buddies and enjoy life versus not having that. Our guests were excited to come back, and we were so happy to have them back.”

Double Schotts also offers catering, and welcomes parties and events. There’s always daily drink and food specials, and you’ll be hard pressed to try everything on the menu. Check out those options at doubleschotts.com.

Hanna and his partners look to expand on their success. They just acquired a bar across the street from Double Schotts known as “The Pale Horse” and are currently remodeling for a new concept. The Pale Horse is billed as a “rooftop, kitchen, bar” and terrace, and is expected to reopen sometime during the holiday season.

Coming Soon

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REVIEW

Ready to get out of town for some International Golf?

San Miguel De Allende has some great options

Malanquin Golf Course is an 18 hole course with a clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant/bar, and locker rooms. Open to non-members, it is full service with carts, driving ranges and caddies who speak English and who can give you tips about the course.

The par 72 course has some hills and water features and sand traps which will give even experienced golfers a challenge.

The first nine has wide fairways with trees and hills.The back nine has tighter fairways, more water to avoid and fast greens to challenge you.The tee box choice yardage is 7206; 6410; 5591 and the women’s tee box yardage is 4962.

The club facilities include tennis courts, fitness center and an olympic size pool.

Las Ventanas Golf Club is San Miguel’s newest and most expensive golf course, breaking the $150 barrier per person on weekends with the required caddie.

All 18 holes are playable on the Nick Faldo designed course. It boasts some nice views in the distance, including the church towers of the historic center just five minutes away by car. In other directions you can see mountains, a lake and many water features.

This par 70 course is more challenging than it looks due to tricky slopes, difficult water and sand obstacles plus inconsistent greens that are not always easy to read.

You’ll appreciate the caddy’s help on this one.The tees range from 5267 to 7141.

You can find one of the better pro shops here and the Mon Bistro, a full bar and indoor/outdoor restaurant, lives up to its reputation for fine food.

If you are looking to work on your short game, head to Zirandaro Campo de Golf on the outskirts of town which has impressive mountain views. Prices to play golf here are a la carte.

It’s not that Pharr….

Play one of the Rio Grande Valley’s Finest Municipal Tracks….

Located in the Pharr, McAllen, Edinburg, Mission metro area Year round warm weather, economical green fees

www.golf.pharr-tx.gov golf@pharr-tx.gov 956.402.4545 Download our new app for special offer: TDS GOLF

Squawvalleygc.com

254-897-7956

History * Heart * Hospitality

Hole 12

Hole 3

Glenroseexpo.org 254-897-4509

Somervell.co 254-897-3750

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DIRECTORY DALLAS | FORT WORTH

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

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

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

(972) 668-4653 WEATHERFORD:

Welcome to the Rock Fort Worth, TX

www.fortworthgolf.org

Golfer’s Paradise

44

Old American Golf Club

Volunteers of America Classic

Tribute Golf Links

SCHEELS

Discover the ultimate golf destination only 20 minutes north of Dallas.

With three award-winning lakeside courses, attractions and world-class dining, The Colony offers a tranquil getaway complemented by urban luxuries.

VisitTheColonyTX.com/Golf | 972.624.5253

DALLAS | FORT WORTH DIRECTORY

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ACCOMMODATIONS/DINING | SHOPPING/SERVICES | ACADEMY/INSTRUCTIONS

ACCOMODATIONS / DINING

Audubon Golf Trail | Ad Page 3 Louisiana | www.audubongolf.com

Coushatta Casino | Ad Page 84 777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder, LA | www.CoushattaCasinoResort.com | 800-584-7263 The Colony CVB | Ad Page 64 6900 Main Street, The Colony, TX | 75056 www.visitthecolonytx.com | 972-624-5253 The Hideout Golf Club & Resort | Map# 44 | Ad Page 83 185 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

TOURNAMENTS/SHOWS DFW Golf Show | Ad Page 60 Dallas Market Hall | March 4-6, 2022 www.dfwgolfshow.com |

Bash in the Box Boutique style Party Supplies

www.bashinthebox.com

Valencia Hotel Group | Ad Page 67 San Antonio, College Station, Lubbock, Austin,| Irving, TX www.valenciahotelgroup.com | 866-842-0100

