"The only thing that you should force in a golf swing is the club back into the bag."

-- Byron Nelson

"Golf is the only game in the world in which a precise knowledge of the rules can earn one a reputation for poor sportsmanship."

-- Patrick Campbell

"The biggest liar in the world is the golfer who claims that he plays the game merely for exercise."

--  Tommy Bolt

"My worst day on the golf course still beats my best day in the office."

Cordillera Ranch Golf Club  (Must Play With Member)
Rating - Eagle
Green fee
808 Hwy 46 East
Boerne, TX 78006
Yardage: Bear 7464 Blue 6649 Silver 5985 Teal 5028
Rating:
Slope:
Par: 72
PLAYERS COMMENTS: Summer of 2006 ushered in the first and only Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course tucked into the awe-inspiring San Antonio Hill Country.
Cascading water features, challenging golf and breathtaking twenty five mile views of the Guadalupe River Valley will become the
hallmarks of this outstanding course. A chain of hilltops will form the perimeter of the golf community, encircling the 7,450-yard course
that meanders through the oak laced valley below. Emerald fairways and velvety greens will undulate between natural limestone canyons.
Given a 780 acre canvas, out of the 8,600-acre Cordillera Ranch community, on which to express his vision, Jack has produced a masterful
routing that embraces and captures authentic Hill Country beauty, carefully preserving and enhancing the native grasses around the course
that are so characteristic of this area of Texas. Early on, Nicklaus and the development team made a commitment to create a core
design rather than having homes fronting both sides of the fairways. Estates, nestled among acreage homesites, will be set back from
the course, camouflaged by the terrain, live oaks and indigenous grasses, with strict adherence to the architectural guidelines of this
totally unique, truly Texas community. Consequently, the authenticity of this inspired land will be preserved and revered.
With the par 3 16th hole, Jack has captured the essence of the Hill Country, along with great golf, by placing the peninsula-shaped
green just over a canyon, between twin water falls…a player’s dream, a photographer’s canvas, and a certain destiny as one of
the most talked about holes in all of Texas.
Distance: About 30 minutes from downtown San Antonio. Take I-10 west and exit Boerne mile marker 546.
Go right two miles and look for entrance on the right.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course 

Note: Golf Inc. magazine selected Cordillera Ranch as one of five finalists in the “Private Club” category of the magazine’s 2007 “Development of the Year” competition,
which recognizes the nation’s best new golf developments. Additionally, Links magazine recognized Cordillera Ranch among “America’s 100 Premier Properties,” in its
special issue on the guide to golf real estate. 
Cordillera Ranch Named “Best New Course” in Texas by the Dallas Morning News

The Dominion Country Club
Rating - Birdie
Green fee
One Dominion Drive
San Antonio, TX 78257
Yardage: Gold 6785 Blue 6498 White 6115 Red 5459
Rating: 72.2 70.8 68.9 71.7
Slope: 126 123 118 126
Par: 72 72 72 72
PLAYERS COMMENTS:  18-hole bent grass course with water in play. The amenities offered by the clubhouse and staff
are (including a barbershop) superb.
Play this one if you have the chance. Driving, chipping and putting practice areas. Teaching pro on staff.
Distance: Travel time from downtown... allow 32 minutes. Take I-10 west, go past 1604 and exit the Camp Bullis exit. Stay on access road
and the club is on the right side of the road. Three excellent restaurants nearby in Leon Springs to finish out the day. 

A reader send me an email in July 05 and said the driving time was 25 minutes from downtown.  A couple of years ago
when I was driving a Jag I would have agreed. 
If I was going for an early tee time and on the road at O-Dark-Thirty. 
But the population of San Antonio is getting pretty crowded out that way and I'm a little older
so I am going to go with the 32 minutes.  It appears that MapQuest agrees with me. 

