The par-3 12th hole at Wolf Dancer is the gateway to a dramatic change. tions. Unlike some designers, who just guard every green with menacing bunkers, there are all sorts of choices available here -- just not necessarily easy options. You’ll want to leave time to play as many rounds as possible during your stay. The third hole, a 603-yard par-5, is aptly named All of Texas, and it seems you can see much of the state from the elevated tee. You can particularly see bunker after bunker dotting the fairway, so choose your line carefully. The two par-3s on the front side, holes 4 and 6, are huge challenges, the first for its length and the latter due to a green that slopes dramatically back to front and left to right, making pin placement crucial. And so it goes, each hole requiring well thought-out and executed shots. Not what
you might consider typical of a resort course, but a lot more fun for many. The Hyatt resort itself is equally ideal for golf buddy trips, family vacations or corporate meetings. The Django Spa will sooth muscles tired from a full day of golfing, horseback riding, kayaking on the Colorado River, swimming in the Crooked River at the water park. There are horseshoe pits, a basketball court, other games for the kids and the 1.100-acre McKinney Roughs Nature Park ideal for hiking and bird watching. The “lost pines” are Loblolly Pines that survived far west of their brethren in East Texas and throughout the South. You don’t have to leave the resort for great food or drinks or even live music, though downtown Austin is just 20 miles away.
Callaway Performance Center at Barton Creek
Most golfers associated the famous Barton Creek Resort with great golf, spas, tennis and entertainment. But not everyone knows that one a dozen Callaway Performance Center east of Carlsbad is located on property in the Fazio Foothills pro shop. Run ably by PGA professional Chad Haverland, the high tech center can measure every aspect of a golfer’s swing, from swing speed, ball speed, launch angle and spin rates. Haverland can calculate clubs with proper swing weight, shaft flex, launch and lie angles. Guests can be custom fit and the clubs shipped anywhere. A one-hour fitting is $75 for a resort guest and $100 for the public, with 50 percent of those fees refunded with the purchase of either irons or woods. Without changing a golfer’s swing, Haverland has seen some dramatic results from just being properly fit, a lesson for all golfers regardless of whether one gets an opportunity to visit the center. “I’ve seen golfers pick up 20 yards of distance and also be more accurate,” Haverland said. “We’ve gotten some really nice testimonials.” For more information about the Callaway Performance Center, call 512-329-GOLF.
34 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org
For More Information www.wolfdancergolfclub.com (512) 308-WOLF