SHOPPING / SERVICES Golf After Hours | Ad Pg 25 Facebook Live Thursdays 7-8pm Edwin Watts | Map # 7 | Ad Page 31 5808 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 77107 www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 817-731-4441 Edwin Watts | Map # 10 | Ad Page 31 410 W SW Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701 www.worldwidegolfshops.com | 903-561-8851

www.bashinthebox.com

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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

DALLAS | FORT WORTH

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

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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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• • 61

Rockwood Park Golf Course (817) 392-6560 M 18 15 1851 Jackboro Hwy., Fort Worth TX 76114

72

6479/72/

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9

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

72

6981/73/134 • • • • • 83

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

71

7084/75.2/145

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

Type Hole

Yardage /Rating /Slope

COURSES

Par

Map Number

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www.squawvalleygc.com

www.squawvalleygc.com

www.fortworthgolf.org

8

Stewart Peninsula Golf Course

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

www.thehideouttexas.com

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• • 64

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 • • • • • 64

www.golfclubsatthetribute.com

Find it all in the Texas Golf Insider

Golf TheTexasGolfInsider.com

Dining

Accommodations

TheValero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio

68

FEATURE STORY

Great spaces in great places

Six Texas properties of Valencia Hotel Group immerse guests in the culture of the cities they call home

By Steve Habel, ContributingWriter

Finding a great place to stay when you’re travelling for fun or business can make a huge difference to the overall level of success of a trip, simultaneously providing a sense of comfort and style and elegance to stimulate the senses while satisfying the call of wanderlust.

If you were to carry a list of all the things that can be great about a hotel, the properties of the Valencia Hotel Group would check all the boxes and more.These hotels are known for immersing guests in the culture and lifestyles of the cities they call home and were created for travelers who prize personalized service and distinctive style in a central location.

“Lifestyle luxury hotels and urban retreats make up our collection of hotels,” said Amy Trench, the Valencia Hotel Group’s corporate director for brand marketing. “Our hotels are gathering places with activated spaces, including our well-known restaurants and bars.”

The Valencia’s six-property Texas collection is spread across the Lone Star State, with unforgettable hotels in San Antonio, Irving, Austin, Lubbock and two in College Station. All of them are “great spaces in great places,” consistently achieve customer satisfaction ratings above the 90th percentile, and are must-stays for those that publish and contribute to this magazine.

Here’s a look at the Valencia Hotel Group’s Texas properties and some golf courses to play near the hotels:

COLLEGE STATION Cavalry Court blends relaxed luxury and modern amenities with “timeless hospitality.” Located on four acres of beautifully landscaped courtyards in the heart of Aggieland, guests can explore the authentic feel of “Americana” of the property, be “at ease” with lawn games, ride bicycles, lounge in poolside cabanas and enjoy fire pits throughout the property. On most weekends, live music is part of the plan – guests can even listen to the tunes from the comfort of their rocking chairs just outside their room.

The George is a luxurious four-star hotel steeped in an atmosphere of authentic Texas charm and brings a sophisticated flair all its own Calvary Court Courtyard

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

FEATURE STORY

to the Brazos Valley.This 162-room luxury boutique hotel is located in the area’s most vibrant community, Century Square, a walkable 60acre mixed-use destination offering the city’s best in retail, dining and entertainment venues.The hotel offers an unparalleled level of comfort that harkens back to College Station’s days as a rail stop before it was synonymous with Texas A&M University, which is right across the street.. A stay here is one of a kind and is the reason guests keep coming back.

Golf:The top public course in College Station is The Golf Club at Texas A&M. The 7,008-yard par-71 track is set on the A&M campus and underwent a complete renovation in 2013 at a cost of more than $5 million by Texas A&M’s own Jeff Blume.

The facility includes a driving range and a short game practice area.

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The Whiskey Bar at the George

and minutes from the Depot District with its shops, restaurants, bars and nightlife.

Offering ample space for meetings and events, Cotton Court is a refuge for the modern traveler and features a relaxing courtyard and guest rooms that open to sweeping porches with Acapulco rocking chairs. Its design is influenced by Lubbock’s history in the cotton industry.

Guests can savor the taste of Texas at the hotel’s Midnight Shift Restaurant & Bar. While relaxed and locally-inspired, Cotton Court has quickly become the “place to be” in Lubbock.

