Curious what everyone's own personal top 5 would be. Seems the magazines and newspapers all drool over the same ones each year. Maybe we can find some hidden gems, or ones that are often overlooked and not given the credit deserved?

For me here are my top 5 in no particular order:

1. The Wilderness
2. La Canterra (resort course)
3. Kissing Tree
4. Raven Nest
5. GCOH Tournament Course

Honorable Mention: Wolfdancer

I'm a big fan of courses with a wide variety of holes. I get bored easily playing courses that are nothing but bomb and gouge (granted GCOH is like this, but it is an outlier). I love variety of holes with short/long par 4's and 3's. I like playing holes where you can hit driver or take an iron off the tee box.

1. Gus Wortham
2. Gus Wortham
3. Gus Wortham
4. Gus Wortham
5. Gus Wortham


But seriously, I haven't played many public courses in Texas outside of the Houston area but my faves I've played so far are:

The Wilderness
Canyon Springs
GCOH Tourney
Memorial Park
Moody Gardens

1. Texas A&M golf course, College Station, TX.. Because I may have done some inappropriate things on the course in the 80s..

Here are my top 5 in no particular order-

• Barton Creek Canyons
• TPC San Antonio Canyon
• The Quarry
• Wolfdancer
• The Bandit

On my list to play-

• Blackjack Crossing
• The Tribute
• Pine Dunes
• Horseshoe Bay
• GCOH

TPC Oaks has got to be on this list


I played La Cantera 2 weeks ago and the greens were so bad I wouldn't play there again for free



Lajitas
TPC Oaks

Need to think about other 3
I like the Texas Rangers course

Aggie369 said:

---

TPC Oaks has got to be on this list


I played La Cantera 2 weeks ago and the greens were so bad I wouldn't play there again for free

---

I like Canyons better for all of the elevation changes, Oaks is a great course too though. Hate to hear that about La Cantera haven't been there in decades but it used to be great.

Yeah I was excited to play...every green looked similar to this

that sucks to hear. Granted I haven't played it in prolly close to 2 years but the course has always been in excellent shape every time I've played.

Public, but not resort

1 Avery Ranch
2 Vaaler Creek
3 Delaware Springs
4 Pine Dunes
5 The Bandit

Lake Park
Lake Park
Lake Park
Lake Park
Lake Park

I don't play much golf but I do follow my 12 year old around, here are some of the courses she has played that we both thought were nice (in no particular order)

Panorama Golf Club(Conroe): quirky little course with some good elevation changes, greens always in good shape with lots of movement even on short putts

Texas A&M Campus course: always in good shape when she has played it, we are an Aggie family so enough said.

Eagle Pointe (Mont Belvieu): nothing outstanding but in good shape, and some interesting holes, we enjoyed it.

Cypresswood Golf Club (Spring): we did not play the Traditions course it was another one, but it was in good shape and that was the first time she shot under par, so that course sticks with us.

Wolfdancer: very different than what we see in the Houston area, loved it.

Other courses we enjoyed but I do not believe are public, one I would say play if you get a chance:

Clubs of Kingwood-Lake, Forest and Marsh courses (Marsh was a challenge)

Magnolia Creek (League City)-Links style, brutal wind, something different, enjoyed it

Elkins Lake (Huntsville)-forgot which course we played but it was in great shape and some challenging holes, cool to see so many deer just wandering around

Northgate Golf Club-solid course, challenging holes, a bear to walk, lots of distance between green and tee box on several holes

Woodland Country Club-Palmer course, nice, posh! haha., she recently had an event at Carlton Woods, did not get to play it but it looks nice!

Honorable mention:
Horseshoe Bay-Slick Rock: just had a bad experience there on the million dollar hole of all places
Blackhorse North-we live 5 min away, so we see it all the time
Blue Lake Horseshoe Bay-only a 9 holer, I think but huge elevation changes when you are used to Houston courses
Moody Gardens-it is in good shape, I just expected more.
Fort Sam Houston-Salado course (San Antonio)-not stellar I get that, just something cool about them playing the national anthem and everyone stopping on the course and taking their hat off, you can hear it in the distance and the soldiers doing their drills, it was just a cool experience.

That I've played:

1. Horseshoe Bay (Ram Rock / Apple Rock)

2. La Cantera (Palmer Course [or whichever one had holes adjacent to Fiesta Texas])

3. Golf Club of Houston (Tournament course)

4. Wolfdancer

5. Moody Gardens

(These are all public to my knowledge.)

Squaw Valley (Comanche Lakes) - Glen Rose
Vaaler Creek - Blanco
Texas Rangers - Arlington
Sugar Tree - Lipan
Rawls Course - Lubbock

Lajitas
Texas Rangers
Squaw Valley
Tribute
Sky Creek

Honorable mention
Fossil Creek
Bridges at Gunter
Bridlewood

I'm not in San Antonio so a day trip to Lajitas is out of the question. My hometown is Fort Stockton so I'm out that direction some. Should I make it a point to drive down?

GCOH Tournament course is a surprise to me that the green fee is only $59 or at least it was both times I've been there this summer.

Lajitas is worth the drive from Fort Stockton, even if it is still 160 miles. Only in America!

My dad has some business in Presidio and Van Horn so I've made that 400 mile circle plenty of times and gotten a day's work done too. Not sure I'd do the same as the Texags legend and make a day trip from San Antonio to Lajitas and back with 18 holes in between.

Is Old American still a decent track?

