Top 100 Golf Resorts

The GOLF Magazine Travel Guide 2019 included in the October 2019 issue rates the Top 100 Resorts in North America.  They further break down the best golf resorts into four categories – Luxury, Buddies, General Excellence, and Families.  Three of the top 100 are located in central Texas and partner with Texas Golf Trails –

Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin (Buddies)

Horseshoe Bay Resort in Horseshoe Bay (Families)

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa / TPC San Antonio (Families)

Fazio Foothills Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa

Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa is located about 20 minutes west of downtown Austin.  The premier golf resort in Texas features four championship golf courses.  There are two nationally ranked Tom Fazio designed courses, a Ben Crenshaw course, and an off-site Arnold Palmer course that’s about 40 minutes away (shuttle rides from the resort are available).  The entire resort closed for a year during a $150+ million renovation, which included the addition of the all new Mokara Spa and a brand new, expansive, multi-tiered pool complex, the perfect place to relax and cool off after your round.  The renovation also included the addition of seven new dining options, so there’s something to delight everyone’s palate.  The proximity to downtown Austin makes it easy to visit the famous 6th Street entertainment district and experience the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

Apple Rock Course at Horseshoe Bay Resort

Horseshoe Bay Resort on the shores of Lake LBJ is about an hour northwest of Austin and an hour and a half north of San Antonio.  GOLF Magazine rates Horseshoe Bay as a top resort for families, but notes that it is a great buddy trip destination as well.  The resort features three Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed championship courses, Apple Rock, Ram Rock, and Slick Rock, all rated in the top 25 in the state.  Your group will have a blast playing the resort’s 18-hole natural grass Whitewater putting course, complete with sand bunkers, waterfalls, and a new sports bar in the middle of the course.  While staying at the resort, take advantage of the massive Lake LBJ that is adjacent to the resort and offers numerous boating and water activities.  Be sure to head into Marble Falls, a nearby quaint Hill Country town that is home to boutique shops and the historic Blue Bonnet Café (make sure you get a slice of pie!).

AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa is co-located with TPC San Antonio.  TPC San Antonio features the AT&T Oaks Course designed by Greg Norman and the AT&T Canyons Course designed by Pete Dye.  The Oaks Course is the home of the PGA Tour Valero Texas Open.  The resort also boasts a colossal pool and water recreation area complete with huge water slides and an enormous lazy river.  The High Velocity sports bar inside the resort has one of the largest screens in the state, the perfect spot to catch a game and grab a cold one after your round.  The buffet brunch served in the Cibilo Moon restaurant is a must.  While the River Walk in downtown San Antonio deservedly get all the pub, visit San Antonio’s newest entertainment district, Pearl, just north of downtown.  This former brewery has been transformed into a 22-acre culinary and cultural destination that offers numerous restaurants and shops to visit.  Noted as a top resort for families, GOLF recommends JW Marriott San Antonio as a great option for buddy trips too.

The Palmer Course at La Cantera

Another central Texas resort that’s just outside the Top 100 that warrants mention is La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio.  The resort is home to The Resort Course designed by Tom Weiskopf and The Palmer Course designed by The King himself, Arnold Palmer.  The Resort Course hosted the PGA Tour Valero Texas Open from 1995 to 2009.  La Cantera overlooks 550-acres of the Texas Hill Country and features 496 luxurious rooms, 34 boutique-style villas, and an exclusive adults-only floor.  The Loma de Vida Spa is breathtaking and there are numerous restaurant options to choose from.  The heated, infinity style pools offer a pleasant escape, especially the adults-only pool that has ten luxurious cabanas and a poolside bar and restaurant.

The new Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa is now open!

After being closed for approximately a year to complete a $150+ million renovation, Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa relaunched in May 2019. It is believed that oil billionaire and Omni Hotels owner Robert Rowling purchased six resorts back in 2012 so he could get his hands on Barton Creek, envisioning it as Omni’s flagship property. The resort sits on arguably the most beautiful spot in the Texas hill country, and the renovation was completed in order for the Barton Creek to compete with other iconic leisure resorts like The Broadmoor and Georgia’s Sea Island.

Any consideration of a Texas golf vacation needs to start with the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. Easily one of the best golf resorts in Texas, if not the country, Barton Creek features four luxury golf courses designed by Tom Fazio, the team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, and Arnold Palmer. All four courses were included in the resort’s renovation, and the two Fazio courses, Foothills and Canyons, are ranked nationally among some of the best courses open to the public. The resort will serve as home to the 2020 PGA Professional National Championship which will be nationally televised.