Golf: Lubbock’s best public golf is at The Rawls Course at Texas Tech, which opened in 2003 and was designed by renowned architect Tom Doak.The course was fashioned by taking a flat cotton field and creating an entire landscape to mimic the terrain east and south of Lubbock,

LUBBOCK Cotton Court offers a city-inspired boutique inn experience in the heart of hub of the South Plains.

The 165-room hotel sits just a mile from Texas Tech University TheTexasGolfInsider.com

70

FEATURE STORY

HotelValencia Riverwalk

where the Great Plains suddenly starts falling into the valleys and canyons that lead to the Caprock region.

SAN ANTONIO Hotel Valencia Riverwalk is a 213-room luxury boutique hotel located on the San Antonio River Walk, perfectly situated near fine dining, shopping and entertainment. It’s replete with contemporary and stylish rooms and suites, superior amenities and the utmost comfort. In 2017, internationally acclaimed architect and designer Lauren Rottet completely reimagined the property, fully immersing it into the charm and heritage of San Antonio and its serene River Walk location while blending Spanish Colonial and Modern Mediterranean styles.The design is a nod to the Alamo City’s history, dating back to the time the missions were built, while the modern strokes reflects the building’s Tuscan-style architecture and the hotel’s namesake,Valencia, Spain. The hotel also is home to San Antonio’s only Argentinean-influenced restaurant, Dorrego’s.

Golf: Brackenridge Park Golf Course is just a stone’s throw from the Hotel Valencia and is perhaps the Alamo City’s most revered and historical course.

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

Opened in 1916 and restored in 2008 by John Colligan as close as possible to the layout designed by Golden Age architect A.W.Tillinghast, the property is also the site of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, with its “Walk of Fame”, the “Wall of Frames”, and the Texas Tournament Trophy Room.

AUSTIN Lone Star Court is set in the city’s hottest district,The Domain, and showcases an ambiance that embodies the Texas capitol and the surrounding Hill Country.

With 123 vibrant guest rooms and a relaxing outdoor courtyard, Lone Star Court provides a modern-day take on the classic, yet nostalgic, retro-inspired court concept.

Its colorful rooms and spacious suites offer guests a unique blend of the past and present as each room takes a step back in time with amenities such as knotted wood pine armoires, deer-horned lamps, barnstyle sliding doors and cow-hide fitted desk chairs.The boutique hotel offers outdoor fire pits, live music, a guest-exclusive fitness center and pool reminiscent of a local Texas swimming hole, all tied together by the hotel’s “retro-ranch” theme.

Additionally, Lone Star Court houses its own Southern sit-down eatery and bar, The Water Trough.

FEATURE STORY

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Golf: It has retroOne of the inspired rooms, top public 3,500-square feet courses in the of indoor meeting area is Avery and event space, Ranch Golf three distinct Club, which courtyards, a is about three circular-styled miles west of pool, large woodThe Domain. burning fire pits, The course, rocking chairs, live designed by music, the Two former Jack Mules Cantina resTexan Court’s Retro-inspired Rooms Nicklaus taurant, -and more. protégé Andy A throwback to a Raugust, blends panoramic vistas and gentle time when travel was an adventure, Texican rolling hills with oak-lined fairways and a Court provides a home away from home routing along a 60-acre lake. for even the most discerning traveler, and sports a carefully curated blend of colors, IRVING fabrics, textures, sights, and sounds.

Texican Court makes for an Golf: Just north of Irving in Grapevine exceptional travel and hospitality experience, is Cowboys Golf Club, a Jeff Brauerconveniently located across from the Irving designed track where America’s Team is Convention Center and thriving Toyota celebrated in every way possible. The specMusic Factory, Irving’s popular all-intacular championship golf course blends one concert venue, entertainment and seamlessly with its pristine natural setting dining destination.The hotel’s design features on 159 acres, with thick stands of mature Spanish mission-style architecture with a trees framing gently rolling fairways, subtle layer of Texas, making it a unique immaculately-maintained greens, and drablend of Mexican and the Lone Star State matic elevation changes, all in a stunning cultures. natural backdrop for golf.

