Public Golf Courses

Discussion in 'Around Austin' started by SkippyJack, Mar 13, 2002.

  1. SkippyJack

    SkippyJack < 25 Posts

    Other than the munis, what are some of the better public courses in the area?
     
  2. chitwood

    chitwood 250+ Posts

    Star Ranch up near Hutto is my favorite. Others: Forest Creek, Colo Vista, Circle C, Delaware Springs (Burnet)
     
  3. texasholdem

    texasholdem < 25 Posts

    The TPC at Blue Bonnet is a great course.
     
  4. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    TPC at Blue Bonnet? Bluebonnet Golf Course out off of Decker Ln isn't a TPC, but it's a fantastic course, all the same. Their mission is to always have the best greens in Austin, and I've only seen them fail once in all my rounds out there. After 1 on weekends, it's like $18 to walk. You can't beat it with a stick.

    Others that I enjoy - Roy Kizer any time, any weather, with any partner. Great track. Hearty second to Delaware Springs, but make sure the greens are grown in. The pro shop guys have a nasty habit of not mentioning that they've just been punched, and that's a long way to drive to putt on sand. To play real good traditional golf, try Forest Creek in Round Rock. For links style golf (read, windy as hell), try Blackhawk or Star Ranch. For target golf, nothing beats Riverplace, but it's hard to get on since they went mostly-private.

    One word on Star Ranch. A lot of people are easily swayed by the facilities into thinking that it's a great golf course. Right now, the greens are rediculously hard, and many of the holes aren't grown in. I'm also not too fond of about six holes on the course. For example, #4 is just dumb. A horseshoe green surrounds a pot bunker, and if you're playing from the back, you're hitting 5-6 iron into a narrow green. It's basically impossible to get at a middle pin, because it's uphill with a long iron to a green with no front (bunker!). It's just a dumb design. #11 is goofy - another raised green that's impossible to hold, but doesn't have an open greenfront to the pin. If you're headed out there to play, just try and make an honest assesment of the track, and not just be impressed because it's expensive and green (they do treat you like a king, tho).
     
  5. unpaintedhuffhines

    unpaintedhuffhines 1,000+ Posts

    favorite in Austin:

    1. Colovista
    2. Star Ranch
    3. Forrest Creek
    4. Kizer

    I played out at Circle C about a month ago. I said to myself I would never play it again. Then this morning I won a free round out there. Guess I'll be playing it again. That said, it's not worth the $70 or so green fee by no stretch of the imagination.

    I must do a little self gloating.....My wife and I were in Maui last week and we played Wailea (Gold Course-where the Senior Skins is). I shot a freaking 74. Tied my best score at the most beautiful golf course I have ever seen. Not to bad of a day I must say.
     
  6. SkippyJack

    SkippyJack < 25 Posts

    Made a tee time for Saturday morning out at Bluebonnet. Price is right--under $40 on a weekend is my kind of course. The fact that it's a good course is icing on the cake. Thanks for the recs, guys.
     
  7. chitwood

    chitwood 250+ Posts

    I forgot about Bluebonnet, nice track for the $ and the greens are usually very good. capn, it's been a few months since I went to Star Ranch, but the last time I went the greens were softer than they were last summer. I like the setup better than you do, but I can understand where you're coming from. I haven't had the trouble on 11, and it seems I usually have a 7 or so into #4 (I don't play it all the way back), so it's not as hard to hold, but you're right, if they stick it in the middle behind the pot bunker, it's impossible to get close.

    On Circle C, that used to be one of my favorites. Is it me, or has it really deteriorated over the last 4-5 years? The greens used to be great, and they haven't been good the last few times I've played.
     
  8. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    Chitwood -
    I played Star Ranch three weeks ago. I've never minded fast greens - in fact, the faster they are, the truer they roll, so I have no problem with that. However, when you can't hold a full sand wedge, the greens are too firm. I'm not asking to be able to back up an eight iron (which you can do at places like Bluebonnet, and man, it's cool!), just hold a full wedge. Part of the problem is that the greenskeepers are way too worried about the image of the course - it's so new, that they want everyone to love it. If they'd punch those greens every four months for the next two years, they would be unbelieveble afterwards. As it is now, they're mowed to the bone, which strips off the grass, and they're parking lots, because they NEVER punch them. Not a good combo.

