Texas has some of the most diverse and exciting golf courses in the United States, and if you’re planning a golf trip to the Lone Star State, you’ll find world-class layouts in nearly every region. From the prestigious courses near Dallas to the scenic Hill Country around Austin, Texas golf offers something for every skill level and preference. Whether you’re looking for championship-caliber courses that have hosted major tournaments or hidden gems that locals love, this guide will help you navigate the best golf courses in Texas and plan an unforgettable golf experience.
The Texas Golf Scene: What Makes It Special
Texas is a massive state with nearly 900 golf courses spread across diverse landscapes and climates. What makes Texas golf unique is the variety—you can play links-style courses in coastal areas, dramatic desert layouts in West Texas, and lush parkland designs in the Hill Country. The state has produced some of golf’s most legendary players and continues to host prestigious tournaments that attract the best golfers in the world. The golf culture in Texas is strong, with communities that take their golf seriously and courses designed by some of the game’s greatest architects.
Dallas-Fort Worth: The Metroplex Golf Hub
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to some of Texas’s most prestigious and historic golf clubs. If you’re interested in top courses across the United States, you’ll want to compare what the Metroplex offers to other regions—check out our guides to best golf courses in New York and best golf courses in North Carolina to see how they stack up against these Texas layouts.
Colonial Country Club
Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth is one of the most historic golf clubs in America, founded in 1936. It’s perhaps best known as the home of the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge (formerly known as the Colonial National Invitation Tournament), which has been held there since 1946. The course design by Perry Maxwell is deceptively simple at first glance but becomes incredibly strategic as you play. The 7,080-yard championship layout plays tight and demanding, with out-of-bounds on nine holes, forcing golfers to keep their shots precise. The greens are notoriously firm, especially during summer, and the bentgrass fairways demand accurate iron play. Walking Colonial is a privilege—it’s a walking-only course that maintains traditions of golf elegance and respect for the game’s heritage.
TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch is one of the newer additions to the Dallas landscape but has already earned a strong reputation. This Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design opened in 2022 and immediately became one of the most talked-about courses in the region. The course is set on over 300 acres and features wide fairways, dramatic native limestone walls, and innovative bunkering. What makes Craig Ranch special is its accessibility—while it’s challenging, it doesn’t punish as harshly as some of the ultra-private clubs, making it a great option for traveling golfers who want to play a top-tier course. The conditioning is impeccable, and the routing takes you through varied terrain that showcases the natural landscape of North Texas.
Cowboys Golf Club
Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine is a daily-fee course that has hosted professional tournaments and regularly appears on lists of Texas’s best courses. Designed by Lee Park, this course sits at 7,128 yards from the championship tees and features dramatic elevation changes, water hazards, and challenging par 4s. The course layout is interesting because it plays completely different depending on wind direction and tee selections—you can have a very different experience playing the same holes at different times of year. The conditioning at Cowboys is consistently excellent, and the routing feels fresh despite the course being established for several decades.
The Tribute
The Tribute in The Woodlands (north of Dallas) is a hybrid course that pulls design inspiration from great links courses around the world. Designed by Phil Mickelson and Coore & Crenshaw, this course feels transported from Scotland, with rolling terrain, dramatic bunkering, and natural rough. It’s a walking course that emphasizes shot-making over power, with creative hole routing that makes you think about every shot. The conditioning is superb, and the experience of walking this course in beautiful North Texas landscape is something every serious golfer should experience.
Houston Area: Diverse Courses and Strong History
Houston has produced more PGA Tour winners than perhaps any other city in America, and the golf courses in the area reflect that deep golf heritage. The Houston area offers everything from championship venues to hidden gems perfect for a casual round.
Memorial Park Golf Club
Memorial Park Golf Club underwent a complete renovation by Coore & Crenshaw and reopened in 2022 as one of the most impressive public golf courses in America. This is not just a nice municipal course—it’s a championship venue that hosts PGA Tour events. The renovation maintained the soul of the original A.W. Tillinghast design while modernizing the course with new irrigation, redesigned greens, updated bunkering, and improved conditioning. At 7,461 yards from the back tees, it challenges the best golfers while remaining playable for mid-handicappers from forward tees. Playing Memorial Park is a thrill because you’re walking the same fairways where some of golf’s greatest players learned the game.
Golf Club of Houston
The Golf Club of Houston is a recent addition to the Houston golf scene, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2014. This course is consistently rated among the best in the state because of its thoughtful design and excellent conditioning. The routing creates a unique experience, with holes that flow naturally across the landscape. The bunkering is strategic without being excessive, and the green complexes reward accurate approach shots. The fairways are generous enough that errant tee shots aren’t immediately punished, but missing greens in the wrong places will lead to difficult pitches.
The Clubs at Houston Oaks
The Clubs at Houston Oaks is a daily-fee course with two 18-hole layouts that showcase excellent design by Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman. The courses play through native Texas pine forest, creating a parkland feel unusual for Houston. The conditioning is always top-notch, and the courses remain fun and challenging without being overly demanding. The forest setting provides relief from Houston’s heat and humidity, making this a favorite among locals.
Austin and the Hill Country: Texas Golf at Its Most Scenic
The Hill Country around Austin represents some of Texas’s most beautiful terrain, and the golf courses here take full advantage of the dramatic landscape. If you’re looking for amazing courses elsewhere in the country, compare what you find here to our guides on best golf courses in California and best golf courses in Arizona—the Hill Country holds its own against the most scenic courses in America.
Barton Creek Club
Barton Creek Club is an Austin institution, with multiple 18-hole courses designed by different architects. The Crenshaw Cliffside Course is perhaps the most famous, designed by Ben Crenshaw, playing through stunning Hill Country terrain with views for miles. The elevation changes are dramatic—some holes drop 100 feet from tee to green, creating visual drama unmatched in Texas golf. The Fazio Course is another gem at Barton Creek, offering a different experience with its own character and challenges. Playing at Barton Creek is a Hill Country experience—you’re on some of the highest ground in central Texas with live oaks framing nearly every hole.
