Best golf courses in Austin

Another Robert Trent Jones-designed course, Slick Rock at Horseshoe Bay Resort spans 70 acres across some of Austin’s most scenic landscape. Slick Rock golf course is a fun layout with the motto of ‘hard par, easy bogey.’ However, golfers still need to be careful not to get distracted by the “Million Dollar Hole” par 4 14th. The tee shot leads to a nerve-racking 35-yard shot over a waterfall, but if made, visitors can enjoy a walk or cart ride to their ball through the show-stopping water feature.

Apple Rock at Horseshoe Bay, a Hill Country course designed by Robert Trent Jones, utilizes some of the highest, most spectacular land in Austin, starting in natural rocky terrain and ending on the beautiful shoreline of Lake Lyndon B. Jordan (LBJ). Don’t be distracted by the beautiful river shoreline - with fifty bunkers and seven holes bringing water hazards into play, all golfers must be accurate throughout the round to achieve a good score.

The third, and hardest course at Horseshoe Bay, Ram Rock is a true test of a golfer's ability. So, if you make the trip to Austin’s Horseshoe Bay, be sure to leave this one until last as you will need all the practice you can get. With plenty of hazards, including 62 deep bunkers, the course tests a golfer’s precision with narrow fairways and swift elevation changes. Despite its difficult nature, the course also boasts beautiful Texas landscapes of natural dry creeks and Bermuda rough-lined fine fairways, making it one of the ‘Top 15 Golf Courses in the State’ according to Golf Week magazine.

Residing on a secluded hilltop overlooking the scenic Lake Travis, this hidden gem of a course has the best views of all the courses at Omni Barton Creek. Complementing the views are the greens, which are always in fantastic condition. Many PGA professionals’ rate them amongst the best in Texas - a big statement for such an impressive golfing state. Open since 1986, the Palmer Lakeside is one of the best clubs in Austin, with panoramic lake views and the chance to catch a glimpse of the native Whitetail Deer.

Opening in 2003, Falconhead Golf Club immediately became a desired course. Designed by the PGA Tour Design Center, this public golf course provides a tough test of golf. The vision of the course was to seamlessly fit Falconhead into the surrounding natural landscape of West Austin, using the subtle rolling land, streams and creeks as features to create an organic course. The signature 8th hole provides the illusion of a floating green with the green hanging out above the water, a tough test despite being easy on the eye.

Avery Ranch Golf Club offers the perfect Hill Country golf experience, with Andy Raugust's design of subtle rolling fairways and panoramic views across the property. The Bermuda oak-lined fairways offer a challenge from tee to green. With a choice of five tee boxes to play from, all golfers will be tested according to their skill level.

The 477-yard par 4 18th allows tremendous views of the Texas Hill Country and Avery Lake, providing an idyllic finish to a superb course. It is no wonder that it was voted “Best finishing hole in central Texas” by Avid Golfer Magazine. The greens at Avery Ranch are cut twice daily, resulting in some of the best putting surfaces in Austin.