    I'm not all negative - when I played last, due to some wind and the dormant fairways, I had four drives top 320. That was cool.
     
  9. chitwood

    chitwood 250+ Posts

    you're right, capn, they do need to punch them more, they are pretty compacted.

    Speaking of punching the greens, that brings up a pet peeve of mine. Is there anything worse than making a tee time at a course, especially an expensive one and showing up to freshly aerated greens? I understand that it needs to be done to keep them healthy, but you would think the assclown in the pro shop would let you know that they were doing it before you made your tee time.
    Thankfully, I've been burned enough that I remember to ask most times when I call now.
     
  10. texasholdem

    texasholdem < 25 Posts

    The TPC part is just a little humor. Used to call it that in college because we played there so much. It can get windy as **** out there.
     
  11. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    Chitwood - there is nothing worse than trying to putt on pegboard greens. I always ask, and I've walked off a few golf courses because it was so bad.

    texasholdem - Where did you play college golf? And yes, Bluebonnet, Blackhawk and Star Ranch have a fairly high wind quotient, there is no doubt. Gotta love seeing numbe 17 at Bluebonnet be 3 iron.
     
  12. unpaintedhuffhines

    unpaintedhuffhines 1,000+ Posts

    chitwood,

    You're right on about Circle C. That's what I was referring to in my previous post. The problems aren't limited to the greens, however. The fairways leave something to be desired as well. From the teebox the fairways look nice and green. When you get up to your ball to hit, it's patchy as hell. Half of the time my ball was in the fairway I was hitting off hard pan. For as much as you pay to play out there you would expect something better.

    Circle C can suck it.

    What I most like about Star Ranch, outside of the fast greens (don't like the hard **** either), is the fairways. They may not be green right now due to the season, but it is grass. That course has come a long way in a short time.

    I'm looking forward to the new track opening off Parmer and 620, Avery Ranch.
     
  13. Horn_Daddy

    Horn_Daddy < 25 Posts

    I live in Georgetown and have played Legacy Hills at Sun City in the past...I really enjoyed the course. Not terribly long, as you would expect, but they keep the course in great shape.
     
  14. nycLonghorn

    nycLonghorn Guest

    Blackhawk is fun and is pretty cheap. Try it out. I think its beats the living **** out of Bluebonnet.
     
  15. Hoover

    Hoover 25+ Posts

    If you have the time, drive down to San Antonio and play The Quarry. It's a smooth hundy, but if Circle C is 70 now (!) an extra 30 won't kill you. Then hit Arturros for Mex.
     
  16. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    nycLonghorn - I agree that Blackhawk is a great track. In fact, it's probably the most enjoyable "all around course" that I play. They have an annoying habit of letting their greens grow in quite long and shaggy, but they're almost always green. However, I disagree about it beating the **** out of Bluebonnet. Perhaps it's just that we disagree, but I wonder. Have you ever tipped Bluebonnet out? All of a sudden, you're holding seven iron on 4, 8 becomes driver-4iron, and if 9 is into the wind, you hope for something less than 6 into the green. If 9 is into the wind, then so is 16, and tipped out, 17 is most likely 4 or 3iron. That's some serious golf. From the middle/up tees, I agree that the course can get a little driver-wedge happy ... but back it up, and all of a sudden, a whole lot more real estate comes into play.
     
  17. nycLonghorn

    nycLonghorn Guest

    captamerica-
    I guess it all comes down to preferance. Since you played bluebonnet all the time you tend to like sway towards it and blackhawk the same way towards me. The course i played the most in college is Riverside, and I reallly enjoyed that course even if most people say its a ********* course.
     
  18. nycLonghorn

    nycLonghorn Guest

    Oh yeah I forgot about Highland Lakes and Lago Vista which use to give a student discount, I dont know if they still do. $15 with car for twillite and $25 for regular. I thought that I got the most bang out of my buck at those 2 courses. But, it was kinda a ways out there, and you could easily lose a dozen balls if you dont hit the fairways. Highland lakes even had bentgrass greens, smooth as butta, but you better take the ballatas youve been saving in your bag cause the ball will roll.
     
