Texas Golf Courses: Overview & Architecture
Before we get into the architecture of Texas courses, let's debunk a classic golf myth that goes something like this: “The 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America are chosen because they provide the avid golfer with the 100 greatest golf experiences.” Bull's wool. Nothing could be farther from the truth. That list, named each year by Golf Digest magazine, reflects the average golfer's tastes as accurately as, say, the Academy Awards reflect the true feelings of the movie-going public.
They are all great courses, to be sure, but a better name for that list might be “The 100 Toughest Courses to Get a Tee Time On.” For most of us, the odds of getting to play Augusta, Pine Valley, or Spyglass are roughly the same as making People Magazine's “50 Most Beautiful People” issue: very long indeed. Fortunately, the odds of playing almost any course in Texas are much better. What the state's courses don't offer in terms of history and major tournament lore, they make up for in accessibility.
It's interesting to note that only 25 of Golf Digest's 100 honorees were built in the last 30 years. In the old days, technology wasn't available to move massive pieces of earth and trees, putting a premium on natural, parkland-style settings, which were not common in Texas. For the most part, Texas is flat and doesn't offer the traditional terrain that has defined the classic courses. By the way, Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth is the only Texas course on Golf Digest's current top 100, coming in at No. 35. Other Texas courses to make past lists include: Barton Creek in Austin (Tom Fazio, designer), Preston Trail in Dallas (Ralph Plummer, Byron Nelson), and Champions Golf Course in Houston (George Fazio, Jimmy Demaret, and Jack Burke, Jr.).
When the famous boom of golf course architecture occurred, two of the game's most noted designers spent some time in Texas. Yet A.W. Tillinghast and Scotland's Donald Ross mostly made their reputations elsewhere. Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and Ralph Plummer have created gems in Texas, yet still the state isn't considered among “the elite regions” in terms of world-class golf courses. So is Texas, known far and wide for producing great golfers, destined to lag behind in producing great golf courses?
Not at all. Texas has two enormous advantages on its side when it comes to golf course creation. First, it has space! As the price of prime real estate continues to soar all over the country, the Lone Star State has room to spare. Second, modern technology allows imaginative course architects to realize even their most far-fetched dreams. Hills can be built, groves of trees planted, streams re-routed, and waterfalls added. State-of-the-art irrigation systems keep fairways and greens lush, even under blistering Southwest sun.
The next chapter of truly inspired course design is being written right now. The Ambush Golf Course designed by Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell in Lajitas is a marvel, and Tom Fazio's new Dallas National Golf Club, built at a cost of $30 million, will doubtless become one of the American golfing landmarks in short time. Designers like Jay Morrish, Bill Johnston, Robert Von Hagge, Bruce Devlin, Tom Weiskopf, and native son Ben Crenshaw are all bringing fresh new ideas to the state's golfing environment. Texas may be late to the party, but the next round is on us.
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