Why go
Texas golf is three trips in one: Hill Country limestone and elevation around Austin and San Antonio, links-flavoured wind on the plains out west, and a muni in Houston good enough to host the PGA Tour. Green fees stay sane, the season runs almost year round, and the drives between clusters are long but easy.
Best time to visit
October to May, when the heat breaks and the greens firm up
Weather
Hot and humid April to September in the east, dry and windy out west; winters are mild and playable
Getting there
Fly into Austin (AUS), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH) or San Antonio (SAT) depending on your cluster
Getting around
A rental car is essential; Austin to San Antonio is 90 minutes, Houston to Austin about three hours
Where to eat
Barbecue, Tex-Mex and small-town steakhouses; book Austin dinners ahead
Courses
Play in Texas
Barton Creek Fazio Foothills
Hill Country limestone, waterfalls and cliff-edge greens twenty minutes from downtown Austin.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,956
- Green fee
- $150+
Butterfield Trail Golf Club
El Paso desert Fazio with Franklin Mountain views and almost no crowds.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,307
- Green fee
- $70+
Cowboys Golf Club
Grapevine's all-inclusive Cowboys-themed club with more elevation than DFW should have.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,017
- Green fee
- $125+
Horseshoe Bay Slick Rock
The most photographed course on Lake LBJ, waterfall par 4 included.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,834
- Green fee
- $120+
La Cantera Palmer Course
Quarry-side Palmer design with big elevation swings for South Texas.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,926
- Green fee
- $95+
Memorial Park Golf Course
The best muni-to-Tour story in America, right inside Houston's loop.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,475
- Green fee
- $40+
The Rawls Course at Texas Tech
Doak on the West Texas plains: wind, width and severe green contours.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,207
- Green fee
- $60+
The Tribute Golf Links
Lake Lewisville links tribute with holes modeled on Scottish originals.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,002
- Green fee
- $70+
TPC San Antonio Oaks Course
Tour-length Hill Country golf under live oaks on the north side of San Antonio.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,490
- Green fee
- $120+
Wolfdancer Golf Club
Bastrop's resort course tumbles off the Lost Pines ridge down to the Colorado River bottom.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,205
- Green fee
- $95+
Ready to play Texas?
Read the course reviews