The 11 Best Golf Courses in Texas
Texas boasts 907 golf courses that span a diverse landscape, from desert mountains and wooded areas to seaside links, reflecting the state’s vast terrain changes. Home to numerous golf legends and iconic courses, Texas offers both world-famous facilities and affordable options. This extensive variety underscores the state’s reputation for quantity over quality, with the adage “everything is bigger in Texas” holding true in its golfing realm, offering unique challenges and experiences for players of all levels. While there are so many courses to explore, we’ve rated a select few. Enjoy our list of some of the top courses in Texas.
Bluejack National – Montgomery, TX
Featuring the first and only private Tiger Woods-designed golf course in the U.S., this world-renowned course boasts velvety Zoysia grass and offers a challenging yet enjoyable experience for all skill levels. It’s fast, stunning, and unforgettable.
Whispering Pines Golf Club – Trinity, TX
In the early 1990s, Corby Robertson tapped Chet Williams, a Texas-based golf architect, to transform the Whispering Pines course. The design, which winds through East Texas piney woods and along Caney Creek, debuted at No. 75 on Golf Digest top 100 in 2013 and has steadily risen in rankings, thanks to ongoing renovations.
Dallas National Golf Club – Dallas, TX
Dallas National, set on rugged, cedar-dotted hills in the Dallas Metroplex, features Tom Fazio’s dramatic earth-shifting design. Notable highlights include the par-3 17th, set in a box canyon, and a filled ravine easing the 18th’s approach.
Colonial Country Club – Fort Worth, TX
Founded in 1936 by Marvin Leonard, Colonial Country Club reflects his deep passion for golf, including course architecture. Leonard collaborated with legendary architects John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell to create a championship-caliber course. Colonial opened with 100 members and quickly gained prestige, hosting the U.S. Open in 1941. It remains the only club to host a Men’s U.S. Open, Women’s U.S. Open, and THE PLAYERS Championship. Since 1946, Colonial has held the PGA Tour’s longest-running event, now the Charles Schwab Challenge. Starting in 2023, Gil Hanse will restore this historic venue, maintaining its challenging yet inspiring design.
Austin Golf Club – Spicewood, TX
Inaugurated at the start of the new millennium, Austin Golf Club has quietly operated under the radar. Located seven miles southeast of Spicewood, it offers an 18-hole course free of real estate or extravagant amenities. Designed by Ben Crenshaw, who remains actively involved, the course features Texas Hill Country terrain with live oaks, cacti, and native grasses. The greens vary in size, with larger greens for longer holes and smaller, shallower ones for shorter holes. A single water hazard and numerous live oak trees pose challenges, with the 8th and 9th holes echoing A.W. Tillinghast’s designs at Baltimore Country Club.
Brook Hollow – Dallas, TX
Established in 1920, Brook Hollow Golf Course offers an exclusive 18-hole experience, requiring membership for access. Known for its well-maintained course and challenging layout with numerous trenches, it provides satisfaction to members and families. Amenities include a restaurant and rental spaces for private events.
Preston Trail Golf Club – Dallas, TX
Preston Trail Golf Club, once the venue for the Byron Nelson Golf Classic from 1968 to 1982, was masterfully crafted by Ralph Plummer, despite Byron Nelson’s headline role. With White Rock Creek meandering through, the course received a comprehensive renovation by Tripp Davis in 2008-2009, enhancing its capacity to meet modern golfing challenges. Davis’s extensive overhaul included new irrigation and drainage systems, tee and bunker reconstructions, and a revamp of the driving range and short game area, aligning the course with contemporary standards while respecting its original design intent.
Trinity Forest Golf Club – Dallas, TX
Trinity Forest Golf Club, designed by Coore & Crenshaw, Inc., evokes the charm of classic Northeastern and British links-style courses. Its rolling meadows, tall grasses, and intricate bunkering pay homage to traditional golf while showcasing strategic play and artistic design.
Spanish Oaks Golf Club – Bee Cave, TX
Renowned PGA Tour architect Bobby Weed’s Spanish Oaks is celebrated for its innovative design and environmental sensitivity. Shortly after opening, it was acclaimed as one of the best private courses in the country.
The Club at Carlton Woods Nicklaus Course – Houston, TX
The Woodlands, Texas’ premier master-planned community, hosts The Club at Carlton Woods, featuring the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in a gated Houston area. This 7,368-yard, par-72 course integrates natural lakes, forests, and rolling terrain. Opened by Nicklaus himself, the course challenges all skill levels with its stunning design. The private club accommodates 450 golf and 200 sports memberships, with a 50,000-square-foot clubhouse opening in 2002, offering dining, wine room, locker rooms, and a fitness center.
Austin Country Club – Austin, TX
Founded in 1899, Austin Country Club is one of Texas’ oldest clubs and home to legendary golf instructor Harvey Penick. Located along the Colorado River, it spans 180 acres in Davenport Ranch, offering stunning hill country and canyon views.
Shady Oaks – Fort Worth, TX
Designed by Robert Trent Jones in the mid-1950s, Shady Oaks was renowned as Ben Hogan’s home club. Initially featuring narrow fairways and large greens, it was remodeled in 2020 by Ogilvy, Cocking, and Mead, incorporating a modern, expansive style with sweeping bunkers and extended greens.
