The bridge and boardwalks at Austin call for a industrial style course

[mike_beene]

From a busy road above the property with a big (beautiful) iron bridge over a damned up River with a boardwalk and motor boats , plus houses, the most natural course is exactly what they have. I like a less harsh looking course, but this one fits the property. The closest thing to the Plantation course on some holes. Has some inland holes that could be at Teeth of the Dog and there is Oak Tree sprinkled in. The course has grown on me but is it too harsh for regular play.

[Kalen Braley]

Mike,

I've felt the same from watching the course the last few years.  It does seems to "fit" well in its environs despite it certainly not being a "natural" course.  Given all the water and hazards seems excellent for match play.

Only thing I've wondered is how dangerous those rock retaining walls are?  A few of them seem to have quite a drop off!

P.S.  It even has a waterfall on the par 3 11th, its got everything!

[mike_beene]

I don't know if anyone has fallen, but several of the drop offs are a long way down to rock. On the last day one of the players stood on the Rock and if he had fallen it would have been bad. Carts and cliffs are a bad combination.

[JLahrman]

Austin CC is in the new money part of town, the course fits it.

[Kalen Braley]

From what I've read and what my wife tells me who spent her high school years in Texas...

Austin itself is pretty funky and don't really fit into Texas.  So maybe not fitting in, fits right in in Austin...

[mike_beene]

Austin was a little college and government town 20 years ago. There really isn't much "old money" ( whatever that is). There is not an old club other than ACC. maybe I am missing something, but what old private courses exist? I can only think of the old ACC courses. Surely Lakeway, Barton etc don't qualify.

[JLahrman]

Austin was a little college and government town 20 years ago. There really isn't much "old money" ( whatever that is). There is not an old club other than ACC. maybe I am missing something, but what old private courses exist? I can only think of the old ACC courses. Surely Lakeway, Barton etc don't qualify.

There isn't as much old money as new money, for sure. By new money I mean mostly the VC/tech money. There isn't much in the way of older private courses that I know of. But the harsher, more modern, less natural look of the course matches the Westlake area IMHO (I live in South Austin but work in one of the buildings that can be seen right behind the bridge in those ubiquitous camera shots). Coming up on six years in Austin now, I'm kind of old Austin myself now though I don't have much money!

[mike_beene]

Actually my cat was a stray from Cat Hill on Austin Country Club who showed up at my sister's house by the course leading to our adoption. The cat has neither old nor new money.

[JLahrman]

Actually my cat was a stray from Cat Hill on Austin Country Club who showed up at my sister's house by the course leading to our adoption. The cat has neither old nor new money.

I know the feeling!


I'm not meaning to disparage the club or the area, I hope you're not taking it that way. That area is quite hilly and rocky, and the homes there are modern but the look is quite harsh; to me it's not as if the homes seamlessly integrate into the landscape. It's more that they are attached to it to the extent that the landscape will allow it. It doesn't allow for the most natural look. I think the course resembles the rest of the area in that way.

[mike_beene]

Agree. Feels more like California than the old parts like Tarrytown that look more southern.

[Matt Kardash]

Austin CC is one of the most beautiful, unique and fun courses to watch the Tour tackle every year. It's one of the few courses's I enjoy watching every season. As someone said, it is kind of a proto-Plantation course.

[ward peyronnin]

This course is one of the goofiest most forced on a landscape courses I have ever played.
Might make for great theater on TV but I would slit my wrists if I had to play this regularly.

[Kalen Braley]

Sounds like its polarizing, which i'm not surprised as Pete Dye's work doesn't seem to be universally liked unlike some others on here.


Looks like a tough walk with the constant up and down, (with the exception of the holes on the river).  But I think unconventional courses make for great Match Play courses.  Who wouldn't love to see the pros get after it at Tobacco Road, even if they had to limit crowd size.  I would think that would make for great TV viewing...

[Kalen Braley]

Instead of starting a new thread, thought I would bring this back and update my last statement from 2 years ago.

I'll admit, many Dye courses, don't look to be my cup of tea, (although I enjoyed the one of his I played in Park City).  Anyways, Austin CC looks like a damn fun course, even if its still classic Pete Dye tough! Love the variety of the hole lengths, along with the upper treed parts and the contrasting open stuff on the lower part.  Don't think I'd want to walk it but some interesting shots out there and wicked undulating greens.

