River Place C.C. golf course - No. 4
Just west of Austin, River Place Country Club has some of Austin's most dramatic terrain for golf. The club offers regular, but limited public access.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Crenshaw Cliffside golf course at Barton Creek - hole 18
Barton Creek features four golf courses located west of Austin, including the Crenshaw Cliffside Course.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Horseshoe Bay Resort - Summit Rock golf course - hole 10
Summit Rock, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is the newest course at Horseshoe Bay Resort and available only to members.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Omni Barton Creek
A new hotel tower is opening this spring at Omni Barton Creek as part of the property's extensive renovations.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Vaaler Creek Golf Club - No. 17
In Blanco, affordable Vaaler Creek Golf Club has one of the Hill Country's top ratings by Golf Advisor reviewers.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Lago Vista Golf Course - hole 9
The ninth hole tumbles downhill toward Lake Travis at Lago Vista Golf Course, a municipal course overlooking Lake Travis.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Ram Rock at Horsehoe Bay
The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Ram Rock course reopened at Horseshoe Bay in 2018 after renovation.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Hills Couse - Hills of Lakeway - No. 7
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Hills Course at the private Hills of Lakeway Golf Club has one of the Austin area's most picturesque holes.
Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Apple Rock at Horseshoe Bay Resort
The par-5 10th hole of Apple Rock at Horseshoe Bay Resort, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Falconhead Golf Club
Falconhead is the public course in Lakeway, Texas, located just west of Austin, and is one of the area's top daily-fee courses.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Boot Ranch 10th green
The approach shot to the 10th hole at Boot Ranch, a golf community in Fredericksburg.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Escondido Golf & Lake Club
One of the most exclusive clubs in the Hill Country is at Horseshoe Bay's Escondido Golf & Lake Club, home to a Tom Fazio-designed course.
Courtesy of Escondido Golf & Lake Club
River Crossing Club - No. 15
North of San Antonio, River Crossing Club is a top semi-private play with excellent conditions.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Cordillera Ranch golf course - hole 8
In Boerne, Texas, north of San Antonio, Cordillera Ranch features a Jack Nicklaus Signature course that is among the best in Texas.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Delaware Springs G.C. - greens
One of the great municipal courses in Texas is the affordable Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Lighthouse Country Club golf course - 6th
In Kingsland, Texas, affordable Lighthouse Country Club (formerly Packsaddle) has enjoyed a resurgence with a new name and ownership.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Tapatio Springs golf course - 2nd hole
Tapatio Springs, an affordable resort course in Boerne, recently renovated its routing.
Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Escondido Golf & Lake Club
The 15th hole at Escondido Golf & Lake Club, an exclusive course in Horseshoe Bay.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Austin Country Club - No. 13
The par-4 13th at Austin Country Club plays along Lake Austin.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Kissing Tree No. 14 approach.jpg
The view from the fairway of the downhill, par-5 14th hole at Kissing Tree, the newest course in the Hill Country.
Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
20 Images
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Dell Technologies WGC Match Play at Austin Country Club showcase the spectacular Texas Hill Country. ACC is about as exclusive as Austin golf gets, but It's certainly not the only prestigious club in the Hill Country, which is comprised of 25 counties and lies west of Austin and north of San Antonio.
There are various small towns like Fredericksburg, Wimberley and Boerne. Their populations pale in comparison to their nearby metropolises, but there is always a golf course nearby. Some are municipal and lower-end, while others are among the most exclusive golf courses in Texas.
It's a region that is growing its golf scene, too. Kissing Tree recently opened in San Marcos, while Discovery Land just announced a new Tom Fazio design under construction in Driftwood.
This slideshow showcases the many sides to Hill Country golf, from Omni Barton Creek Resort, located just minutes west of downtown Austin, to courses out west in Horseshoe Bay and Lake Travis.
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Just west of Austin, River Place Country Club has some of Austin's most dramatic terrain for golf. The club offers regular, but limited public access. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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Barton Creek features four golf courses located west of Austin, including the Crenshaw Cliffside Course. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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Summit Rock, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is the newest course at Horseshoe Bay Resort and available only to members. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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![Omni Barton Creek]()
A new hotel tower is opening this spring at Omni Barton Creek as part of the property's extensive renovations. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor -
In Blanco, affordable Vaaler Creek Golf Club has one of the Hill Country's top ratings by Golf Advisor reviewers. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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The ninth hole tumbles downhill toward Lake Travis at Lago Vista Golf Course, a municipal course overlooking Lake Travis. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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![Ram Rock at Horsehoe Bay]()
The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Ram Rock course reopened at Horseshoe Bay in 2018 after renovation. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor -
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Hills Course at the private Hills of Lakeway Golf Club has one of the Austin area's most picturesque holes. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
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![Apple Rock at Horseshoe Bay Resort]()
The par-5 10th hole of Apple Rock at Horseshoe Bay Resort, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor -
Falconhead is the public course in Lakeway, Texas, located just west of Austin, and is one of the area's top daily-fee courses. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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![Boot Ranch]()
The approach shot to the 10th hole at Boot Ranch, a golf community in Fredericksburg. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor -
One of the most exclusive clubs in the Hill Country is at Horseshoe Bay's Escondido Golf & Lake Club, home to a Tom Fazio-designed course. Courtesy of Escondido Golf & Lake Club
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North of San Antonio, River Crossing Club is a top semi-private play with excellent conditions. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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In Boerne, Texas, north of San Antonio, Cordillera Ranch features a Jack Nicklaus Signature course that is among the best in Texas. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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One of the great municipal courses in Texas is the affordable Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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In Kingsland, Texas, affordable Lighthouse Country Club (formerly Packsaddle) has enjoyed a resurgence with a new name and ownership. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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Tapatio Springs, an affordable resort course in Boerne, recently renovated its routing. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
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![Escondido Golf & Lake Club]()
The 15th hole at Escondido Golf & Lake Club, an exclusive course in Horseshoe Bay. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor -
The par-4 13th at Austin Country Club plays along Lake Austin. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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![Kissing Tree - No. 14]()
The view from the fairway of the downhill, par-5 14th hole at Kissing Tree, the newest course in the Hill Country. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