Texan Court at Night

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72

REVIEW

These shoes are made for walking The impact of Covid on walking the course in golf combined with the trend towards lighter, more comfortable walking golf shoes resulted in even more shoe choices in 2021. It simply accelerated the number of spike-less options due to more rounds walked.We tested some current models to see how they performed side by side, and if there was a difference between spiked and spike-less.

What has changed in two years is the gap for the average golfer between the two traction options has narrowed.

FootJoy Hyperflex-BOA Spiked The Hyperflex is a super-charged lightweight golf shoe that will cross between walking and cart golf.

walking and looks. Each shoe went through the paces for actual rounds, and the scores were averaged for a single score noting high and low points.Very important to note, golf shoes can fit very differently from other shoes. Sizes do not always translate well from brand to brand and even within a brand. So, best to take your current golf shoes to a retailer and compare with newer models/versions for fit based upon length, width and toe room.

FootJoy ProSL Spike-less Overall Score: 9.2/10

FootJoy ProSL Spike-less A super lightweight spike less shoe with excellent walking and swing performance.

Simply put, if you are going to walk the course, and conditions are wet once in a while, a spike less golf shoe is a better choice. They are lighter, easier on the feet and can be worn to get to the course, and even in the 19th hole. If the conditions are dry, you will notice tour players using spike less versions because they are simply easier on the feet without the protruding spikes. If water is in your golf forecast, then a spiked version is going to provide more traction.

The following shoes were evaluated in separate categories for fit, styling, grip, TheTexasGolfInsider.com

The FJ ProSL spike less shoe is actually used by tour players, so its a good indication it provides significant grip and is comfortable walking. In terms of fit, this is true to size and has multiple width options.

The optional BOA fastening option will push back the heel into the shoe, which may cause the best fit to be a 1/2 size shorter because the heel does not move forward.

Performance is very good for a spike less shoe as the grip system boasts 30% more traction points. It works effectively in everything except the wettest conditions.

The chassis of the shoe has a dual foam system with the bottom piece providing stability, while the layer under the foot minimizes shock. It offers multiple color options and a 2-year waterproof promise.

REVIEW

FootJoy Hyperflex-BOA Spiked Overall Score: 9.1 Provides consistently good support all the way in the shoe.They fit very true to size, yet the BOA system puts your heel back in the shoe for extra security and holddown. So trying this on before purchase will decide if you need to go down a size.

It’s a light shoe, with a performance fit due to the BOA system.

This was a very unique combination in that for a spiked shoe, it was very comfortable walking.The Hyperflex due to the spikes was also good in both wet and dry conditions. A good choice to cover both walking and the need for spikes.

FootJoy Flint/Packard, Spikeless & Spiked Overall Score: 9.5 The best description of this shoe is a performance update on the classic DryJoys.

The Flint is the spike-less version of this shoe, while the Packard is the spiked version in the new Premier Series. If you loved DryJoys, look no further.

The fit is almost identical to the original DryJoys, and both the Flint and Packard

FootJoy Flint/Packard, spike less & Spiked The spike less version of the previous DryJoys and has the performance of a spiked shoe.

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versions fit almost identical to each other.

A seemingly endless array of color options as well as widths are offered.The sock liner removes easily to allow placement of your own medical insole or orthotic.

Performance was surprisingly good in the spike-less version from the VersaTrax outsole and even good in moderate moisture. For rain and more turf challenge, the Packard version adds spikes to the outsole.We felt if you liked this shoe in the past, a strategy is go with one pair of each to match to dry or wet conditions. And, on that humidity note, it has a two-year waterproof guaranty.

Puma Ignite Fasten 8 Spikeless.

Overall Score: 8.8

Puma Ignite Fasten 8 spike less If you want an athletic shoe with great lateral stability for dry conditions, the Puma Ignite Fasten8 may be it.

Bryson DeChambeau has been wearing versions of this shoe, so you know it works at least for him.The shoe comes in one width, and tends to run a bit large, so many golfers are going down half a size.

From a fit perspective, the cage system really grabs the mid-foot, reminiscent of a good low top basketball shoe. It has a real athletic feeling.

