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Joe Leenheer

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Austin bound...any recommendations?
« on: August 23, 2012, 10:10:12 PM »
I'll be in Austin early September and may have some time for a PM round.  Any recommendations outside of the Barton Creek Resort Courses?
Never let the quality of your game determine the quality of your time spent playing it.

Steve_ Shaffer

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"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Jason Topp

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2012, 11:01:35 AM »
Joe:

This thread is old but gives an overview:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,2507.0.html

Sam Morrow

Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2012, 12:18:46 PM »
Joe how many extra rounds do you want to play? Will you have a car? How far are you willing to drive? Austin is full of options, as a whole The Texas Hill Country is blessed with some rich golf.

Joe Leenheer

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2012, 02:15:38 PM »
Austin Golf Club is enticing but is further off the resort then the Austin CC.  Have yet to play a C&C course though so that also makes the GC more attractive. 

Sam...I'm hoping I will have time for two rounds.  I will not have access to a car (I don't believe) but I'm not afraid to cab it.
Never let the quality of your game determine the quality of your time spent playing it.

Bill_McBride

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2012, 03:12:17 PM »
Austin Golf Club is enticing but is further off the resort then the Austin CC.  Have yet to play a C&C course though so that also makes the GC more attractive. 

Sam...I'm hoping I will have time for two rounds.  I will not have access to a car (I don't believe) but I'm not afraid to cab it.

If you're going to be at Barton Creek, it's about equidistant to either AGC or ACC.   Cab could be expensive.   

Joe Leenheer

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2012, 05:37:42 PM »
My google map search miss led me to believe I was only 15 minutes from the CC.

Either way I think I'll find some way of getting off propery to play.

So new question....which course is worth a pricey cab ride?
Never let the quality of your game determine the quality of your time spent playing it.

mike_beene

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2012, 05:49:53 PM »
It will be difficult to get a taxi back from Spicewood but definitely go out there if AGC is available.Prearrange transportation back.

JeffTodd

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2012, 10:52:05 PM »
The courses at Barton Creek are pretty high up the food chain in Austin. Not to mention, you do have a C&C option at the resort. Outside of the resort, ACC is good, and I'm sure AGC is as well (but I haven't played it). It's a solid half hour or more to Wolfdancer, but I will echo Steve Schaffer and recommend it. It's the only Art Hills course I've played that I didn't hate, and in fact, I really liked it.

Sam Morrow

Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2012, 10:55:09 PM »
If transportation is an issue play the 3 at the resort and then maybe do an AGC and Spanish Oaks day. I don't know if there is a car rental place at Barton Creek but I'd check.

Matt Ingraham

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2012, 04:29:53 PM »
Have you guys had any recent luck getting on ACG without a member invite?  I am going down to Austin later this week so I had my head pro inquire and I got shot down.  He was told I needed to have to have a member invite. 

 

K. Krahenbuhl

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2012, 06:06:22 PM »
Have you guys had any recent luck getting on ACG without a member invite?  I am going down to Austin later this week so I had my head pro inquire and I got shot down.  He was told I needed to have to have a member invite. 

Play is only with a member.  I think the course is still closed at this point.

Tiger_Bernhardt

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2012, 07:56:00 PM »
The courses at Barton Creek at great. Why cab all over dodge? 

Bill_McBride

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2012, 08:16:16 PM »
The courses at Barton Creek at great. Why cab all over dodge? 

Even the Barton Creek Arnold Palmer course out west is pretty good, great use of deep barrancas.   Maybe the resort has a shuttle.  I know they will shuttle you to the Fazio Canyon course, which I prefer to the Foothill course.  The C&C is my favorite, love all the front to back sloping greens. 

Sam Morrow

Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2012, 09:35:18 PM »
The courses at Barton Creek at great. Why cab all over dodge? 

Even the Barton Creek Arnold Palmer course out west is pretty good, great use of deep barrancas.   Maybe the resort has a shuttle.  I know they will shuttle you to the Fazio Canyon course, which I prefer to the Foothill course.  The C&C is my favorite, love all the front to back sloping greens. 

The resort used to have a shuttle to the Palmer, it used to meet right outside the resort golf shop.

JeffTodd

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2012, 11:11:20 PM »
The courses at Barton Creek at great. Why cab all over dodge? 
If you haven't played the resort courses, then this comment really nails it. I have lived in Austin for two years since relocating from the Philly area. I love the city and much that it has to offer, but the golf is lacking any "must play" venues. I haven't played AGC, but I've played pretty much everywhere else, and none of them are measurably better than anything you'll find at the resort.

Darren Gloster

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2012, 11:25:27 PM »
Joe I live in Austin and can echo a few comments already made.

Barton Creek will allow you to play quality golf without the need for travel.  They have shuttles to take you between courses and also will take you downtown.  Fazio Canyons and Fazio Foothills are quality and have bent grass greens which is isnt the norm for this part of the world.  Haven't played the C&C or the Palmer course but most rank the Fazio's as the pick of the bunch.  Canyons is my favorite.

ACC and AGC would be great if you are able to get on.  AGC is 40 mins from downtown.  ACC about as close as Barton Creek.  Would imagine they are by invitation only.

Played Wolfdancer two weeks ago and it is also good.  But not as good as the two Fazio's at Barton Creek or ACC or AGC.  Great resort though if your here for a little longer, particularly with family.  Also just did their greens this week so probably a few weeks away from being at it's best again.

I play out of Onion Creek (Jimmy Demaret design, C&C 9 holes plus a reno to the original) which is good for a warm up.  Also have access to a Tom Kite - River Place, and another good hill country course Twin Creeks.

