This was my review in 2003 after two trips to San Antonio for a friend that was considering travelling there. I thought I would post it for what it is worth. The prices are probably out of date.
For me the two pleasant surprises were Pecan Valley which I liked more than I expected but I have heard has not been kept in good shape since that time and the Bandit, which I really enjoyed. The negative surprise was the Quarry, which I particularly thought was a let down given that I really enjoy the Harvester by Keith Foster in Iowa.
High Priced:
The Quarry ($125) - Great condition, front nine is mediocre, the back nine has some cool holes. I thought it was overpriced for the course. A friend loves the course and says we erred by not playing the back tees (6700 - back tees, 6100 - white tees)
Las Cantera ($140) - They have two courses - we played the Palmer couse which I enjoyed. It is hilly and difficult. The greens were extremely sloped, hard and fast. The Palmer course is the better of the two.
Pecan Valley ($115 first round, $15 - second round) - My favorite course out there. You can get a lower price by waiting to make a tee time. It is a difficult, Midwestern style course with small raised greens. It hosted the PGA in the 60's and the US Publinx a couple of years ago. There are placques all over the course indicating where historical events occurred such as Arnold Palmer getting it out of the trees to win the Texas Open one year.
Hyatt Hill Country Resort course. (APPROX. $120) It was in pretty good shape with nice greens. I wouldn't spend a ton to play the course but would play it at a twilight rate. It was a nice place to stay but probably 45 minutes from downtown.
Lower Priced:
If you are able to travel outside of town, you can save significant money and play some very good courses. We played two, and I would recommend them both:
The Golf Club of Texas - ($50 first round, lower for 2nd round). Relatively basic course about 45 minutes out of town. Fast, bent greens and in decent shape. The back nine goes through some scrub brush and contains more interesting holes.
The Bandit ($40) - Great course North of the city and definitely the best bargain of the courses we played. It will be a part of a housing development but there aren't many homes on the course yet. It would be my first choice taking money into account.
Historical Value
Brackenridge Park ($20)
We didn't play this but I wish we would have. It was designed by AW Tillinghast and Ben Hogan played his first professional tournament here. By all accounts it is pretty ragged now, but, given the price and the history, I would have liked to have seen it.