This shoe has plenty of lateral support due to the design, the “power cage” system both inside and outside the shoe. If you are walking a course that is fairly dry, the rubber nubs on the bottom of the shoe have very good grip. However, if it gets TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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REVIEW

Puma ProAdapt Spiked, regular and mid.

Puma makes a serious statement in the spiked performance category with the athletic ProAdapt.

wet, even a bit, these lose their traction.

A nice feature of the shoe is with the synthetic materials on the sole and much of the upper. These are a breeze to clean with a wet towel after golf.

shoe design has plenty of performance features for a spike-less shoe. In terms of fit, they fit just about true to size, maybe a bit large depending upon your foot.The inside and outside have been designed to grip the foot a little more securely while giving some energy return during walking and the swing.

Because the injected rubber spikes run the length and width of the outsole, there is virtually no extra pressure on the foot during walking or the swing.The shoe grips well on hills and deep grass unless the grass is totally soaked.The upper is made of a breathable, Clarino® microfiber. It also

Puma ProAdapt Spiked, regular and mid. Overall rating: 9.2 Puma had an early start with an eye to style, yet the ProAdapt moves in the right direction in terms of performance.The fit is a medium, and in our tests it ran just a bit short, so golfers are advised to try a half size larger.The fit is almost identical between the standard version and the new mid-top. It’s very secure on the foot in both versions.

Puma used a variety of materials in the sole and upper to give the shoe stability, and some cushioning in walking.The result is good energy transfer in the swing, with a bit of cushioning while walking the course. Styling can be defined as “golf athletic” which means it’s a golf shoe with a more modern, athletic look.The cleat system provided good traction from dry to wet conditions. Like the Ignite, this shoe cleans well with a wet towel after golf.

UA Men’s Spieth 5 SL Spikeless.

Overall Rating: 9.2 With input from Jordan Speith, this Camping is a treat in the Texas Hill Country

UA Men’s Spieth 5 SL Spike less.

Scott The Spieth 5 SL spike less golf shoe is a breeze to walk in yet still packs serious performance.

has a waterproof membrane, so it does breathe, but not to the extent of letting in a river when conditions are wet. Because of the unique insole and internal support system, it does take a little effort and a shoehorn to get into the shoe.The bonus is, once in, you are really in for the round.

UA HOVR Spiked Golf shoe. Overall 9.1 Both regular and wide, this shoe is best described as an athletic walking golf shoe with spikes.The fit is normal in length, with two width options.The upper is a breathable yet waterproof fiber with a waterproof layer. It has its own proprietary footbed and fit system. It feels very secure right out of the box, yet if you are going to put in your own medical insole or orthotic,

REVIEW

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that will take just a little more tweaking than normal to account for the internal support system.

From a performance perspective, these are get on and go.The spikes are well placed for added traction. Because of design and materials used, a concern would be if you are very heavy for your shoe size as that may stress the lateral stability features of the shoe beyond their limits during the golf swing.

Duca Del Cosma Elpaso spike-less.

Overall rating: 9.1 Often, golf shoes don’t look like you could wear them off the course to a bar or restaurant. Enter the Italian-made Elpaso, a nifty spike-less shoe with enough ‘elan to keep wearing them after the round, even with a sport coat.This is a medium fit shoe, so they work well for that width of foot, and in our tests they run true to the size predicted with the website tool.

Being hand-made (like all their shoes), this all-leather shoe is waterproof.The contrasting piping really accentuates the shoe visuals.The Airplay XI spike-less outsole has nifty 5 mm grippers in an orchestrated pattern that works very well in dry conditions to moderate water.With heavy water/rain, like all spike-less shoes, they do lose performance.The insole is easily removed for a medical insole or orthotic.This stylish shoe uses quite a few re-cycled materials to boot.

UA Hovr Match Play Spiked UA designed the Hovr Match Play to be a crossover shoe which is easy for walking but ups the performance due to the spiked system.

Duca Del Cosma Elpaso spike-less.

Finally, a golf shoe with Italian styling that can be worn right from the course into fine dining.

UA Hovr Matchplay Spiked. Overall Score: 8.9/10 This shoe fits like a cross trainer, so expect athletic support due to the shape and the interior foam. For some golfers, a 1/2 size up will be optimal as they can run a bit short compared to your normal size.

Width is the most important consideration because medium width is the only option.

