AUSTIN, Texas – Oct. 12, 2004 – With a mild climate, a storied past and over nine hundred courses strewn across rugged desert mountains, piney woods, sand greens, and seaside links, Texas is blazing a trail in the world of golf. As lush public, private and resort courses spread like wildfire across the Lone Star State, Texas is fast becoming a destination hotspot and golf-lover's getaway that rivals some of the best locales in the country.

"Golfers of all skill levels are challenged and awed by Texas' enormous selection of golf facilities, from world-famous courses and wildlife watching opportunities to inexpensive golfing on some of the nation's prettiest terrain," said Julie Chase, Director of Tourism, Texas Tourism, Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism. "A place called home to legends of the game including Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Ben Crenshaw and Lee Trevino, Babe Zaharias and Nancy Lopez, Texas beckons pros and amateurs alike from all over the world."

In addition to first-rate golfing, Texas' golf resorts also boast an assortment of leisure activities for couples, including world-class spa facilities, shopping and fine dining, to ensure both partners have the golf vacation of a lifetime. From the Gulf Coast to the Big Bend, here is a round-up of Texas golf resorts that are not to be missed.

The Hill Country — Home of the original Legends of Golf tournament and the PGA Seniors Champions Tour held every year, Austin boasts Barton Creek Resort and Spa, one of the nation's premier golf resorts and keeper of the number 1 and number 2 rated golf courses in Texas. The resort's championship courses, designed by Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw, are a tribute to the game and the unique terrain of the Hill Country. Hailed as the "Live Music Capital of the World," Austin offers an energetic nightlife and eclectic, laid-back atmosphere that any young couple would love.

Ranked a "Top Ten Texas Course" by The Dallas Morning News time and time again, Tapatio Springs Resort in Boerne offers golfers three combinations of challenging holes that provide all skill levels with stimulating play, many with dramatic elevation changes. Designed by Bill Johnston, an award-winning golf course planner, this course is unlike any other in the Hill Country. Visitors can also enjoy horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking and fishing in the ambiance of South Texas' natural landscape.

South Texas Plains — Another golfer's hotspot, located on the edge of the Hill Country, is Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, the annual site of the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open at La Cantera. In addition to the championship 18-hole course, the resort expanded in 2001 with the opening of the Palmer Course at La Cantera, another 18 holes designed by golfing legend Arnold Palmer.

Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, also in San Antonio, provides a beautiful but challenging 18-hole course designed by the nationally acclaimed golf course architectural firm, Arthur Hills and Associates. In its first year, Golf Digest nominated Hill Country Golf Course for best New Resort out of many competing resorts. It was also listed among Golf Magazine's "Top Ten Courses You Can Play" and was the recipient of Corporate Meetings and Incentives Golden Links Award. Tourists and sightseers enjoy shopping and dining on the Riverwalk, near-by Fiesta Texas amusement park and the famous historical landmark, the Alamo.

Prairies and Lakes — Surrounded by 400 rolling acres of the Las Colinas hillsides, the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving features an 18-hole TPC championship golf course, site of the PGA Tour's annual Byron Nelson Classic and The Byron Nelson Golf School. The resort is convenient to every DFW attraction from museums, shopping and theatre to Cowboys football, and ranks as one of the area's finest resorts year after year.

Gulf Coast — Just north of Houston, The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center, a world class leisure and meetings destination, gives visitors the opportunity to experience some of the finest golfing in America at several championship courses. The Tournament Players Course is the former home of the Shell Houston Open and host of the 2003 Samsung World Championship LPGA Event.

The Panther Trail Championship Course boasts tree lined fairways, challenging
elevations and a unique island finishing green. A diamond-in-the-rough of Texas resort golf courses on the gulf, Rancho Viejo Resort and Country Club near Brownsville is a former host site of the PGA Tour Qualifying School for Curtis Strange, Craig Stadler, Keith Fergus, and Peter Jacobson, and offers palm-lined championship courses that will challenge professionals and amateur golfers alike. Area attractions include museums and historical battlefields; national parks and wildlife refuges; the Gladys Porter Zoo, ranked in the top ten by many national travel magazines; shopping in Matamoros, Mexico; and visiting the beaches of South Padre Island.

Big Bend Country — Nestled between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, Lajitas Resort, The Ultimate Hideout, offers the Ambush Golf Course, Agavita Spa, Lajitas Tennis Center, Hunt Club and Lodge, Equestrian Center, Red Rock Outfitters, and several restaurants including the gourmet Ocotillo. Perhaps one of the only courses in the world where you can golf in two countries in the same round, this championship, 18-hole golf course is every bit as unique as Lajitas itself. Sand palms, clear lakes, dramatic mountains, and river breezes surround the course, featuring four holes on an island in the Rio Grande river and Hole 11A -- a par one in Mexico.

Piney Woods — Located in the scenic Piney Woods of the small East Texas town of Frankston, Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Club is becoming a favorite of touring and teaching PGA Pros. The Course was opened for play in April of 2001, and by the end of 2002 had won Best New Course in America Honors for 2002. While the owners plan to eventually build a full-scale resort on the premises, for now, quaint, spacious condos offer visitors accommodation while they play. Local attractions include the Tyler Rose Museum and the Palestine Texas State Railroad, an antique steam engine route to Rusk through dense East Texas woodlands.

These are just a few of the many places around Texas to stay and play an unforgettable round of golf. For more information and reviews on some of the state's finest courses, visit http://www.traveltex.com.

For more information on Texas travel events and vacation destinations, visit http://www.TravelTex.com or for a free Texas State Travel Guide call 1-800-8888-TEX.

Contact (Austin):
Alison Eshelman
(alison@vollmerpr.com)
VOLLMER - (512) 472-3515