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Cliff Walston

  • Karma: +0/-0
Spanish Oaks - Austin
« on: February 22, 2013, 01:29:59 PM »
I noticed in the most recent GD rankings Spanish Oaks was rated 3rd in Texas, behind only Dallas National and Whispering Pines.  So while in Austin this week, I arranged to play and am happy to report that it was a great experience.  Although I personally wouldn't personally rank it quite that high, the Bobby Weed layout was great.  It is a core golf design with very little housing around the perimeter that does not affect play at all.  They have done a great job recently thinning out the native between holes in most spots, and I was able to find a few of my errant tee shots and get them back into play.  The layout has 5 par 3s and 4 par 5s, with a par of 71.  I thought as a group, the par 5s stood out.  There were several cross hazards in play as well as some risk/reward options.  The course plays firm and fast, at least this time of year, and the ground game was in play on most holes.  The layout is walkable, and I thoroughly enjoyed my day.  Everyone on the staff was wonderfully gracious, and they seem very welcoming of outside play with a phone call from your pro.  If you find yourself in Austin, I highly recommend it.  The next few months are the prime Austin golfing season, so if you are in town, give it a shot.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Spanish Oaks - Austin
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2013, 01:51:26 PM »
I noticed in the most recent GD rankings Spanish Oaks was rated 3rd in Texas, behind only Dallas National and Whispering Pines.  So while in Austin this week, I arranged to play and am happy to report that it was a great experience.  Although I personally wouldn't personally rank it quite that high, the Bobby Weed layout was great.  It is a core golf design with very little housing around the perimeter that does not affect play at all.  They have done a great job recently thinning out the native between holes in most spots, and I was able to find a few of my errant tee shots and get them back into play.  The layout has 5 par 3s and 4 par 5s, with a par of 71.  I thought as a group, the par 5s stood out.  There were several cross hazards in play as well as some risk/reward options.  The course plays firm and fast, at least this time of year, and the ground game was in play on most holes.  The layout is walkable, and I thoroughly enjoyed my day.  Everyone on the staff was wonderfully gracious, and they seem very welcoming of outside play with a phone call from your pro.  If you find yourself in Austin, I highly recommend it.  The next few months are the prime Austin golfing season, so if you are in town, give it a shot.

Cliff, it should play really fast soon since it hasn't rained west of Austin for what seems like 20 years!

If you've played both, how would you compare Spanish Oaks to Austin Golf Club?

Cliff Walston

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Spanish Oaks - Austin
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2013, 02:13:15 PM »
Water is certainly in short supply in the Hill Country, and with the dormant fairways, it was a lot of fun to play.  I have played AGC as well, but to be honest, it has been about 7 years since I played in the member-guest there, and it was back before they lost their bent grass greens and certainly before the fires.  My memories aren't that fresh. 

That being said, I feel like the elevation changes are more substantial at SO.  AGC has a ridge that runs through the property that the clubhouse sits on that comes into play on a few holes (1 tee, 6 green?, 10, 18?), but as a general rule I remember it being more subtle in terms of elevation changes than SO.  I recall the greens being more undulating at AGC and more like tilted planes at SO.  I think the par 3s are better at AGC, but the par 5s are more interesting to me at SO.  All in all, I would be happy at either and think they are both great courses in the same ball park as each other in terms of quality.  Stripping away GCA architect bias, I would surprised if one course was preferred more than 6-4 in a "blind taste test" by people on this message board, but I wouldn't hazard a guess as to which would come out on top.  If invited for a round at either, I would happily jump in the car and make the drive from Houston.

 

K. Krahenbuhl

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Spanish Oaks - Austin
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2013, 02:29:08 PM »
I noticed in the most recent GD rankings Spanish Oaks was rated 3rd in Texas, behind only Dallas National and Whispering Pines.  So while in Austin this week, I arranged to play and am happy to report that it was a great experience.  Although I personally wouldn't personally rank it quite that high, the Bobby Weed layout was great.  It is a core golf design with very little housing around the perimeter that does not affect play at all.  They have done a great job recently thinning out the native between holes in most spots, and I was able to find a few of my errant tee shots and get them back into play.  The layout has 5 par 3s and 4 par 5s, with a par of 71.  I thought as a group, the par 5s stood out.  There were several cross hazards in play as well as some risk/reward options.  The course plays firm and fast, at least this time of year, and the ground game was in play on most holes.  The layout is walkable, and I thoroughly enjoyed my day.  Everyone on the staff was wonderfully gracious, and they seem very welcoming of outside play with a phone call from your pro.  If you find yourself in Austin, I highly recommend it.  The next few months are the prime Austin golfing season, so if you are in town, give it a shot.

Cliff, it should play really fast soon since it hasn't rained west of Austin for what seems like 20 years!

If you've played both, how would you compare Spanish Oaks to Austin Golf Club?

Bill,
Not my thread, but I'd lean Austin Golf by a wide margin.  The course is much more traditional and the routing flows flawlessly in my opinion. 

I would tee it up at Escondido over Spanish Oaks as well - especially this time of year when the bent greens at Escondido are at another level from what they can offer at Spanish Oaks.

I like Spanish Oaks and it is a good golf experience, but there is nothing exemplary there in my opinion.

Cliff Walston

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Spanish Oaks - Austin
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2013, 02:34:16 PM »
I would agree on Escondido.  I really enjoy that course and would chose it as my favorite course in Austin, but considering Marble Falls as Austin is a bit of a stretch.

How would you compare ACC to Spanish Oaks?  That is a more interesting discussion in my opinion. 

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