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We've created a Texas-sized golf list for America's second largest state: The 13 public golf courses that have dominated a decade of Golfers' Choice.
From 2014-2024, 76 different courses ranked among the top 25 in Texas. It was tough to whittle all those contenders down to a working list.
We analyzed how many times a club/resort had a course rank among the top 25 in our annual lists and then weighed that number against where each course finished in the rankings over time. A course that finished among the top 10 three or four times wasn't able to compare with a course that finished among the top 25 (with some high finishes) 7 or 8 times, showing a range of consistency that's important to golfers.
Here's the list of the best public golf courses in Texas over the past decade, according to our community of reviewers:
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Moody Gardens
Top 25 selections: (2023 #22), (2022 #4), (2021 #13), (2020 #7), (2019 #6), (2018 #10), (2017 #8), (2016 #4), (2015 #10), (2014 #6).
Comment: Moody Gardens is the only Texas club to make all 10 rankings. The staff - from the starters to the superintendent - deserve a big pat on the back for that accomplishment. -
La Cantera Hill Country Resort
Top 25 selections: (2023 #14), (2021 #8), (2020 #8), (2019 #2), (2018 #23), (2017 #19), (2016 #12), (2015 #19), (2014 #9).
Comment: La Cantera's lone remaining course - the Palmer closed in 2020 - is an ideal Hill Country layout, rising and falling with the land adjacent to Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park. -
Squaw Valley Golf Club
Glen Rose, TexasPublicTop 25 rankings: Comanche Lakes at Squaw Valley (2020 #9), (2019 #5), (2018 #11), (2016 #17), (2015 #9). Apache Links at Squaw Valley (2021 #21), (2020 #4), (2019 #3), (2018 #4), (2017 #12), (2016 #3), (2015 #9).
Comment: Squaw Valley is the only multi-course operation to make our list. That's a surprise considering how well-known Omni Barton Creek is. The 72 holes at Barton Creek weren't nearly as consistent in ranking among the state's top 25 courses as Squaw Valley. -
Delaware Springs Golf Course
Top 25 selections: (2023 #12), (2022 #10), (2021 #25), (2019 #24), (2018 #16), (2017 #13), (2016 #24), (2015 #3), (2014 #7).
Comment: Dating to 1992, Delaware Springs had one super year (third in 2015) but otherwise produced steady results - ranking between 7th to 25th - for the eight other (out of 10) eligible seasons. -
Vaaler Creek Golf Club
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Quarry Golf Club
Top 25 selections: (2023 #13), (2022 #19), (2021 #15), (2020 #21), (2018 #17), (2017 #20), (2016 #23), (2015 #12).
Comment: Ranked eight different times, The Quarry is one of the most unique courses in the country. Architect Keith Foster used the 100-foot high rock quarry walls to frame the routing. The Quarry is currently closed, undergoing a renovation until the end of September. -
Heritage Ranch
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