  19. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    nyc - we share tastes in courses. I didn't mean to imply that I didn't like Blackhawk - I just think you might be slighting bluebonnet a little. However - Riverside is a FANTASTIC golf course. I'm not sure how long you've been away (are you away?), but Riverside was bought by the PGA of america about six years back, or so. #1 is a par-3 now, and the rates have gone up. But Riverside usually has the best greens in the city. It's really an amazing transformation. I love that place.

    They burned out the bent grass at highland about five years ago, which sucked. Ripped em up, put down TifDwarf, I think. The greens still rock, but they're grainy as ****, cause they don't water them enough. Still a fun track, and they still offer the $15 for students, and it's $20 to ride on the weekend after 2:30. Can't beat it, if you don't mind driving.

    We should play if you're around these parts.
     
  20. nycLonghorn

    nycLonghorn Guest

    Damn I miss Austin. I havnt been back in about 3 years. Last time i was there I saw us lose to Stanford, first game of the 1999 season, that really sucked. I cant believe that they remodeled Riverside. We use to go there and walk 36 holes almost every day. I think the reason I disliked bluebonnet is the wind, but other than that I thought it was layed out well. Hopefully I can make it to Austin soon and play a few.
     
  21. nycLonghorn

    nycLonghorn Guest

    Oops I meant in 1999 when we lost to NC State. Remember all those blocked kicks.
     
  22. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    Playing Bluebonnet tomorrow at 2:30. Gonna be a windy mother. I hope the course is in good shape.
     
  23. texasholdem

    texasholdem < 25 Posts

    capnamerca- I didn't play college golf, but I did play some golf in college. Not the competetive kind, more like the skip class on Friday and grab a twelve pack on the way to the course kind.
     
  24. hamhorn

    hamhorn 100+ Posts

    Cap'n,

    I played Bluebonnet on Thursday in that wind.

    The greens are in great shape.

    I hit a seven wood on 17, looking into the sun. Parred it, too.

    I've played Bluebonnet probably 150 times since 1992.

    My podnuh and I hit from the whites, so it's not too hard compared to many other Austin courses. But it's always fun because the greens roll straight and the round is usually under four hours.
     
  25. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    Played on Saturday - greens were sub-par, to be honest, but it's because they had punched them about a month earlier. However, the grass was grown back in, and they rolled true. In a month or so, Bluebonnet's greens will be rolling at about a 9.5 with the best grass in the city, private course or public. Bank on it. I however, played like ***. Perhaps the only bright spot was parring 16 from the driving range. That was cool.
     
  26. hamhorn

    hamhorn 100+ Posts

    Fighting a little slice there, Capn? 16 usually eats me up.

    My favorite hole is the par 5 fourteenth: you can unload, and the fairway feeds your mistakes back to the middle. Provided you unload.

    But it's the second hardest hole on the course.
     
  27. capnamerca

    capnamerca 500+ Posts

    I was fighting everything and then some that day. It was either a big block (like 16), or a flip hook. Very frustrating. 14 is fun, but the prevailing wind in the fall (when I play the most golf) is into your face there ... and wow, is that fairway a long carry off the back tees. I much prefer the drive on 12. Or 1, but the first tee is never any fun [​IMG].
     
  28. Horn21

    Horn21 25+ Posts

    work out at barton creek and it becomes your own personal public course. [​IMG] damn i miss that. talk about getting spoiled. now i get frustrated playing public courses. ha.
     
  29. Nacho

    Nacho 100+ Posts

    since Circle C is getting pissed on, lemme ask a question. I've got a coupon from the paper for $40 green fees, cart included. Should I bother at that price?
     
  30. unpaintedhuffhines

    unpaintedhuffhines 1,000+ Posts

    I saw that same ad.

    It seems they are really discounting to get some people out there. $40 with cart isn't bad anywhere in Austin.
     

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