8 Best Golf Courses in Texas (2023 Rankings)

If you’re looking for a new golfing experience, you’ll find a lot of exciting golf courses in Texas! A course must immerse you in nature because it helps you to focus on your shots, and Texas has some of the best public and private golf clubs available!

Every course is unique, some easing you in on the first hole while others thrust you into the deep end and make you sweat! You’ll face fast greens and interesting bunker placement, and aim your shots carefully, so your ball doesn’t travel wayward!

1. Wolfdancer Golf Club, Lost Pines

Wolfdancer is a public golf course created by the intellectual minds of Arthur Hills, Steve Forrest & Associates, Chris Wilczynski, and Shawn Smith in 2006. The first 12 holes are akin to canyons and hills, while holes 13 – 18 are open and mimic a riverbed.

The course layout can be challenging and offers some of the most beautiful landscape views, especially the front nine. If the layout proves difficult, then consider moving up a tee. The course will have you using all your clubs in your bag, and it’s punishing for missing tricky greens in the wrong spot!

The Greens and fairways are in pristine condition, though the tee boxes can be slightly rough, and the rough is unfriendly. Each hole requires a different approach, so you’ll need to think carefully about your shots.

You can expect a comfortable play of pace. Some regulars raise concerns that the condition of the course is lacking, while the price remains the same. While it may be true, Wolfdancer remains a great course with challenging holes and a fun experience for regulars.

Here are essential facts about the course:

7205 yards (6588 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
141 slope rating
Season: Year round

2. Pine Dunes, Frankston

Pine Dunes is a public golf course and resort designed by Jay Morrish and Carter Morrish. It’s in fantastic shape and has a solid pace of play with fun challenges. The difficulty is such that it will reward you for great shots and pin-point accuracy – you can expect tests in every area of your game!

Numerous well-manicured bunkers are scattered throughout the holes, bringing out the natural beauty of every hole. The greens roll perfectly and true, and the fairways are wide enough to allow for the opportunity to hit driver on most holes.

When you first play the course, you’ll notice it’s tight off the tee. You’ll need accurate straight tee shots or have a good strategy for working your ball there. It’s a magnificent ball striker’s playground where skilled shotmakers can thrive! The long rough is tricky, though, and punishing to wayward shots!

The short par 4s and the 15^th are exciting and use the left-side bunker well.

Here are essential facts about the course:

7117 yards (6507 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
131 slope rating
Season: Year round

3. The Rawls Course At Texas Tech, Lubbock

The Rawls Course is a public course designed by Tom Doak, Jim Urbina, and Eric Iverson in 2003 and modified again in 2020 by Eric Iverson. The course is located in Lubbock, Texas and has been recognized as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world.

This course is truly one-of-a-kind, offering immaculate conditions from the first tee to the final bunker. The design of the course presents a fair yet challenging and ultimately fulfilling.

The course has an attractive yet forgiving layout if you select the correct lines. If you choose fitting tees for your skill level, you’re in for a treat! It’s also true that The Rawls can be pretty punishing, but a great tee shot can feel exceptionally rewarding.

The core aspect that sets this course apart is its clever use of visual deception and strategically placed bunkers. Many of these bunkers come into play for shots taken from distances of 220 – 280 yards off the tee.

Good navigation can lead to many opportunities for birdies, but failing to do so can result in significant penalties.

Ultimately, this course is just as much a test of mental fortitude as physical skill. It’s essential to be strategic and make smart decisions, even if that means accepting a bogey to avoid a bigger mistake. Don’t try to play heroically, as there are many opportunities to gain strokes back through birdies on the course.

7349 yards (6719 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
139 slope rating
Season: Year round

4. Golf Club Of Houston (Tournament Course)

Golf Club of Houston is a magnificent public tournament course created by Rees Jones, David Toms, and Greg Muirhead in 2005. This tournament course is in excellent condition and has a superb practice facility, a great pace of play, and challenging holes.

The greens are quick and mostly flat, and the fairways are wide with a solid layout. The is certainly beautiful, but not necessarily for the faint of heart – be prepared to reach for your sand wedge from green side bunkers!

The Golf Club of Houston Tournament Course offers players an exciting and challenging layout. While some golfers have expressed concerns about the lack of food and drink carts or water stations on the course, it is still an excellent choice and features multiple tee boxes to cater to golfers of different skill levels.

It has previously served as the host of the Houston Open. For a more pleasant experience, schedule your game on weekdays, as the pace of play tends to be better.

7425 yards (6789 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
144 slope rating
Season: Year round
Hosted three editions of the Housten Open

5. Whispering Pines, Trinity

Whispering Pines is a private course designed by Nicklaus and Chet Williams in the 2000s. Williams transformed a rough and unrefined route through the piney woods of East Texas into a captivating journey across a smoothly rolling terrain, leading to a final stretch of six holes along the crocodile-populated Caney Creek and the source of Lake Livingston.

