Golf in and around Austin, TX

[Chip Royce]

A wonderful career opportunity dropped in my lap and in a couple of weeks, I am moving to Austin, TX.

A couple questions if I may?

1) Any GCA'ers in the area? Would enjoy meeting up with other like-minded folks

2) Any suggestions about clubs to join (not neccesarily private, but a good course and opportunity for matches with high single digit folks)?

Thanks for any guidance y'all might be able to provide!

Best,
Chip

[Matt_Ward]

Chip --

For what it's worth --

Any of the 18's at Barton Creek isn't bad.

Also -- try the Ram Rock Course at the Horseshoe Bay Resort. Don't get stuck on the other 36 holes there -- at best they are just mundane layouts. The facility is. I believe, about 25 miles west of town.

[Steve Lang]

Get a Texas Golfer magazine at about any course and start to chart your own Texas tour before you settle down to one location.  With the initiation fees at some courses, you can play around the state and get the larger picture for much less $.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

there is alot of good golf. Austin CC, Onion Creek is ok, whipering Pines a few hours away is great. the Barton Creek courses are good, I like the LaCantera courses too. I live in Lafayette la but am over there alot. there actually is good year round golf there.

[CHrisB]

Tough being a public player in Austin, because the only courses close in are private clubs or munis (although for munis they are pretty good).

Private clubs in descending order of cost/exclusivity:
Austin Golf Club (C&C)
Austin CC (Dye)
Barton Creek Resort/CC (Fazio Foothills, Fazio Canyons, Crenshaw Cliffside, Palmer Lakeside)
Hills of Lakeway Resort/CC (Nicklaus x 2, and 2 other resort courses)
Onion Creek (Demaret)
River Place GC
Great Hills CC
Balcones CC
Lost Creek CC

New clubs are going in SW and W of town in the hills; stay tuned.

Public courses:
Circle C Ranch (Morrish)
Munis (Lions, Clay/Kizer, Hancock, Morris Williams), Riverside

The Barton Creek courses are good (esp. Fazio Foothills), Austin GC is supposed to be great, Austin CC is very hard but good, Circle C is good, River Place is way too tight to be fun, Lost Creek is tight but fun, Onion Creek is solid, Hills of Lakeway (original Nicklaus) is good.

Horseshoe Bay Resort (RTJ) is an hour away with good courses and scenery (and high prices).  Colo Vista in Bastrop is a strange and good semi-private course.  The Bandit (Keith Foster) in New Braunfels is quite good.  Delaware Springs (Axland & Proctor) in Burnet is good.  Mill Creek (RTJ, Jr) in Salado is solid.  And San Antonio is 1.5 hours away with many more options.

If you are a public player, be prepared to play munis and Circle C or put the miles on your car.

[D. Proctor]

I may be prejudice, but for fun golf that can be played in the air or on the ground---- Delaware Springs gets my vote.  

[Michael Dugger]

Hey, why no mention of Jeff Brauer?  Texas is his stomping ground.