PM me if you have any further questions about anything Austin or would like a playing partner somewhere.

Joe Leenheer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #17 on: August 29, 2012, 08:58:38 PM »
I will be playing all of the resort courses during the course of my stay.

(which I am very excited about considering all of the comments)

Considering I will have those "notched on my belt" :-)...we'll see if another course can round out a great trip.

Thanks to all who commented! Will report back after my "first rodeo" in Texas.
Never let the quality of your game determine the quality of your time spent playing it.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #18 on: August 29, 2012, 09:04:24 PM »
Joe, your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which hole at the resort is Slammin' Sam Morrow's least favorite.   

As always the Secretary will blah blah blah.......

Sam Morrow

Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #19 on: August 30, 2012, 01:26:51 AM »
Joe, your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which hole at the resort is Slammin' Sam Morrow's least favorite.   

As always the Secretary will blah blah blah.......

 ;D A few years ago I asked Crenshaw about that hole and he just laughed.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #20 on: August 30, 2012, 09:52:20 AM »
Joe, your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which hole at the resort is Slammin' Sam Morrow's least favorite.   

As always the Secretary will blah blah blah.......

 ;D A few years ago I asked Crenshaw about that hole and he just laughed.

He laughed because you couldn't hit it over either the bunker or the tree but were too proud to play safely out to the right!

Greg Clark

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Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #21 on: September 02, 2012, 10:20:52 PM »
I've been down to the Austin area twice in the last few months and played a few of the courses mentioned.  I would highly recommend Spanish Oaks if you can gain access.  It is a significantly superior course to the two Barton Creek courses (Foothills and Crenshaw) I played over the same weekend in early July.  It has a vastly superior routing than the Barton Creek courses and was in much better condition.  I haven't played AGC or ACC, but I would be surprised if ACC is better (AGC may be).  Spanish Oaks is one of the best courses I have played in the state and is only 15 minutes away from Barton Creek.  If you get the chance to play it, it will be the highlight of your trip.

I liked Wolfdancer better as well, although not by much.  It is on good land and on balance I think a little better.  The complaint I have with Wolfdancer is they should flip the nines.  The least interesting land, and holes, of the course are 14-18.  With the first and tenth holes very close to each other, there would be better balance, and a better finish this way.  Well worth playing if in the Austin area, but I would imagine the drive would be 30-45 minutes.

Escondido and Summit Rock are two private courses in Horseshoe Bay literally across the street from each other.  I liked both better than the Barton Creek courses as well (Escondido a lot better), but they are an hour drive from the resort.

As to Barton Creek, I'm sure you will enjoy yourself.  I have never played The Canyons course, but many whose opinion I trust like it the best.  I played a fast evening round racing the sun on the Crenshaw course and would like to get back to see it again.  The start and finish of the course are typical hill country golf that is not done as well as the Foothills.  However starting on I believe the 4th hole, the course enters an extended parkland style stretch, and it was a bit of a revelation.  These holes are bunkered very well with the best turf condition of the two courses, and with almost all the massive greens running away from the player, it opens up many different options.  This was to me by a mile the best stretch of golf of the two courses.  I liked the best of the Crenshaw course quite a bit more than the Foothills, and I also disliked the worst of the course more.  That being said, I liked/loved the middle stretch enough (as well as the better green complexes) that I would rather play this course on a return than The Foothills.  I would hold the minority opinion on this matter. 

As mentioned, The Foothills does Hill Country golf better than the part of the Crenshaw course that attempts this, and this is why it has more fans and gets more play.  More “cool drop shots”.   While the course does have some excellent holes, for me the greens didn’t hold much interest or challenge.  They are small, grainy, spongy and pretty slow.  They do putt true.  Both courses are Tif Eagle greens.  The Foothills was on balance in better condition when I played, but neither were stellar in this area.   

Get yourself to Spanish Oaks.

mike_beene

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #22 on: September 02, 2012, 10:29:32 PM »
Remember that every stinging and biting creature known to man resides in those hills save the alligator

Sam Morrow

Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #23 on: September 02, 2012, 10:31:33 PM »
Remember that every stinging and biting creature known to man resides in those hills save the alligator

Why are you online, you should be singing the fight song all over Highland Park.

Joe Leenheer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Austin bound...any recommendations?
« Reply #24 on: September 06, 2012, 08:28:25 PM »
Report from Austin:

Barton Creek Resort, Crenshaw Cliffside

Played the front 9 yesterday and the full 18 today.  My first time playing a Crenshaw & Coore Design Course.

I was a little annoyed by home many holes on the outward 9 in which I was unsure of where I wanted to hit my tee ball and I did not get to see my ball come to rest. 

None of the holes on the outward 9 are very memorable. Par 3's are average at best.  The course picked up some momentum on hole #10 which played off of a beautiful vista.  The inward 9 also have a very nice set of par 3's.  I am a generally a big fan of the short hole and #17 is a dandy playing into the hill side at about 125 yards.

The 12th hole is the aforementioned Tree/Bunker Hole. A great Risk/Reward tee shot.  I was able to carry it over the bunker which left myself about 200 yards into a great little green.

Another R/R holes is the drastically downhill 14th which plays around 300 yards.  Players can play smart off the tee and have a short wedge in or tempt fate with a big swing.

Back to Back Par 5's on 15 & 16 are both strong holes. 

The 18th is again another hole in which I didn't get to see my tee ball land although there is a plaque informing you how far it is to the valley. 

I played the Fazio Foothills course yesterday and will be playing it again tomorrow and will report back.

So far the Hills of Texas are reminding me a bit of Vegas with trees instead of desert.

Never let the quality of your game determine the quality of your time spent playing it.