[Joe Bausch]

Actually my cat was a stray from Cat Hill on Austin Country Club who showed up at my sister's house by the course leading to our adoption. The cat has neither old nor new money.

But she has a servant.   

[Phil Burr]

I enjoy watching the pros play it; looks like a good match play course.  There are lots of birdies and doubles so easy to pick up ground or put the ball in your pocket and move on.  I imagine the course echoes what you might find at Pete Dye Golf Club, but I haven’t been to either.


Would Onion Creek count as an old club by Austin standards or am I just connecting to its role as the original home of the Legends of Golf?  Being founded by Jimmy Demaret, could Onion Creek be construed as Austin’s answer to Champions in Houston?  Burke & Demaret are both Texas golf royalty.

[Matt Kardash]

For me this course is right near the top of most fun to watch every year on tour.

[Matt_Cohn]

There's only water in play on 11, 12, 13, and sort of on 14. That's it. There are certainly some canyons and ravines as penalty areas on other holes, but not water. Three of those water holes are adjacent to the river, so they aren't exactly artificial; only one hole, 11, is highly artificial with its use of water. You see the river and the bridge from 6 holes, and only ~4 holes are down in the flat by the river. Most of the course plays through hills, canyons, and trees, but they don't show those holes on TV as much.

[mike_beene]

Yes, I am the cat’s servant.
Onion Creek is a subdivision course that is in no way an old money place.
America is pretty much devoid of old money and at least Austin doesn’t pretend.

[Luke Sutton]

I hear a lot of comments about how ACC would be no fun for every day play... while that might be true (penal golf isn’t very fun) there are not many better choices if you live here. All of our golf courses are built on very rugged canyon land. The only place that has much history is Riverside (Maxwell, ACC from 1955-1984) and it’s pretty run down theses days and is always at risk for a new building on the grounds if the college decides it needs to expand.


So as an Austinite you have to make a decision... play penal golf or quit


To whomever stated that Onion Creek is a good comparison to Champions that’s a great comparison. They were both built around the same time and are somewhat similar designs.

[JMEvensky]

I hear a lot of comments about how ACC would be no fun for every day play... while that might be true (penal golf isn’t very fun) there are not many better choices if you live here. All of our golf courses are built on very rugged canyon land. The only place that has much history is Riverside (Maxwell, ACC from 1955-1984) and it’s pretty run down theses days and is always at risk for a new building on the grounds if the college decides it needs to expand.


So as an Austinite you have to make a decision... play penal golf or quit


To whomever stated that Onion Creek is a good comparison to Champions that’s a great comparison. They were both built around the same time and are somewhat similar designs.

Thanks for the Onion Creek shout out--I have very fond memories. Late one afternoon (1975?), a fraternity brother and I waived up a 2-some to play the last 3 holes with us before it got dark. Turned out it was Frank Broyles and the late great DKR--the firmest handshake I've ever received.


Why can't they fix the football program?

[Steve Lang]

   Let's not forget that Austin has the most educated Wait*Staff east of Bolder, CO and west of Ann Arbor, MI...


 

[mike_beene]

Doesn’t Onion Creek have a flood problem. In the past it has allowed daily fee play which seems far different then from Champions. It is fun but it is a development with houses.

[John Handley]

I'll jump in.


I got to play Austin Country Club yesterday and they left the pins in the same places as the final round.  Wow!  The greens were fast and they were difficult placements with subtle nuances for sure.  I am a local Austin resident for the past 7 years and play at another club in town.  I've played ACC several times but not in a long time.  It was fun to play for sure although if it was your regular course, it would be a tough challenge.  I can see why the PGA Tour guys enjoy playing it as a match play, I doubt they'd like it for stroke play.  Disaster lurks on every hole.  The scenery is stunning and the conditioning of the golf course was spectacular.


The top clubs in Austin are Austin Golf Club, Spanish Oaks GC, Austin CC and Barton Creek CC.  The soon to be opened Driftwood Club I am sure will be in there too as it is a Fazio design and developed by Discovery Land Co.  Onion Creek; however, is nothing like Champions in Houston, not even close.  Champions is a much better club and golf course(s) than Onion Creek.  OC probably peaked in 1990 and has had flooding issues over the years. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Nowhere to die at Pete Dye Golf Club.


I don't think that it resembles Austin Country Club.