This is one I've been looking forward to for awhile. Located in the hill country of Austin, Texas this course was built and funded by some of the University's most influential supporters with a mission to build a permanent home for the UT golf teams.
University of Texas Golf Club Website
From their website, "The University of Texas Golf Club is a 7,412, par 71 championship-caliber golf course which opened in November 2003. Built in the Texas Hill Country, the course overlooks Lake Austin and borders the Balcones Natural Wildlife Preserve, offering challenging shots and views that rival the best in Austin."
Mike Myers, the man behind the land and the golf course, earned a BBA from the University of Texas in 1959 and an LLB from the School of Law in 1963.
So let's get to this UT Golf Club experience!
Once you drive in to the Steiner Ranch development you instantly get a feel you are in the hill country of Austin. Houses on tall hills, trees everywhere and roads that wind and circle around so much that you lose your sense of direction. Once you encounter this sign you know you are in the right place.
We drove up and the attendant took our clubs and placed them on one of these beauties for the day. Ha! Hook 'em was already entering my mind right about now!
A little walk to the pro shop then made me realize there was much damage to be done once we were through playing. Texas, Texas and more Texas Longhorn goodies to be had. Made me feel like a kid in a candy store. Texas Longhorn merchandise on golf stuff! #Winning!
After a quick walk through the dining room and men's locker room (pictures to come at the end) we were ready to hit some balls on the range. And what would a Texas Longhorn golf course be without orange range balls?
It was an overcast day, a chance of rain later, little to no wind and a nice cool chill in the air. To say I love these kind of weather conditions would be an understatement. We were ready to go!
We decided to play the white tees which were playing at just over 6,600 yards. A good test on a new golf course. From the tee box I really couldn't tell what the 1st hole was doing. So of course you just go with your gut and hope for the best. In the picture above, the cart in the fairway was the line which had the green just a bit right of that point. Drive number 1 hit the fairway and we were off.
This is what I was left with after my drive which was about a half sand wedge to the green. Pretty standard green but some slope in the middle. The fairway narrowed where I was at so sometimes it's good not knowing.
I was left with a 5 foot birdie chance which I made and was pretty excited to start -1 after 1. A good and fair starting hole to get you going.
A very stunning par 3 number 2 which made the green look 10 feet wide from the tee box. You have to trust your distance here and just go with it. Hit a very nice PW to about 12 feet and 2 putted for par. This hole is all about the tee shot and could lead to some very high numbers if it's not hit just right.
A pretty generous fairway from the tee box gets you started on the 3rd hole. Big bunkers on the left side of the fairway makes you take aim a little right. Hit my worse drive of the day here, a snap hook that landed left of the bunkers and along the tree line on the left. A recovery PW put me on the pretty big green but about 50 feet from the hole. I made a 15 foot putt for par to save the hole (yes, my 1st putt was way short).
A tight little par 4 on the 4th that makes putting it in the fairway a must. It appears from the picture you have room on the right but that quickly ends on a good shot and you will be in the trees and have a less than ideal angle to the green. I hit my trusty old 4W fairway finder X Hot and landed just over the bunkers on the left side and just into the rough. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The green is surrounded by huge bunkers so hitting the green is a must unless you love to hit sand shots. The rough grabbed my 52 degree a bit and I ended up short of the hole but right on line with the pin some 25 feet away up the hill. Another good 2 putt and it was off the hole 5.
A longer par 4 starts you with a wide fairway but then narrows the longer you attempt to go. The guy standing out in the fairway is a good line from the tee box. Everything seems to funnel to the right. Another 4W on that line left me with 180 yards into this elevated green. Longer hitters can hit driver but you better be straight! Just a bit off line and your in the woods each way.
The green is uphill and maybe a good 1/2 club longer than what you would normally use. Another green that you can't see from the fairway and you have to trust your distance. Pulled my 6 iron badly to the left and I was left with a chip from up top near that white spec of cart path you can see. Didn't hit a great shot and 2 putted for a bogey. Even after 5.
Here is the view you are given for your tee shot on the 6th hole. Yea, exactly! Pick and line and go with it! The hole moves slightly to the right so hitting right over those trees/bushes is a good line. Another fairway that narrows the longer you go so accuracy is a must. Hit a great 4W down the middle which left me with 120 yards to the green. The fairway had extreme slope from left to right. Missed the green right and 2 putted for another bogey. Below is a picture looking from the 6th fairway down to the 5th green.
Probably one, if not THE, signature hole on the course. Amazing views from up top on the 7th tee box. A creek to the left will make you aim straight down the fairway. A touch of a draw will help as the hole then takes a 90 degree turn to the left. Another great 4W left me 150 yards to a green that you could not see (once again). The pin was tucked left and right up against the creek. I bailed and went right, just missing the green.
Another less than stellar chip and 2 putt gave me another bogey. +2 after 7 holes.
A pretty straight forward par 3 came next but you could only see the front part of the green from the tees. Luckily that's where the pin was so it was playing a bit shorter than it could have. Hit a nice 7 iron just left of the pin and 2 putted from 30 feet for a par. Green sloped from back left to front right.
After some demanding middle holes that required some good and accurate tee shots, the par 5 9th hole opens up and you can grip it and rip it! Not much trouble except a bunker on the right that you need to avoid. Plenty of room on the left.
A nice driver and 4W left me this approach with my 56 degree wedge from about 40 yards. There was plenty of room to the left which actually gave me a good look straight up and into the green. I hit it about 8 feet short of the pin but with an uphill putt. Made it and finished the front 9 +1. 2 birdies and 3 bogeys. I was very happy thus far!