If you are C or D width, the medium is a good fit. Larger than a D, go to a wide shoe style.

This is UA’s foray into combining the characteristics of the sole/platform with the inner footbed/liner effects how it wraps around the foot. If you don’t need an orthotic or medical footbed, trying on the shoe will give you a clear idea of how it will fit on the course. However, because of the integration and shape of the sock liner and foam, replacing that with your orthotic will change the fit. On the course, this is best described as a walking golf shoe with spikes to help with extra traction and wet conditions. If you are lighter or your swing is not very explosive, this can be an all-around golf shoe. Because it has breathable vents, it is water-resistant not super water-proof.

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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

TYPE LOCATON 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

PHONE

Houston

832-395-7653

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

Bayou GC

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

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

Find it all in the Texas Golf Insider

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Dining

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53

29

41

53

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COURSES/DIRECTORY

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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

• • • • • 19

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ACCOMMODATIONS/DINING | SHOPPING/SERVICES | ACADEMY/INSTRUCTIONS

ACCOMODATIONS / DINING Bayou Golf Course | Map #17 | Ad Pg 19

Fire of Ring Brew & Que 2800 Dudley Dr., Texas City, TX 77590 www.bayougc.com | 409-739-9622 | 409-643-5852 Valencia Hotel Group | Ad Page 67 San Antonio, College Station, Lubbock, Austin,| Irving, TX www.valenciahotelgroup.com | 866-842-0100

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FEATURE STORY

By Dave Daubert, Contributing Writer

DISNEY GOLF Celebrates 50 Years Along With WALT DISNEY WORLD

When Walt Disney sketched his original plans for the Central Florida resort that opened in 1971, he set aside a large area and simply labeled it as “golf.”While not a golfer himself, Disney recognized the game would have an important role as he created a new family destination to build on the success of California’s Disneyland, which did not have a golf amenity.Through ties with Arnold Palmer that began in that first year and continues today through Arnold Palmer Golf Management, the resort now sees upwards of 200,000 rounds played annually at its four courses.

Disney Golf is celebrating its 50th anniversary along with Walt Disney World, and while the sport is just one of the resort’s many amenities and activities, it has played

an integral role in the guest experience over the past five decades.

Arnold Palmer’s ties actually extend back to when the resort opened in 1971, when he served as a consultant for the Walt Disney World Open Invitational, a PGA TOUR event that would first be held at the property later that year and then continue under various formats and names(most commonly as the Walt Disney World Golf Classic) for 42 years.

Palmer even took an inaugural test ride on the Disney monorail on the same day he became a consultant. Jack Nicklaus won the first three titles, starting a legacy of champions that would include winners such asTiger Woods, Payne Stewart, Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw,Vijay Singh and David Duval.

Lake BuenaVista Golf Course

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

FEATURE STORY

Disney’s three championship 18 hole golf courses originally designed by Joe Lee include the Palm, which was renovated and reimagined

by Palmer in 2013 and shortly thereafter earned industry recognition as the U. S. renovation of the year.The Magnolia, the site of the Disney Classic, and Lake Buena Vista courses both have bunkers shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head.The 9-hole Oak Trail

is a family friendly layout that’s particularly conducive to walking beginners, seniors and those with time constraints.The Disney Golf resort has been ranked by Golf Digest as one of the top destinations for a family golf trip.

“We have a commitment to being guest-centric creating an all-encompassing experience that is uniquely Disney while providing the opportunity to play where champions were crowned,” said General Manager Bruce Gerlander, PGA. “We task ourselves with melding the flair of the resort with upholding the classic traditions of the game of golf that our founder, Mr. Arnold Palmer, stood proud and tall for, every day of his life.”

For guests( and families) overwhelmed with luggage, Disney Golf rents golf clubs

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Lake BuenaVista Golf Course

as well as golf shoes, and there is complimentary transportation to the courses from the Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

Disney Vacation Club members have access to a low-cost membership that includes eight rounds of traditional golf ( four at Oak Trail and four twilight rounds), eight rounds of Foot Golf, and complimentary buckets of range balls.

