Top Texas Public Golf Courses

🏌️‍♂️ Top Texas Public Golf Courses (Based on Wikipedia, Course Profiles & Golf Rankings)

From the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast, Texas offers some of the most diverse and dynamic golf in the United States. Wide-open landscapes, challenging winds, and legendary hospitality make the Lone Star State a favorite among public course players. Whether you’re chasing a bucket-list layout or a hidden gem, Texas delivers—big time.

1. Omni Barton Creek (Fazio Canyons) – Tom Fazio
   📍 Austin
   ⛰️ Winding through rolling canyons and mature trees
   🏌️‍♂️ Rated among the best resort courses in Texas
   🌳 Great elevation changes and natural limestone features
   🗒️ Course site

2. Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Club – Jay Morrish
   📍 Frankston
   🌲 Secluded East Texas gem
   ⛳ Pure golf experience: no homes, no distractions
   🏆 Consistently ranked as Texas’ top public course
   🗒️ Course site

3. TPC San Antonio (Canyons Course) – Pete Dye / Bruce Lietzke
   📍 San Antonio
   🏞️ More forgiving than its sister course (Oaks), but still strategic
   🎯 Rolling terrain, Dye-style bunkers
   🏌️‍♀️ Regular LPGA Tour host
   🗒️ Course site

4. TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) – Greg Norman / Sergio Garcia consult
   📍 San Antonio
   🌿 Home of the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open
   🪵 Demands length and precision
   ⛳ Championship layout with tour-quality conditions
   🗒️ Course site

5. Wolfdancer Golf Club – Arthur Hills
   📍 Lost Pines (near Austin)
   🌵 Routed through three ecosystems: prairie, forest, river valley
   🏞️ Remote feel with wide fairways and elevation swings
   ⛳ Part of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort
   🗒️ Course site

6. The Rawls Course at Texas Tech – Tom Doak
   📍 Lubbock
   🌬️ Designed to play with West Texas winds
   🎓 Home of Red Raiders golf
   🏌️‍♂️ Links-style layout with creative greens and minimalist charm
   🗒️ Course site

7. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course – Jeffrey D. Brauer
   📍 Laredo
   🌵 Underrated muni with a desert-meets-river vibe
   💸 Affordable with premium design and great flow
   🌳 Mesquite-lined fairways and Rio Grande views
   🗒️ Course site

8. Brackenridge Park Golf Course – A.W. Tillinghast
   📍 San Antonio
   🏛️ Oldest public course in Texas (1916)
   📜 Home of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame
   ⛳ Classic layout with a historical soul
   🗒️ Course site

9. La Cantera Resort (Resort Course) – Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf
   📍 San Antonio
   🎯 Former site of PGA Tour’s Texas Open
   🌄 Panoramic city views, challenging elevation
   🏌️‍♀️ Fun, playable routing with excellent service
   🗒️ Course site

10. Cowboys Golf Club – Jeff Brauer
    📍 Grapevine (DFW area)
    🏈 NFL-themed resort course honoring the Dallas Cowboys
    🎯 Championship design and great amenities
    🍻 All-inclusive greens fees include food and beverages
    🗒️ Course site

⛳ Why Golf in Texas?

• 🌤️ Year-round golf in many regions

• 🧭 Courses span desert, forest, prairie, and coastline

• 🤠 Mix of luxury resorts and grassroots munis

• 💥 Big designs, bold bunkering, and Texas-sized views