DESTINATION GUIDE
San Antonio golf: It's easy to remember the Alamo City
By Brandon Tucker,
Senior Writer
Anchoring the southwestern end of the Texas Triangle and at the cusp of the Hill Country, San Antonio stakes a hefty claim as the Lone Star State's top golf destination, thanks to numerous golf options, from historic municipal and daily-fee courses to high-end resorts.
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San Antonio is also tourist-friendly. The Alamo is Texas' most visited landmark, but the River Walk is where much of the action is both day and night, with scores of bars, restaurants and shopping along the three-mile system. Sea World and Six Flags Fiesta theme parks keep families busy outside the city.
San Antonio has a rich golf history, dating back to 1886, when soldiers at Fort Sam Houston were known to hit balls with golf clubs within the grounds. But the city's brightest days for golf lie ahead. In 2009 the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open moved from the Fall Series to a more prestigious spring weekend at the Westin La Cantera Resort. And 2010 stands to be even better when the long-awaited TPC San Antonio finally opens its doors to two new layouts and a JW Marriott Resort.
Classic San Antonio golf courses
Aside from the newer golf courses in San Antonio, classics abound. Former PGA Championship host Pecan Valley Golf Club has upheld its relevance thanks to a recent Bob Cupp redesign. Brackenridge Park Golf Course, the anchor of the city's seven-course municipal system and original host of the Texas Open in 1922, underwent a multi-million dollar transformation in 2008, restoring the 1916 A.W. Tillinghast design to its former glory.
Other popular daily fee courses are The Quarry Golf Club, with nine holes set in an old limestone quarry, while The Republic Golf Club is one of the area's top courses for locals thanks to exceptional conditioning and fairways that feel far more secluded than its location near the heart of the city might suggest.
If municipal golf is your speed, San Antonio's Alamo City Golf Trail features seven courses, including Brackenridge, that offer many different styles at a great value.
September 15, 2009
Brandon Tucker is a Senior Writer and Special Projects Editor for the WorldGolf.com Network, where he contributes not only golf and travel articles, but photo essays, videos and more. His golf travels have taken him across the U.S., including more than 50 Myrtle Beach-area golf courses, and to such destinations as Scotland, Wales, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Malaysia.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
More on golf in San Antonio, Texas:
San Antonio golf: It's easy to remember the Alamo City
Anchoring the southwestern end of the Texas Triangle and at the cusp of the Hill Country, San Antonio stakes a hefty claim as the Lone Star State's top golf destination, thanks to numerous golf options, from historic municipal and daily-fee courses to high-end resorts. Brackenridge Park Golf Course is one of the finest plays in town.
... full article »The Republic Golf Club: A favorite with San Antonio locals
One of the best things about a metropolitan golf course is that it can offer an escape from the nearby, bustling metropolis. At The Republic Golf Club in San Antonio, it's hard to believe you're just minutes from the heart of one of America's largest cities. That each hole is lined by mature elm, oak and mesquite trees means you're in for a quiet day on the course.
... full article »Quarry Golf Club: Former mine turns metro San Antonio gem
Golfer or not, you've got to give the developers of the new Quarry Golf Club and residential commercial complex some serious props. Once a working limestone quarry mine just north of downtown San Antonio, Texas, the land for the course has been transformed into a top daily-fee round of golf.
... full article »The Quarry Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas
The Quarry Golf Club is one of San Antonio's more distinct rounds of golf, thanks to an old stone quarry the course is set in on the back nine, making for some dramatic scenery. It also adds excitement because several shots have to be played over quarry walls, including the signature "Reload" 17th tee shot. At just under 6,700 yards from the championship tees, the Quarry is about shot making, not distance.
... full article »Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio: Designer A.W. Tillinghast would be pleased
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.
... full article »- Reader says Canyon Springs Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas sublime and challenging
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