While the courses at Disney World are challenging enough for the game’s best golfers, they’re also friendly enough to accommodate players of all abilities. It’s another reason the Disney Golf courses have become known as “The Happiest Place on Turf,” a nod to Disney’s official tagline of “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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FEATURE STORY

It was a match to remember and thoroughly enjoy

By Art Stricklin, Contributing Writer

You want to know how America won the 2021 Ryder Cup (by the largest margin in Modern History)? Just think Presidents, no, not the one we have or the one some wish we had, think President’s Cup. This every other year competition, staged by PGA Tour, pits American golfers against those from Europe.The competition we dominate every two years, losing only twice in 20 years.

Not this year’s Ryder Cup, where going into the matches, the USA had lost 7 of the last 9 Ryder Cup matches, 9 of the last 12.

But the key this September was taking our six rookies, the most ever for an U.S. Team, who didn’t know they were supposed to lose, and taking the carefree, low key President’s Cup atmosphere for the American rout led by former President’s Cup US captain Steve Stricker (notice a trend here).

I mean, how else could you explain American Justin Thomas, one of the lower key American players, gunning beers on TheTexasGolfInsider.com

the first tee at the Straits Golf Club Saturday afternoon, less than an hour before the afternoon matches. He took the empty cans, smashed them to the ground and hyped the crowd to even greater heights, no doubt inspired by the liquid he had just consumed. I’m not sure Ben Hogan ever did it this way.

If I had to describe the play at this year’s Ryder Cup it would be unbelievable, absurd and crazy. Jordan Spieth’s slop shot while standing sideways on a hill and Bryson DeChambeau’s 417 yard drive will be remembered as some of golf’s best shots for years to come.

After more than 20 years of golf writing, I have been fortunate to cover some of the greatest events in golf, including two other American Ryder Cup wins (did I mention I’m a personal 3-0) along with multiple Masters tournaments, the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and standing on the first tee of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa with Byron Nelson watching and Tiger Woods playing.

But I have never, ever, felt the electrical and charged sports excitement as spending two hours next to the first tee during the Sunday singles matches.

FEATURE STORY

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The grandstands had been packed for hours divided between the Americans, led by a group of hearty fans dressed in U.S. hockey jerseys, and a smaller but equally loud band of European fans in matching blue and gold trousers and beanies.

For hours they chanted on the first tee with the

No cheering in the press box, as the saying goes.

But all of that

American cheers ranging from spine tingling “Arnold-Palmer, Arnold-Palmer!” to inspirational “I Believe! I believe we will win this match” to appreciative “We got Jordan,We got Jordan” when his Airiness arrived (just before Steph Curry).

Throw in the crowd-led Star Spangled Banner, where nobody knelt or thrust their clinched fist in the air, and I was ready to put my fist or head through a wall for the U.S. of A. The Red,White and Blue enthusiasm was apparent on the greens from top to bottom in the clothes, shoes ( hand on heart when Justin Thomas walked by), equipment and even Captain Stricker’s club car.

One of the first lessons you learn in journalism school is that a real golf writer keeps his or her personal feelings strictly personal. That means you can be secretly happy when a favorite golfer wins (which I am when Jordan Spieth, Nick Price or Ben Crenshaw ever does) or even glad when a less favorite loses, but the true professional always keeps their feeling to themselves.

went out the window on a sunny, fall Sunday afternoon at Whistling Straits when we Americans kicked the ever-loving Keester of those European blokes to win the 2021 Ryder Cup matches.

I was fully engaged in a fine fall afternoon of excellent skill and sportsmanship for the hallowed biannual trophy of sports and honor between our splendid two shores. Sorry, old habits are hard to break.

While all sports are like this, it especially applies to the Ryder Cup, and it’s much easier to see the action on TV than in person.There were 45,000 fans on hand for the final day.With only 12 matches going on at the same time and many ending before they ever got to the final hole, the crowds were massive on almost every hole.

We fed off two of the coolest, laidback assistant captains ever, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson, Stricker, who said he didn’t like to talk, six rookies who didn’t know we were supposed to lose and six veterans who were sick and tired of hearing we didn’t really care about winning the Ryder Cup. ‘Merica. USA, USA. Got to love it.

Especially when you can channel your inner fan on golf’s rowdiest stage.The refined and genteel dignified Masters is only months away. But I’m happy to remember golf’s rock show for years to come.

TheTexasGolfInsider.com

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