Fair Oaks Ranch and Country Club
Two courses; Blackjack and Live Oak. (reciprocal)
7900 Fair Oaks Parkway
Boerne, TX 78015
Blackjack Course
Rating - Birdie
Green fees
Yardage: Gold 7077 Blue 6417 White 5826 Red 5175
Rating: 73.5 70.5 67.7 69.4
Slope: 131 121 115 115
Par: 72 72 72 72

Live Oak Course
Rating - Birdie
Green fees walking
Yardage: Gold 6884 Blue 6431 White 5912 Red 5322
Rating: 73.1 70.9 68.4 71.7
Slope: 131 124 119 126
Par: 72 72 72 72
PLAYERS COMMENTS: Both 18 hole courses are in the beautiful hill country just outside San Antonio.
They feature Tifdwarf grass, large undulating greens, water and tree lined fairways. Bring plenty of balls/
Distance: About 30 minutes from downtown San Antonio. Take I-10 west and exit Boerne mile marker 546.
Go right two miles and look for entrance on the right.
Note: Homesites are available. Call for details.

Oak Hills Country Club - Home to the AT&T Champion's Tour each year
Rating - Birdie
Green fees (reciprocal  - your club pro must call)
5403 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78229
Yardage: Back 6650 Middle 6125 Front 5423
Rating 69.0
Slope: 123
Par: 71
PLAYERS COMMENTS: Most local golfers who have visited the course, either to play to for the AT&T Championship Senior Tour event each year believe Oak Hills Country Club ranks as the premier private golf course in the area. "Oak Hills is classic golf architecture at its finest," says Carl Bielstein, La Cantera's director of golf, about the course's heritage and its noted architect, A.W. Tillinghast.  Built in 1921, Oak Hills compares favorably to the architect's other famed courses: Winged Foot, Baltusrol and Bethpage Black, a site of the U.S. Open. Bielstein said he believes Tillinghast noted the elevation and the abundance of trees when he created the course in 1921. "Golf architects of that era took advantage of the natural landscape to develop a new course, Bielstein says about the man who many consider the dean of golf course architects. The club again will host the Champions Tour's AT&A Championship in October 2006, allowing golf fans without country club privileges to marvel at Tillinghast's golf design handiwork. 
Oak Hills members said the course has returned to its original design thanks to the work of golf architect Jay Morrish. Morrish convinced the Oak Hills membership, most notably its greens committee, to return the course to Tillinghast's original vision for the course in 1984. Plenty of water and mature oak trees.  The 1994 Texas Open was played here. Reciprocal with other clubs.
Distance: From downtown about 20 minutes. Take I-10 west to Loop 410 and go west about a mile to Fredericksburg Road.
Exit and go right to Callahan Rd. The clubhouse is just past Callahan on the left.

River Crossing Club (Private)
Rating - Birdie           Golf Package
Green fees
Yardage: Black 6821 Gold 6476 Blue 6096 Green 5588
Rating:                72.5            70.9            68.7              66.5
Slope:                  132              126            124               119
Par                         72                72              72                 72
River Crossing Golf Club is a public course offering 18 holes of championship golf nestled in the
serene beauty of the Texas Hill Country, less than 20 minutes from San Antonio. Players enjoy panoramic
views in a quiet, country setting.
PLAYERS COMMENTS: Golfhappy has played this course twice this year and I am very impressed. 
Great golf with super greens and fairways.  Most fairways are lined with trees and not as open as they might appear. 
The course has plenty of water including one island type green. (Don't tell anyone that the last time Golfhappy played
 the par 3 island type green he birdied it by hitting short into the water in front of the green and skipping the ball onto the
putting surface where it landed 3 feet from the pin :-)  The course has lots of elevations with some slope on fairways.
The greens are generally large and the Tiff grass provides plenty of speed.  This course is attracting lots of local tournaments
and that's a good indicator of how well area golfers like it.  If you get a chance to play River Crossing do so. 
If you are looking for a clubhouse that can accomodate lots of people this is a super venue
with good meals... including a full breakfast.   I understand the course has a relationship with the
well known John Jacobs Golf Schools and I am still gathering details.  Golfhappy
Distance: About 20 minutes from 1604 stright up Hwy 281.