The large practice area and par-3 course are valuable additions that make this a perfect place to play golf. The first hole is modeled after the first hole at Pine Valley but goes left instead of right. It’s an excellent way to begin the round by warming up and getting into the game’s rhythm.

The 2nd is a superb par-5 with plenty of challenges abound, starting immediately with the tee shot. You’ll need to execute correctly to be in a position to have a quality birdie opportunity! The last five holes comprise a thrilling closing stretch that uses the natural terrain perfectly.

The 14th hole is a compact par that runs alongside Caney Creek and allows players to choose between using a mid-iron or driver off the tee.

The 17th is a beautiful par-5 where Caney Creek runs along the left side. Some players may be able to reach the green in two shots, which brings another challenging decision as the hole becomes narrower from the tee to the green.

The 18th hole can produce a wide range of scores from 3 to 8. It requires a high level of skill and a well-struck drive to reach the green protected by water in the number of strokes allotted. It’s the dramatic and challenging finishing hole that demands your best effort.

7473 yards (6833 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
152 slope rating
Season: Year round

6. Colonial, Fort Worth

Colonial is a private golf course with influence from several architects, starting with Perry Maxwell in 1936 and ending with Keith Foster in 2011. It’s a classic golfing course that aims to test all your abilities and make you work for success!

You can expect the course to be in excellent condition, accompanied by soft fairways that are rough, short, and dormant. The impressive greens allow for good pin placements and the opportunity to sink putts, and the greens are small with large bunkers that require you to be creative with shots!

There’s not a boring hole on the course, and best of all, you’re playing where Hogan, Nelson, and many of the world’s greats won trophies.

Colonial has an abundance of exciting holes – each more intriguing than the last – and, as a bonus, you’ll be playing on the same grounds where many renowned players such as Hogan and Nelson have earned their accolades.

You will come to enjoy the complexity of every hole! The first is a straightforward dogleg right par five of 555 yards – one of only two on the course.

The stretch of holes 3 through 5 has earned a nickname among regular players called the “Horrible Horseshoe.” This nickname is fitting due to the U-shaped configuration of the holes and their difficult nature, with the third tee being located next to and on the left of the fifth green.

The third is a 468-yard par four dogleg left with a slightly elevated green, while the fourth is a tricky 220-yard par three with an elevated green.

7204 yards (6587 m)
A par of 70
18 holes
138 slope rating
Season: Year round
US Men’s Open
US Women’s Open

7. Dallas National, Dallas

Dallas National is a wonderous private course created by the brilliant minds of Tom Fazio, Beau Welling, and Dennis Wise in 2002. It boasts a fascinating hill-like landscape with unattached development that gives it an aura of exclusivity.

The front nine holes ease you into the course, but it ramps up soon afterward. You should prepare for the par-5 10^th – a true show-stopper – with several challenging elevated greens.

The elevated tees make this course memorable and add to the character of this course, along with its exciting doglegs, exquisite bunkering, and elevated trees.

Each hole on the course contributes to the overall enjoyment of the experience, with the 10th and 13^th holes particularly noteworthy.

The 10^th hole has a winding path and presents golfers with various choices for how to approach it, thanks to the curves in the hole and the strategic positioning of bunkers.

The third hole on the course is challenging due to its small green, which has a slope that gives it a similar feel to a reverse redan.

The green is further protected by three deep bunkers on the right side, making it the third consecutive hole with bunkers in that same area. Missing the green to the left, particularly in the direction of the hill, increases the chance of the ball rolling down the hill or into one of the bunkers.

7372 yards (6740 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
145 slope rating
Season: Year round

8. Bluejack National, Montgomery

Bluejack National is a private golf course carved by the great minds of legend Tiger Woods and architect Beau Welling in 2016. The practice facilities are exceptional, and while playing from the forward tees is easier, moving back to the tips will be much more challenging!

It’s a well-known fact that Tiger Woods has a special connection to Augusta National, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that his first golf course design, Bluejack National, shares some similarities with Augusta.

The ninth hole at Bluejack National features an uphill slope similar to the ninth at Augusta. The 12th hole at Bluejack, with its green layout, front-facing hazard, and bunkering, could be as challenging as the par-3 12th hole at Augusta.

When playing this course, players can anticipate wide fairways with ample room to play and large greens that feature significant undulation and fast conditions.

The fairways are relatively generous, with the primary hazards being strategically placed sand traps rather than rough. Water hazards are limited to two par 3s, and the initial hole features an elevated tee shot that curves around a large lake.

You’ll also run into three short, potentially drivable par 4s, with the 8^th being pretty tricky! It involves a narrow green with bunkers on the left and a steep slope on the right.

7552 yards (6905 m)
A par of 72
18 holes
137 slope rating
Season: Year round

Conclusion: 8 Best Golf Courses In Texas

Texas has some of the best golf courses created by legends like Tiger Woods and Chet Williams. They will test your ability to drive, strategies, and work your way around tricky bunkers. There’s a course suitable for every level of golfer – from beginner to advance – so grab your clubs and make a day of it!