There’s always more to a golf vacation than just outstanding courses, and Barton Creek ensures you’re delighted by seven new dining options offering a wide range of cuisines and atmospheres. The focus is on farm-to-table offerings through partnerships with farmers within 100 miles. The all new Mokara Spa has 17 treatment rooms and an adult only rooftop pool. The rest of the brand new, expansive pool complex is multi-tiered to ensure every guest has an amazing view of the surrounding Texas Hill Country while cooling off and relaxing. The resort also has a redesigned 10 court tennis complex with LED lighting for evening play.

Just as Austin is a one-of-a-kind city in Texas, the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa is like no other. To experience the ultimate Texas golf vacation deal, be sure to ask about Barton Creek Resort when booking with Texas Golf Trails!

Horseshoe Bay Resort

Searching for a TX golf vacation? Look no further than Horseshoe Bay Resort, one of the best hotel golf resorts in the Southwest. Horseshoe Bay Resort is a 7,000-acre AAA Four Diamond resort about 45 minutes from Austin in the Texas Hill Country. This TX luxury golf resort features 400 guest rooms, suites and condominiums, views of Lake LBJ, four championship golf courses designed by World Golf Hall of Fame members Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jack Nicklaus, a spa and health club, and several restaurants.

Horseshoe Bay Resort is nearing completion on a $70 million property-wide transformation that includes the complete renovation of 349 guest rooms and villas as well as a revamp of the golf courses and facilities, and dining areas. To ensure it’s status as one of the best TX golf resorts, $7.5 million was spent to upgrade all three courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Slick Rock, Ram Rock, and Apple Rock. All three courses ranked in the Top 25 Best Golf Courses in Texas according to the Dallas Morning News even before the recent improvements. The course renovations were done in cooperation with the Robert Trent Jones II team and Larson Golf Services, with Apple Rock scheduled to be complete by July 1, 2019.

“Everything traveling golfers’ value, you’ll find here in a truly distinct and elevated presentation,” Horseshoe Bay Resort Managing Director Bryan Woodward said. “The investment we have put into these renovations has elevated the quality of our golf to a national level and has made the overall golf experience more fun for our guests.”

If you are interested in the ultimate TX golf getaway package, request Horseshoe Bay Resort when you complete your Get A Quote form to receive the best rates possible to experience this luxury golf resort.

The Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin

In case being home to four championship golf courses, including the #1 and #3 ranked courses in Texas, did not make the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa an attractive enough golf resort, perhaps a $150 million makeover will do the trick. Barton Creek Resort is currently closed, and scheduled to reopen in May 2019. The resort’s makeover includes the addition of a luxury guest tower, bringing Barton Creek Resort to about 500 rooms. All existing guest rooms are also being refurbished, and the pools and outdoor areas at Barton Creek Resort are being expanded and improved. Other additions at Barton Creek include seven new dining options, a 13,000 square foot Mokara Spa, and a lighted, 10-court tennis complex.

Barton Creek Resort features four courses, the Tom Fazio designed Canyons and Foothills courses, the Cliffside course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, and the Arnold Palmer designed Lakeside course. Each course stands on its own as a first class golf venue, but all four together at one resort makes for an unforgettable golf experience.

Choose Austin for your Texas Golf Vacation!

What makes for a great golf vacation? How about great golf, a great 19th hole, and great weather. You get all of that and then some in Austin, Texas.

Once you’ve golfed in Austin, don’t be surprised if you find yourself returning again and again. Ranked #1 in GOLF Magazine’s “10 Best Golf Cities in America,” Austin offers a Texas golf vacation like no other. In addition to the sheer number of golf courses in Austin, many are designed by top course designers such as Tom Fazio, Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer. These courses all take advantage of the Texas hill country topography that surrounds Austin, making for memorable rounds and a golf vacation you won’t soon forget.

Golf trips are as much about comradery and time with friends as they are about hitting fairways and greens. There’s more to the whole golf-trip experience than just the courses themselves, and Austin provides visitors with an unmatched 19th hole. Known as the Live Music Capital of the World ®, Austin features nightly live music, award-winning restaurants, and a bar scene that’s suitable for all tastes. No trip to Texas is complete without filling up on some BBQ. Austin is home to some of the world’s best, including world-famous establishments like Franklin Barbeque and The Salt Lick BBQ.

Unless you’re heading to Ireland, Scotland, or maybe even Bandon Dunes, rain and cold temps are probably not part of your golf vacation plans. Beautiful weather is another reason Texas is a massive draw for golfers. Austin plays host to approximately 230 days of sunshine per year, with an average annual high of 79.8°F and an average annual low of 59.0°F, making it the perfect environment to hit the links. If your swing is feeling like a folding chair falling out of a tree or the Texas heat is getting to you, take a therapeutic dip in Barton Springs Pool, a three acre spring-fed pool with a year-round average temperature of 68-70°F.

So…if you’re a golf fan looking to expand your playing territories or your annual golf buddy trip is getting stale, Austin is a great place for your next golf vacation.