South Padre Island Golf Club - 18 Holes Course

This southernmost course in Texas, despite its name, is actually situated on the mainland in Port Isabel. Architects Chris Cole and Stephen Caplinger carved an outstanding layout out of the wild native Gulf coast vegetation, with several holes bordering the Laguna Madre. The club has hosted the Texas Senior Open and the South Texas PGA Southern Championship since its opening in 1997.

The design features wide fairways bordered by native yucca, mesquite, and cactus, and the windy conditions often make it challenging to keep it in the fairway. Errant shots will be lost for sure. Others that fail to find the fairway will bury in waste areas and deep rough.

For the most part, the longer holes seem to play more downwind, while the shorter ones play into the wind. The large greens are of championship quality. Three of them are multi-tiered.

No. 5 is the feature hole, a picturesque, 335-yard, par 4 with a tee shot that must carry the Laguna Madre into a sharp dogleg-right fairway. On the back, No. 11 is unique because of the giant mesquite tree that dominates the middle of the fairway. Hole 12 can be interesting: it's a short par 3 that is completely surrounded by water.

The facility has plans for slow expansion based on how quickly the residential lots are developed. A second 18-hole course is under construction, with three holes complete. Designed by Chris Cole and Jeff Potts, this layout will feature only par 3 and par 4 holes and play to 5,400 yards.

Getting there : The club is on Hwy 100 before you cross over the causeway onto the island of South Padre. Turn right on FM 520 and continue for 2.5 miles to the course.