Austin Golf Club - wonderful playable C&C

[Jeff Schley]

First time after hearing a lot about it from 2 friends.  Love the Crenshaw stamp of his there as it is class throughout.  No green committees, boards, etc.  Whatever Ben says about the course goes. The course supposedly plays more lush in the summer without the roll and hard greens/fairways in the winter, where they get the most play.  Wind obviously is the defense there and it was only 10-15 tops.  Can see most holes from the tee box, with pretty forgiving fairways, but a tough 2nd shot course as is typically for C&C in my opinion. Greens had some subtle breaks in them as I went crazy trying to read them, until I asked my host a couple tips. Though they kept the bunkers in phenomenal shape around the greens, which really stood out.




Also the clubhouse was elegant Spanish style, a no a-hole policy with the membership my host said has worked well.  If in Austin I will be back and if lived in the area it would be at the top of my list. Well done course and club.

[Tom_Doak]

Was Ben there?


He gave me a tour many years ago and I could tell just how much he enjoyed hanging around a place in his hometown, that he had built.  [No such luck for me so far in my career.]  When I asked him on the way out, how often he got out there when he was in town, he said "Almost every day."

[JLahrman]

I played one round there a few years ago courtesy of a gracious host and had a similar experience. The course could get a lot more attention that it does, not that anyone there really seems to want it...

[Jeff Schley]

Ben was not there, unfortunately although I was gone by 1 pm so he could have came that afternoon.  He has a great letter in the bar to all the members about why he thinks the club is special to be a member and a privilege for them and to treat it as such.  With them valuing the club as special and a privilege it will continue to feel like one for all.


Have to say a day later the place still is growing on me, love Texas and the people first and then Austin and golfers thrown in, it really is a club that could care less where they are rated.  They are #1 for each member and that is all that counts.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I visited many years ago and toured with superintendent Doug Petersen, whom I had met before.  He was apparently a gca.com devotee because I had been in several threads that week with Tommy N and others about the possible need for catch basins around greens.


Somewhere in the tour he suddenly (as if he just remembered) and pointedly noted, "see, there's no need for catch basins around greens here."

[Peter Pallotta]

Happy for you, Jeff
You seem like a very fine fellow, and judging from your recent series of threads have been enjoying a run of excellent golf courses this summer.
I’m living vicariously through you!
Please let us know if/when you play NGLA.
I was reading B Darwin the other day, about his trip to the States. Said he: Pine Valley was the hardest, Lido was the best, and NGLA was the one he most enjoyed playing.

[Jeff Schley]

Happy for you, Jeff
You seem like a very fine fellow, and judging from your recent series of threads have been enjoying a run of excellent golf courses this summer.
I’m living vicariously through you!
Please let us know if/when you play NGLA.
I was reading B Darwin the other day, about his trip to the States. Said he: Pine Valley was the hardest, Lido was the best, and NGLA was the one he most enjoyed playing.

Peter well I'm in purgatory for 10 1/2 months a year so have to make hay while the sun shines.  I did have the privilege to play NGLA a couple weeks ago and I won't bore anyone for I have nothing to add other than +1 on all positive things.

[Tom_Doak]

I visited many years ago and toured with superintendent Doug Petersen, whom I had met before.  He was apparently a gca.com devotee because I had been in several threads that week with Tommy N and others about the possible need for catch basins around greens.


Somewhere in the tour he suddenly (as if he just remembered) and pointedly noted, "see, there's no need for catch basins around greens here."

Jeff:


Doug Petersan was the superintendent at Prairie Dunes 35 years ago when I first visited there.  He has always been engaged about architecture and design, and has always been an advocate of zoysiagrass as the grass of the future because of its drought tolerance and lower chemical requirements.  I was always skeptical of that because I didn't think you could make a fast and firm surface out of zoysia, but Doug has succeeded at just that.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Tom,


I met Doug at PD years before when we did a routing for a possible new nine and plan for one bunker there. 


I agree firm and fast for Zoysia can be tough, but at Colbert Hills, I think they have it that way, due to limited water.  I also recall touring several Z courses in KS and learning it holds tons of water, so if you are sodding your fw, you better keep your minimum slope to 4.5%- 5% to allow some contractor and field conditions error.  4% seemed to be the absolute minimum, at least for the soils we had (both native and what the Z was grown on)