Austin Country Club

Today’s round here easily ranks among my favorite golf experiences. Rarely does a course exceed lofty expectations coming in, but ACC delivered.

It is unlike any Pete Dye course I’ve played. It is amazing how the holes drip down the hill the club sits on into the canyons and down to the river below, creating a multitude of angles.

I really admired how the course allows one to play to their strengths by offering a variety of strategy off the tee. The shot values are off the charts. You are required throughout to step up and hit proper, if scary, golf shots. The pucker factor is real! If your miss is left, it could be a challenging day.

I now have a greater understanding of why the Dell Match Play is contested here. It truly is a risk/reward proposition throughout.

Above all, the ambiance and vibe surrounding the club - from the range, to the clubhouse, to the Harvey Pencil Locker Room - is exceptional.

I returned to ACC for the WGC media day for the second year in a row and the first thing that stuck out to me was that the colder winter we've had has had an impact on conditions. The rough was entirely dormant and the greens were actually a bit slow, soft and a little spotty in areas. Honestly they were similar to Jimmy Clay a couple weeks ago. That said, by the time the pros show up for the match play, the rough should be greening up and the greens quick.

The hole variety here is excellent. There are some brutal par 4s but some scoreable par 5s that play downwind on each nine. The par 3s on this day chewed me up, besides a birdie on the 16th (7th for WGC). But the par-5 16th hole (or 7th for WGC) that heads uphill into the wind is a brute. For the second year in a row, this hole and the long par-4 5th along Lake Austin chewed me up.

The course was cart-path only. I hope one day i can walk the course instead. It actually seems pretty compact besides a couple walks between holes.

But there are scoring opportunities when you're playing downwind. All in all, it's the best course I've played in Central Texas. Maybe only Bluejack National compares in Texas.

I finally had the chance to get inside the ropes and play ACC, about two weeks before the WGC Dell Match Play. Having walked the course last year during the event, I was obviously eager to let it fly. What struck me about the round was that while you hear from locals about how it's really difficult, there is actually a nice flow to the routing. After a tougher hole or two, there is a more reasonable birdie opportunity. There are a few short par 4s and all the par 3s are a short iron if you're playing the right tee box.

The back nine (which is usually the front for members) is just so good. The little par 3s at 11 & 17 are away from the lake but still tons of eye candy, and the par-5 12th is probably the signature golf experience in Austin if you can get on.

It's about as visually stimulating of a golf course as there is, between the many long canyon carries, Dye's bunker and green shaping, gorgeous backdrops, neighboring mansions, the lake and of course, Pennybacker Bridge. It commands your full attention every step of the way. Take Dead Aim.

Austin is such a great golf town that it's fitting we have a top pro golf event in town on what many consider the best course around. I hope it sticks around awhile.

Well, scratch another course off of my bucket list!

Interesting to note that this club originated in 1899 and yet has only had three golf pros -- Harvey Penick, Tinsley Penick, and Dale Morgan. Please note that this is a private club and to play this course you must be the guest of a member.

For our round, my friend picked up the tab for a forecaddie. This was a first for me. While I'm sure he could've helped read a green or two, it simply wasn't needed. He was, of course, quick to give all of us accurate yardages for every shot as well as taking care of our various equipment. He did a fine job all around. And when you're not always in the fairway, it's such a difference to have someone out there watching your ball and letting you know where it ended up, etc.

Along with the usual water coolers on the course, they also had a couple of iced coolers with bottled water and apples. That's another first -- and yet that chilled, sweet apple really hit the spot as something to eat during the round.

The club house is certainly what you'd expect to see at a private club. Everything was in perfect order and the staff was friendly and simply on the spot with whatever you needed. We sat in what my friend called the men's card room. It's a big room with tables, a bar, TVs, etc. We had a few beverages along with a couple of great tasting appetizers.

Space/Land is a premium so the practice range is adequate but not huge. And it's not very long either -- so they have tall fence netting to stop your drives. At the time of our outing, the chipping green was closed as they'd just recently renovated it. There's also only one designated putting green; again, space is limited.

For the first seven holes you're in the lowlands down near the Colorado River; aka Lake Austin at this point. Past that, you move up into the more typical hill country setting. And on the majority of holes, you'll need to be a little more precise in order to score well -- probably a bit more so than on your normal course. Of course, the fairways were in great shape. They seemed to have a nice first cut for those shots just off of the fairway. And even then, the second cut wasn't the worst to hit out of -- just took an extra club and the avoidance of any oak trees. Of course on a few of the hill country holes, you might find the occasional drop off over a rock wall into never-never land; truly OB where you don't get your ball back. The hill country holes also included a good bit of elevation change along with left/right slope. So plan out that tee shot before you just swing away. And it's something I mention when I see it -- they use the green colored sand for filling in divots. It's something that I prefer -- visually, if for no other reason.

There are plenty of hazards on the course to challenge your game. A couple have you flirting with Lake Austin and one is a nice carry on a par-3. And then there are the strategically placed bunkers -- both fairway and greenside. It's just as you'd expect for this type of course, but nothing overly done nor punishing.

The greens were in great shape and rolled extremely true. They were all ample in size with some nice undulation. And something I noticed that I don't always see on public courses was the finely manicured apron surrounding the greens. It was perfectly cut without any burn spots and really helped with pitching/putting up onto the green.

And finally, it's just such a nice view of the Pennybacker Bridge on Loop 360 for a native Austinite ... or anyone else, I guess. It's an icon in this city and while you'll see tons of pictures taken from the overlook above it on the northwest side, you'll rarely see pictures from the vantage point you get on the ACC golf course!

This is a fantastic course that is in simply amazing condition and has stunning views.