A few years ago, the decision was made to make Brackenridge Park Golf Course the centerpiece of an Alamo Golf Trail initiative. The owners spent $7.5 million to not only restore Brackenridge to the old A.W. Tillinghast design and feel, but to bring it up to modern standards as well. What remains is a Tillinghast classic.
San Antonio is one of Texas' best golf cities, so it's no surprise that the Alamo City sports one of the best municipal systems in the U.S. When outsiders think of San Antonio municipal golf, they no doubt think of Brackenridge Park, which once hosted the PGA Tour's Texas Open. But Old Brack's not the only game in town when it comes to San Antonio munis, Mike Bailey writes.
Texas is full of golf history, including historic courses you can play. Stevens Park, Brackenridge park and Lions Municipal are among the collection of classic courses in the Lone Star state.
One of the best aspects of San Antonio golf are the views created by being on the edge of the Texas Hill Country. The Westin La Cantera courses, for example, are known for them, and they're pretty good at the TPC San Antonio as well. But those are resort courses. What about the daily fees? There's no shortage of non-resort vistas either, and many of them are at a fraction of the price of resort golf. Here's a rundown of my favorites.
With a storied history hosting many of Texas' great legends such as Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Crenshaw, San Antonio has a rich pedigree as a stage for some of the state's top shotmakers. A golf trip to the Alamo City will reveal who the true players are, especially if the Hill Country breeze is prevalent and your group books a tee time on one of these top courses for shotmakers.
An Austin group, Save Muny, is hoping to save Lions Municipal Golf Course, nominating it for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the first de-segregated course in the South.
If you're in the Alamo City on business and you want to play golf -- whether it's part of your agenda or you are just looking to catch a quick round -- plenty of options are at your disposal. From top resorts to convenient daily fee courses, Mike Bailey has five great options for the business traveler in San Antonio.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of really good regulation courses shorter than 6,500 yards. Golf Advisor Jason Scott Deegan scoured the country to find 10 of the best.
Deep in the heart of Texas, there's a golf course for all budgets in San Antonio. Here's a look at the golfer's menu, from bargain plays to high-end resorts.
If you like Tex-Mex, barbecue and a good old chicken-fried steak, then San Antonio is your town. Luckily, if you're playing golf, you'll find plenty of great choices nearby. What follows is just a sampling of some great dining/hangout options after a round of golf. All are within easy driving distances of some top-notch courses.
There are more than 750 golf courses in the Lone Star State. Many of them are well known, but some don't get the recognition they deserve. Mike Bailey has lived in Texas for most of the past 40 years and offers up some golf courses -- broken down by region (San Antonio-Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Beaumont, West Texas and beyond) -- that aren't necessarily on the national or even state radar, but are worthy of your time.
If you have an appreciation for classic architecture, Fort Sam Houston Golf Club in San Antonio is an inexpensive way to enjoy an A.W. Tillinghast design.
When you're playing a municipal golf course in a state, city, county or metropark chain of parks, you're almost always guaranteed a round of golf in a natural setting with no homes and little traffic.
If you're a scorecard watcher who doesn't respect courses shorter than 7,000 yards, think again. There are loads of really good courses that distance and less from the tips. We've compiled some of the best.
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