Horseshoe Bay Resort
Horseshoe Bay, located on Lake LBJ north of Austin, is a full resort experience with three championship courses. Each course—the Ram Rock, the Slick Rock, and the Apple Rock—has a distinct personality. The Ram Rock, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., is the most dramatic, playing along and over cliffs above the lake. Horseshoe Bay is perfect for a golf destination weekend where you can stay on property and play different courses without driving across town. The lake setting provides stunning views and a different aesthetic than the Hill Country limestone courses.
Wolfdancer Golf Club
Wolfdancer, designed by Mark Mahannah, sits high above Cypress Creek and offers sweeping views of the Hill Country landscape. The course is known for fast, undulating greens and strategic bunkering that rewards thoughtful play. The greens are particularly tricky—they slope in multiple directions, and reading them correctly is essential. The course conditions are consistently excellent, and the setting creates an almost links-like feel despite the dense Hill Country landscape.
Boot Ranch Club
Boot Ranch, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is a newer course (opened in 2008) that immediately earned a reputation as one of Texas’s premier layouts. The course sits at 7,089 yards from the championship tees and plays through rugged Hill Country terrain with dramatic elevation changes. The design is subtle—fairways flow naturally across the landscape, and the bunkering fits the terrain rather than dominating it. The conditioning is meticulous, and the experience of playing Boot Ranch feels special from the moment you arrive.
San Antonio: History and Modern Excellence
San Antonio offers a mix of championship venues and historic courses that represent different eras of golf design.
TPC San Antonio
TPC San Antonio hosts the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open and is one of the premier championship courses in the state. The course was designed by Tom Kite and is stretched to 7,435 yards from the championship tees. The conditioning and setup rival any championship course in the country, and the routing through the Texas Hill Country landscape is compelling. The course is challenging without feeling punitive, with strategic bunkering and well-designed green complexes.
The Quarry Golf Club
The Quarry is built in an old limestone quarry and features dramatic elevation changes unique in Texas golf. Designed by Keith Foster, the course plays dramatically different based on wind conditions because of the quarry’s depth and protection from some directions. Some holes are truly dramatic, with tees elevated above the fairway and greens nestled in the quarry floor. The conditioning is excellent, and the experience of playing in this unique setting is unforgettable.
Brackenridge Park
Brackenridge Park is one of Texas’s oldest golf courses and holds significant historical importance to Texas golf. The course has been in continuous operation since 1916 and has hosted numerous state tournaments. Playing Brackenridge connects you to the history of Texas golf—this is where the game has been played for generations. The course recently underwent restoration work to preserve its integrity while updating it for modern play.
West Texas and the Panhandle
Lajitas Golf Resort
Lajitas Golf Resort in far West Texas is a spectacular destination course on the Rio Grande. This resort sits in remote, dramatic terrain and offers a unique golf experience. The course is set against the backdrop of Big Bend Country, with mountain views and desert landscape that create an otherworldly golf setting. If you’re adventurous and want to experience golf in one of Texas’s most remote and beautiful areas, Lajitas is unforgettable.
Best Public Courses to Play in Texas
While many of Texas’s greatest courses are private clubs, several excellent public-play options exist. TPC Craig Ranch, Cowboys Golf Club, Memorial Park Golf Club, The Golf Club of Houston, and The Quarry all offer public or daily-fee play. These courses allow visiting golfers to experience championship-quality golf without membership. Many of these public courses rival private clubs in quality and conditioning, making Texas an excellent destination for traveling golfers.
Best Time to Play Golf in Texas
Texas’s size means different regions have different optimal playing seasons. North Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) plays beautifully from March through May and September through November. Central Texas (Austin and Hill Country) is similar but benefits from slightly milder winters. Houston and coastal areas can be oppressively hot and humid in summer—May through September sees temperatures regularly above 90 degrees with high humidity. San Antonio and West Texas have their best golf in spring and fall, avoiding both the summer heat and occasional winter cold snaps. If you’re planning a Texas golf trip, aim for April-May or October-November for the best experience statewide.
Planning Your Texas Golf Trip
Texas is vast, so planning is important. A Dallas-Fort Worth golf trip focused on the Metroplex area can easily include 3-5 rounds at different quality courses. Austin offers the most scenic variety with courses scattered across the Hill Country, so you could easily spend a week playing different layouts. Houston works well as a destination with multiple quality options all within an hour of downtown. For a comprehensive Texas golf experience, consider visiting different regions on separate trips—trying to cover Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio in one week means too much driving.
When booking courses, call ahead—many clubs operate membership-only or reciprocal memberships with other clubs, so a contact might open doors. Some courses accept public play on certain days while being private others. Golf travel guides and local golf shops can point you toward available courses and current conditions.
How Texas Golf Compares Nationally
If you’re comparing Texas golf to other major destinations, check out our guides to best golf courses in Florida for another top destination state. Florida offers more year-round playability but Texas offers more geographic variety and architecture diversity. Both are essential for serious golf travelers to explore.
Conclusion: Texas Golf Awaits
The best golf courses in Texas represent the full spectrum of American golf design, from historic classics to modern championship venues. Whether you’re drawn to the precision required at Colonial, the scenic beauty of the Hill Country courses, or the drama of the newer designs at places like TPC Craig Ranch, Texas golf has something special. Plan your trip, reach out to the courses, and prepare for an unforgettable golf experience in the Lone Star State. With world-class courses scattered across the state and a deep golf culture that values the game, Texas is a must-visit destination for every serious golfer.