San Antonio Country Club
Rating - Birdie
Green fee
4100 North New Braunfels Ave
San Antonio, TX 78209
Yardage: Back 6772 Middle 6329 Forward 5599
Rating: 70.1
Slope: 122
Par: 72
PLAYERS COMMENTS: Older style 18 hole course built in 1907. Narrow Fairways, small greens and lots of trees shape your play. Members and their guests only.
Distance: About 20 minutes from downtown. Take Hwy 281 north and exit Hildebrand. Go to Almos and turn right to the club

.

North-Sunburst Course at Club at Sonterra
Rating - Birdie
Green fee Reciprocal - Your club pro must make arrangements.
901 Sonterra Blvd
San Antonio, TX 78258
Yardage: Gold 7070 Blue 6601 White 6156 Red 4883
Rating: 74.5 72.3 70.1 68.7
Slope: 137 131 119 120
Par: 72 72 72 72

South-Deer Canyon Course at Sonterra
Rating - Birdie
Green fee reciprocal
Yardage Blue 6535 White 6299 Gold 5062 Red 5240
Rating: 71.1 69.9 71.1 69.2
Slope: 123 120 122 120
Par: 72 72 72 72

PLAYERS COMMENTS: This club has two totally different 18 hole courses. The Deer Canyon Course formally
was a private course built in 1959. It is an old style, fairly flat course, with large oak trees which can come into play.
Small greens with some traps. The Sunburst Course is hilly, with lots of bunkers in the fairways and surrounding fast greens.
Elevation changes, numerous sand bunkers in the fairways and around the greens. . Restaurant and snack bar.
Distance: Allow 30 minutes from downtown. Take I-281 to Loop 1604. Go west on access road to
Stone Oak Parkway and turn right (North) Look for the club about 1 mile on left.

Briggs Ranch - Private, By Invitation Only
Rating - Eagle
Briggs Ranch Road next door to the Golf Club of Texas
San Antonio, TX 78245
Yardage: 7,206
Rating: 72.5
Slope: 135
Par: 72
PLAYERS COMMENTS: A partnership between Gil Hodge and Buddy Cook, (see Golf Club of Texas above) and Bill Rogers, PGA 1981 British Open Champion,
has resulted in one of the top private clubs in the country.   Nothing has been spared in the attention to detail and commitment to excellence in making this a premier facility.
Interview with Tom Fazio
Question:  Can you tell us a little about the character of the Briggs Ranch course?
Answer:  I think that people are going to be surprised when they come here.  They're going to find an unexpected treasure. 
First of all, the land itself is beautiful.  than you have that to work with, it really pushes you to get the most out of it. 
Each and every hole on this course is designed to be special and memorable, and they will challenge you in completely different ways. 
By the time you finish the front nine you'll think, "Now how can the back nine match up with that?"  And then, when you start on the back nine,
you'll understand that there is no letup; and then you cant wait to see what the next hole brings.  For the entire interview visit the web page at www.briggsranchrealty.com

Windcrest Golf Club - New membership deals available
Rating - Birdie
9-Hole traditional golf course with established San Antonio Membership
8600 Midtown
Windcrest TX 78239 (NE San Antonio) 210-655-1421
Yardage: 2,295
Rating: 63.1
Slope: 101
Par: 34
PLAYERS COMMENTS: This club is located in an upscale neighborhood in the middle of NE San Antonio. 
It is a wonderful, traditional track with super old trees, small but great greens and some water. 
If you are a senior or a golfer who enjoys the benefits of walking a golf course, this is one you need to think about joining.  
Golfhappy and his Sunday group played 18 holes here in late November 2003 and we had a wonderful round. 
The course was in excellent shape.  Call and ask about their low-cost membership plan.  They also offer a full range of country club activities.

Return to Where to Play

Return to San Antonio Golf Home Page