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The golf
The Slick Rock Course started it all in 1972 and is the oldest and most hacker-friendly. Giant oaks guard the somewhat generous fairways of this 6,839-yard layout. Water comes into play on 12 holes, but Mr. Jones lessened the impact of bunkering and created inviting targets with the large, rolling greens, which were completely rebuilt in 1997.
The longest par 4 is on the front, playing 421 yards as the 7th hole. This one is tricky because of the fairway bunker in the landing area off the tee.
Everyone talks about the 361-yard 14th hole, which requires a lovely little tee shot over a wide river valley that features waterfalls, lily pads, and the rare Guadalupe river bass. After the tee shot, the drive to the green makes the day, crossing the water near the waterfall and providing some relief to the summer heat.
The most difficult of the four, the Ram Rock Course, came along when the Slick Rock course couldn’t stand up to the pros in one of the Texas State Opens. After complaints about Slick Rock’s ease, Jones came in and built what is respected throughout Texas as one of the state’s most difficult courses.
Rock outcroppings pingpong wayward shots, natural streams and waterfalls suck in golf balls, and the narrow fairways are enough to make the most virile of men crumble under pressure. Water is present on 10 holes and 60 bunkers dot the landscape.
Every hole stands out, but we’ll mention the 488-yard par 4 No. 2, a ridiculous hole for a hack, and the island-greened, 191-yard No. 4.
There's an island green at No. 4, 191 yards from the rear, and the greens are slick-bent, the only Horseshoe Bay course that has retained this quick putting surface.
Note that former Texas Tech head football coach and all-around good-ole-boy Spike Dykes lives off hole 11.
After the Applerock Course opened in 1985, Golf Digest bestowed its “Best New Resort Course in America” ranking on the Robert Trent Jones track. This one is considered the most spectacular of the three existing courses at Horseshoe Bay. Nestled along the shores of Lake LBJ, it takes advantage of the highest elevations on the entire property to offer outstanding views of the countryside.
Hole after hole is dramatic, with exciting elevation changes, magnificent oak and elm trees, and native granite-lined stream beds that cut through the course.
Holes 10-12 offer the best stretch of golf at Applerock. Starting with the back-to-back par 5s that roll downhill to the lake, and ending with the signature 179-yard No. 12 that rests along the lake, these holes take you from the highest point on the course down to the banks of the lake that surround the 12th green.
Jack Nicklaus has been commissioned to design Horseshoe Bay’s fourth resort course, the Saddle Rock
Course, which is currently under construction with a slated opening date sometime in summer 2003.
Also note that the resort’s Whitewater Putting Course features 18-holes of bent-grass greens,
complete with sand traps, water hazards, and lights for night-time putting with the dean’s daughter (see Caddyshack). As you might expect, this added feature holds up well to the standard set by the regulation courses. |
The details 830-598-2561. 1 Horseshoe Bay Blvd., Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657
· www.horseshoebaytexas.com
· Slick Rock Course: 18 holes. Par 72. Back – 6,834 (72.6/125). Middle – 6,354 (70.2/117). Forward – 5,438 (72.1/127). Price - $$$$.
· Ram Rock Course: 18 holes. Par 71. Back – 6,926 (74.5/140). Middle – 6,378 (71.8/130). Forward – 5,306 (72.5/129). Price - $$$$.
· Apple Rock Course: 18 holes. Par 72. Back – 6,999 (74.0/139). Middle – 6,536 (72.1/128). Forward – 5,509 (73.0/128). Price - $$$$.
· Saddle Rock Course: Jack Nicklaus. 18 holes. Under construction. |
| Getting there From Hwy 71 west, take the Horseshoe Bay exit and follow the signs to the club. |
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Price
Key: $=$0-$24,
$$=$25-$49, $$$=$50-$99,
$$$$=$100+ |
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