Texas Star
Pecan Hollow
Cowboys Club
Wilderness
Frisco Lakes

Texas Star
Moody Gardens
Palmilla
The Bandit
Pine Dunes
Stevens Park

These are just some of my favorites.

Before Raven Nest opened I would make the journey from Huntsville to Coldspring to play Cape Royale on the shore of Lake Livingston.

Super short and never in good condition, but it was a fun track

Waterwood was also a regular place to play. Much better conditions but wasn't as fun.

And I'm still finding stickers from my one trip around mountain creek golf course in Robert Lee even though that was 3 bags, 4 sets of clubs, and 30 years ago.

Pine Dunes
La Canterra - Resort Course
The Wilderness
Lajitas
Golf Club of Houston - Tournament Course


Honorable mentions:

Tempest
The Quarry
Split Rail

My personal 5 that I've played (no real order):

Cypresswood Tradition

Horseshoe Bay- Ram Rock

High Meadow Ranch

Golf Club Of Houston (Tournament)

Wolfdancer

----------------------

Notes...

La Cantera Palmer would probably be in here if it were still a thing (RIP)

Waterwood would still be in here if it were a thing (RIP)

There was a time (may still be) where you could pay to play Crown Colony. If that's still the case, then it would be on here somewhere.

Walden Lake Conroe is allowing a few pay to play rounds now... though it's not thought of that way. I just played it and it still has all the teeth it ever had (maybe more with the tree growth).

The only Barton Creek course I've played is the Crenshaw course and I was unimpressed.

I need to play more DFW public tracks because I've heard good things about A LOT of them.

Pine Dunes
Texas Star
Falconhead / Avery Ranch
La Cantera (Palmer)
Old American

I've never played the Barton Creek Course, TPC San Antonio, or HSB courses.. not sure if stay and play courses count (like TPC Las Colinas or HSB).

Honorable mention goes to the Tempest - a few more years to grow in and proper care, it will be VERY good.

That I've played….(Very little DFW Experience)
La Cantera Palmer (RIP)
Avery Ranch (years ago… sorry if not as great now)
Canyon Springs (head and shoulders above The Quarry now due to course shape and staff)
Wolfdancer- had an amazing time last summer even with intense heat. Awesome Place
I played most the Horseshoe Bay courses a few years ago but don't remember them individually really. But they were awesome.
I too enjoy Kissing Tree set up but the staff there was about the most unpleasant I've come across- recently
LEAST FAVORITE- Silverhorn (SA) Not worth a penny over 50 bucks and they charge 100 on weekends now. Zero pace of play policing. And about the worst carts in human existence.
Anddddd…. Any PUBLIC course that allows a five-some.

1. Black Jack
2. TPC San Antonio
3. Tempest
4. PINE Dunes
5. Wilderness
Wolfdancer, Cypresswood, Memorial Park, La Canter, GCOH, The Bandit, Kissing Tree, Barton Springs, Vaaler Creek, Frio River, Gus Wortham, Blackhorse when the greens are smooth, DON'T play Dallas area anymore, sorry. TPC Bellville!! Lol

My list is partially built by nostalgia from growing up, and these 4 stand out for me:
- Grapevine GC - love these 27 holes and the location, the course I've played the most in my life
- Pecan Hollow - home to my best round ever, I also loved putting there back in the day, greens were always pure. Drawback would be the duration of round was lengthy at times.
- Hancock (Austin) - little historic 9-hole course…super fun layout in the middle of a neighborhood. I love playing a casual round there. Brings back a lot of memories every time I am back.
- Ridgeview Ranch - some neat holes

Black Jack's Crossing - nothing that hasn't already been said

Georgetown CC - grew up playing it and gave me an appreciation for old school CC courses

Campus Course (early 2000s) - lots of great memories at golf camp and then joining the club during school and getting in rounds in between classes with buddies or solo

Heritage Ranch - took about a 5 year hiatus from golf after graduation and fell back in love with the game by going here with friends

Sun City Cowan Creek - Right next to my in-law's house so I would play it a ton when we went to go visit… was nice to be able to get out of the house. Pretty sad that they went back private after Covid, but I haven't played there in a while since we moved to Oregon.

No particular order:

1. Tempest
2. Memorial Park
3. Fossil Creek
4. Pine Dunes
5. Falconhead

Wilderness
Gus Wortham
Memorial
Vaaler Creek
Moody

Not Texas but close enough so it gets honorable mention

Golden Nugget

Never got around to playing Heritage Ranch unfortunately! I even lived in Fairview for a year in my early 20s and they offered resident discounts.

bodaciousbood14 said:

---

No particular order:

1. Tempest
2. Memorial Park
3. Fossil Creek
4. Pine Dunes
5. Falconhead

---

Completely forgot about falconhead. That's a great track.

AggieDruggist89 said:

---

1. Texas A&M golf course, College Station, TX.. Because I may have done some inappropriate things on the course in the 80s..

---

I definitely did some inappropriate (seemed appropriate at the time) things on number 10 green with a girl who lived in one of those adjacent dorms. Had to have been '87 or '88.

1. Memorial Park
2. GCOH Tournament Course
3. Rockwood Park in Fort Worth
4. Elkins Lake in Huntsville
5. TAMU Campus Course

Texmid said:

---

AggieDruggist89 said:

---

1. Texas A&M golf course, College Station, TX.. Because I may have done some inappropriate things on the course in the 80s..

---

I definitely did some inappropriate (seemed appropriate at the time) things on number 10 green with a girl who lived in one of those adjacent dorms. Had to have been '87 or '88.

---

Another Texags hookup?