Back 9 coming up next!
University of Texas Golf Club Website
From their website, "The University of Texas Golf Club is a 7,412, par 71 championship-caliber golf course which opened in November 2003. Built in the Texas Hill Country, the course overlooks Lake Austin and borders the Balcones Natural Wildlife Preserve, offering challenging shots and views that rival the best in Austin."
Mike Myers, the man behind the land and the golf course, earned a BBA from the University of Texas in 1959 and an LLB from the School of Law in 1963.
So let's get to this UT Golf Club experience!
Once you drive in to the Steiner Ranch development you instantly get a feel you are in the hill country of Austin. Houses on tall hills, trees everywhere and roads that wind and circle around so much that you lose your sense of direction. Once you encounter this sign you know you are in the right place.
We drove up and the attendant took our clubs and placed them on one of these beauties for the day. Ha! Hook 'em was already entering my mind right about now!
A little walk to the pro shop then made me realize there was much damage to be done once we were through playing. Texas, Texas and more Texas Longhorn goodies to be had. Made me feel like a kid in a candy store. Texas Longhorn merchandise on golf stuff! #Winning!
After a quick walk through the dining room and men's locker room (pictures to come at the end) we were ready to hit some balls on the range. And what would a Texas Longhorn golf course be without orange range balls?
It was an overcast day, a chance of rain later, little to no wind and a nice cool chill in the air. To say I love these kind of weather conditions would be an understatement. We were ready to go!
We decided to play the white tees which were playing at just over 6,600 yards. A good test on a new golf course. From the tee box I really couldn't tell what the 1st hole was doing. So of course you just go with your gut and hope for the best. In the picture above, the cart in the fairway was the line which had the green just a bit right of that point. Drive number 1 hit the fairway and we were off.
This is what I was left with after my drive which was about a half sand wedge to the green. Pretty standard green but some slope in the middle. The fairway narrowed where I was at so sometimes it's good not knowing.
I was left with a 5 foot birdie chance which I made and was pretty excited to start -1 after 1. A good and fair starting hole to get you going.
A very stunning par 3 number 2 which made the green look 10 feet wide from the tee box. You have to trust your distance here and just go with it. Hit a very nice PW to about 12 feet and 2 putted for par. This hole is all about the tee shot and could lead to some very high numbers if it's not hit just right.
A pretty generous fairway from the tee box gets you started on the 3rd hole. Big bunkers on the left side of the fairway makes you take aim a little right. Hit my worse drive of the day here, a snap hook that landed left of the bunkers and along the tree line on the left. A recovery PW put me on the pretty big green but about 50 feet from the hole. I made a 15 foot putt for par to save the hole (yes, my 1st putt was way short).
A tight little par 4 on the 4th that makes putting it in the fairway a must. It appears from the picture you have room on the right but that quickly ends on a good shot and you will be in the trees and have a less than ideal angle to the green. I hit my trusty old 4W fairway finder X Hot and landed just over the bunkers on the left side and just into the rough. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The green is surrounded by huge bunkers so hitting the green is a must unless you love to hit sand shots. The rough grabbed my 52 degree a bit and I ended up short of the hole but right on line with the pin some 25 feet away up the hill. Another good 2 putt and it was off the hole 5.
A longer par 4 starts you with a wide fairway but then narrows the longer you attempt to go. The guy standing out in the fairway is a good line from the tee box. Everything seems to funnel to the right. Another 4W on that line left me with 180 yards into this elevated green. Longer hitters can hit driver but you better be straight! Just a bit off line and your in the woods each way.
The green is uphill and maybe a good 1/2 club longer than what you would normally use. Another green that you can't see from the fairway and you have to trust your distance. Pulled my 6 iron badly to the left and I was left with a chip from up top near that white spec of cart path you can see. Didn't hit a great shot and 2 putted for a bogey. Even after 5.
Here is the view you are given for your tee shot on the 6th hole. Yea, exactly! Pick and line and go with it! The hole moves slightly to the right so hitting right over those trees/bushes is a good line. Another fairway that narrows the longer you go so accuracy is a must. Hit a great 4W down the middle which left me with 120 yards to the green. The fairway had extreme slope from left to right. Missed the green right and 2 putted for another bogey. Below is a picture looking from the 6th fairway down to the 5th green.
Probably one, if not THE, signature hole on the course. Amazing views from up top on the 7th tee box. A creek to the left will make you aim straight down the fairway. A touch of a draw will help as the hole then takes a 90 degree turn to the left. Another great 4W left me 150 yards to a green that you could not see (once again). The pin was tucked left and right up against the creek. I bailed and went right, just missing the green.
Another less than stellar chip and 2 putt gave me another bogey. +2 after 7 holes.
A pretty straight forward par 3 came next but you could only see the front part of the green from the tees. Luckily that's where the pin was so it was playing a bit shorter than it could have. Hit a nice 7 iron just left of the pin and 2 putted from 30 feet for a par. Green sloped from back left to front right.
After some demanding middle holes that required some good and accurate tee shots, the par 5 9th hole opens up and you can grip it and rip it! Not much trouble except a bunker on the right that you need to avoid. Plenty of room on the left.
A nice driver and 4W left me this approach with my 56 degree wedge from about 40 yards. There was plenty of room to the left which actually gave me a good look straight up and into the green. I hit it about 8 feet short of the pin but with an uphill putt. Made it and finished the front 9 +1. 2 birdies and 3 bogeys. I was very happy thus far!
Back 9 coming up next!
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